Grading Each 2012 NFL Team: NFC East Edition

Since it's a little too early to look forward--and don't let all this combine and draft talk fool you--let's look back at how all 32 teams did in 2012.  These grades are quite obviously subjective, but I assessed a few things in my mind: 1) Did this team improve, maintain or decline in performance from previous years?; 2) Did this team maximize the talent level on its roster?; and 3) What does the quality of wins and losses say about these guys?

We now continue our series with the NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys, 8 - 8

Overall Grade: C+
Just as sure as Jerry Jones' overbearing waddle, the Cowboys were victim to yet another Week 17 collapse after looking generally promising in the late season.  Dallas deserves some credit for keeping their playoff hopes alive much longer than we anticipated at mid-season and for compensating for a vast number of injuries on defense about as well as could be expected.  All of this still wasn't enough to keep Romo out of his own head for that final 60 minutes in December, unfortunately.

High Points: The Cowboys started out the year with a bang, becoming the first team in 9 seasons to defeat the reigning Super Bowl champion Giants on opening night and had tough, late wins against the likes of the Steelers, Bengals and Browns.  Romo also had a nice series down the stretch when he went 17 TDs to just 3 picks over 8 weeks.

Low Points: Dallas' low points always seem to be some of the worst these days.  There was Jason Garrett's botched clock management in Baltimore reminiscent of when he iced his own kicker in 2011.  And there's Romo's very costly 5-INT game against the Bears and 3-INT Week 17 collapse against the Redskins.  And there are the kinds of plays that make you believe the Cowboys are victim to a gypsy curse like Dez Bryant's barely non-TD catch vs. the Giants that cost them their second game with the rival.

Homework for 2013: Convince Jerry Jones to retire through Jedi mind tricks or enhanced interrogation.  Get Tony Romo a life coach and try to find the next Kaepernick in the draft to save the day mid-season.

Philadelphia Eagles, 4 - 12

Overall Grade: F
What goes up must come down, and for Andy Reid's alleged fantasy football roster these past two years, the peak has unfortunately been the preseason hype.  Many were willing to give the Eagles another vote of confidence after they finished 2011 strong, but loss after loss in excruciating, mistake-riddled fashion sunk Philly's ship and Reid's tenure for good this time around.

High Points: Philadelphia started the season to the tune of potential with solid wins against the Giants and Ravens.  There were also some signs of life long after the Eagles' playoff hopes were dashed with noteworthy rookie performances from QB Nick Foles and RB Bryce Brown.

Low Points: So many to choose from here.  The worst to me may have been the Eagles' Monday night game in New Orleans during which the most pitiful defense in the league (and of all time) hammered Michael Vick with 6 sacks and 2 turnovers.  It was brutal to the point that you wondered if Vick would play at all next season, much less the next game.

Homework for 2013: There's a lot of overhauling to do this offseason where the personnel no longer match the system Chip Kelly wants to build. Let's hope Kelly is generating some real organizational adaptability to ensure the roster has the skills and buy-in to try a lot of new things quickly.  He needs to find some common ground with Nick Foles' style of QB play ASAP in this arranged marriage.

New York Giants, 9 - 7

Overall Grade: B-
Oh those Giants.  Just when you think you're on to their hot-and-cold antics and put every ounce of trust in their ability to get the job done with their backs against the wall, they get all Charlie Brown-whiffing-the-football on you.  New York took all of us on a rollercoaster ride that dipped from slow start to playoff certainty to epic collapse.  The bottom line? We'll still be talking about them as Super Bowl contenders next year.

High Points: The Giants trounced three perennial NFC powerhouses with emphatic wins over the 49ers (26 - 3), Packers (38 - 10) and Saints (52 - 27).  In these moments, the Giants looked like the dangerous postseason favorites we've learned to expect with clutch play from Eli Manning, balance in the running game and a defensive turnover machine.  Starting the year off 6 - 2, they appeared to have shaken off the inconsistencies of old and to have the NFC East crown firmly in hand.

Low Points: Becoming the first Super Bowl winner in nearly a decade to lose its opener had to sting for the Giants in Week 1, especially since it ended up being the difference in New York's division crown and playoff hopes.  This turned out to be one of the more devastating late season collapses the Giants have had to endure in the Coughlin era.  As Grantland's Bill Barnwell pointed out, the Giants had nearly an 85% chance of winning the NFC East midway through the season, but they went 3 - 3 against their rivals and endured pitiful 34 - 0 and 33 - 14 losses late in the season to the Falcons and Ravens respectively that left us wondering what happened.

Homework for 2013: Reload on defense.  Justin Tuck isn't getting any younger and Osi Umenyiora's contract was voided in January.  The Giants could be in trouble in that 4 - 3 pass rush soon if they don't take care of business.  With enormous offensive potential across the division from the likes of RG3, Chip Kelly's quick spreads and Romo's flashes of brilliance, New York needs to avoid getting winded and expecting Eli to win every shootout.

Washington Redskins, 10 - 6

Overall Grade: A
In a trio of unlikely worst-to-playoffs teams this year (including the Colts and Vikings), few teams were more inspiring than the 2012 Redskins with an offensive arsenal that included shovel-ready rookies Robert Griffin and Alfred Morris.

High Points: The Redskins started the year out with a bang via RG3's superb debut in New Orleans.  Who could forget that bullet of a TD to Pierre Garcon that let us know Griffin was going to be special from Day One?  Then of course there was Washington's stunning 7 - 0 run to close out the season and steal the division from the veteran Giants and Cowboys.  The rebuilding era has officially come to a close in DC.

Low Points: Without question, watching Robert Griffin go down with a torn ACL/MCL in the Wild Card round was one of the worst moments in sports this year.  Not only did it create a lot of uncertainty for the 'Skins going into 2013, it also brought questions of player safety right back into the forefront of the NFL's reputation.  For those who may have thought I was merely joking about Coach Shanahan having Manson eyes, his awful decision to keep Griffin in that game is Exhibit H that he might actually be a sociopath.

Homework for 2013: Protect Robert Griffin -- not just with better play on the offensive line, but with a retooled play-calling strategy that will limit his rushing snaps.  One needs only to look at Michael Vick's and Carson Palmer's state of affairs these days to know that even the most promising young players can be battered into mediocrity if they lose confidence and/or physical durability during a rocky reentry.