Eli Manning the man for Giants

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s just another pass being unleashed by one of the NFC East’s cannon-armed quarterbacks. This division is loaded with talent under center, with Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Kevin Kolb and Tony Romo all capable of lighting up the scoreboard.

It promises to be a tough year for McNabb in Washington as he has a limited set of receivers to work with but he should still do better in D.C. than Jason Campbell managed. Philadelphia has the most explosive receiving corps in the NFC East, which should help Kolb in his first season as a starter.

The Cowboys have tremendous talent on both sides of the ball but their offensive line remains a big concern. That leaves New York, looking to break in a new stadium with a trip to the playoffs. I like the Giants' chances with a Manning under center, even if his first name isn’t Peyton.

The Packers will look to turn the tables on the Vikings in 2010, with both teams hoping to make it back to the playoffs. Brett Favre broke hearts in Green Bay when he beat the Packers twice while wearing a Minnesota uniform in 2009. It’s time for Aaron Rodgers to get some revenge.

The New Orleans Saints won’t surprise anyone in 2010. This is the same team as the offensive monster that won the Super Bowl in February. Nobody in the NFC South looks capable of taking the Saints’ divisional crown. The Falcons might be good enough to make the post-season but only as a wild card team.

Anything is possible in the NFC West. Pete Carroll is even making Mike Williams look like an NFL receiver over in Seattle while defending champions Arizona look certain to cut Matt Leinart, the former heir apparent to Kurt Warner.

San Francisco is the team to beat this year. The 49ers don’t have a big-name quarterback, like a Montana or Young, but Mike Singletary has turned this franchise into a blue-collar outfit that can win big games.