Dallas – Key ingredient

No team has drawn more media coverage this offseason. When volatile receiver Terrell Owens was added to the mix without a full endorsement from head coach/chef Bill Parcells, many thought that it would be a recipe for disaster. But the Tuna has gotten great production from another wideout who wasn't initially on his grocery list: Terry Glenn.

 

Hidden Truth: Glenn led the conference in yards per catch last season. His 18.3-yard average was the best of his 10-year career, and it tied for tops in the league with Denver's Ashley Lelie. Glenn had 62 receptions for 1,136 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns. (He posted similarly impressive numbers in last night's 30-7 preseason win over New Orleans: 4 catches, 71 yards, 17.8 average, 1 TD.)

Outlook for 2006: If Owens stays out of the doghouse and on the field, he will draw most of the coverage from opposing secondaries. Glenn may see fewer throws in his direction, but he will be freed up to continue making big plays down the field.

 

N.Y. Giants – By land and by air

In his second year at the helm, Tom Coughlin guided the Giants to an 11-5 record, a division title and a home playoff game. Their postseason stay was short, however, as the team was shut out by Carolina in the wild-card round, 23-0. The coach drew some criticism after that loss for failing to get the ball to star running back Tiki Barber, who had just 16 touches.

 

Hidden Truth: Last year, Barber recorded the second-most yards from scrimmage in NFL history. He became the first back to exceed 1,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season. By combining for 2,390 yards, Barber finished just 39 total yards behind the record of Marshall Faulk, who amassed 2,429 for St. Louis in 1999. Here's how the two stack up:

 

 

Outlook for 2006: Most backs slow down when they reach 30, but Barber had his finest season. He will again carry a heavy load and attempt to lead the league in yards from scrimmage for a third straight year.

 

Philadelphia – Hitting the open man

The departure of Owens essentially leaves the passing game where it was three years ago. The Eagles are a season removed from four straight appearances in the NFC title game, and they had pedestrian wide receivers for the majority of that time. Quarterback Donovan McNabb will welcome the return to being the team's unquestioned leader.

 

Hidden Truth: McNabb has the second-best interception percentage in league history. He has been picked off just 66 times in 2,943 career passing attempts, for a percentage of 2.24. Only former Steelers/Jets/Bengals/Titans quarterback Neil O'Donnell (2.11) threw INTs less often among those with 1,500 attempts.

 

Outlook for 2006: McNabb won't see a Pro Bowl wideout in his huddle, but he won't have to constantly hear one either. Healthy after his hernia surgery, he will go back to distributing the ball evenly among his receivers.

 

Washington – Ground production

The hallmark of the Joe Gibbs-coached Redskins has always been a strong running game. When he returned to the Washington sideline in 2004 after a 12-year absence, he wanted a young back to be the focal point of the offense. A subsequent trade with Denver made Clinton Portis the latest workhorse in Gibbs's stable.

 

Hidden Truth: Portis averages the most rushing yards per game of any active player. He has piled up more than 1,500 yards in three of his four seasons (and over 1,300 in the other), good for a per-game average of 98.8. Portis actually ranks third on the all-time list, trailing only Hall of Famers Jim Brown (104.3) and Barry Sanders (99.8).