NFC East 2009 Pre-Season Preview: Still the Best in Football?

Prior to the start of the 2008 season, almost all of the hype centered around what was considered to be the best division in all of football: the NFC East. There was talk that the Cowboys were so stacked with talent, they were the easy Super Bowl favorites. Dallas stumbled to a 9-7 finish in the regular season, and were unceremoniously stomped from playoff contention in the season's final game, a 44-6 drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Then there was the defending champions, the New York Giants. A team that was expected to struggle tremendously along the defensive line with the loss of retired defensive end, Michael Strahan, and the season-ending knee injury to Osi Umenyiora. The G-Men flew out of the gates, soaring to an 11-1 start. Enter Plaxico Burress. In the days leading up to the Giants 23-7 victory over the Washington Redskins, Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a New York night club. Without their biggest weapon, the Giants stumbled to a 1-3 record ... (link)