NFC East: The Hype Division?

Color me impressed, Cowboys fans.

I went into Wednesday thinking the result of the Cowboys-Giants game would play no factor in my picks for the NFC East and the playoffs as a whole. The main reason was because I was convinced the Giants were going to win that game. After all, no Super Bowl champion had lost the opening regular season game since 1999 when Elway retired from the Broncos.

But I was also convinced the Giants were the better team. Last time the Giants won the Super Bowl, they went from wild card team to division winner. It seemed to me they were going to do that again. After all, the main pieces of the team are still there, and the Giants' defense is top-notch right?

Now I'm not saying the Giants defense isn't top-notch, but Dallas reminded me of something very important: just because you have incredible talent in your defensive line doesn't mean your defense as a whole will be good. But more on that further down.

I can say before I was going to pick the Giants to win the NFC East, or at least be a wild card team. Now ... I may have to change my mind. Division preview after the jump.