
by Tom Nieradka
Editorial. Photos by AP News
Down to only 6 games now, a week after my AFC Playoff predictions lets go ahead and take a look at the NFC.
NFC East: Winner: Philadelphia Eagles…..Wildcard Contender: Dallas Cowboys
The NFC East is probably the biggest disappointment of a division in the NFL this year.

Starting at the bottom with the Redskins (3-8) the breakout year for Jason Campell is looking more and more like it is never coming. And with Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley out, this team has no shot. The Giants defense is looking terrible, and the offense is subpar at best. And now that Eli Manning is re-injured and they have three upcoming games against their NFC East rivals, 8-8 is looking like a real possibility. The Eagles are also looking at a somewhat tough schedule with games against Denver, Dallas, and Atlanta coming up. However with Atlanta beaten and Denver and Dallas doing everything possible to disprove themselves as legit contenders, it is very possible that the Eagles can win three or four of their last five games.

NFC North: Winner: Minnesota Vikings….Wildcard Contender: Green Bay Packers
The Brett Favre division continues to be dominated (after a year off of course) by none other than Brett Favre. Off to one of his best seasons since the invention of the automobile, his Vikings sit atop the division at 10-1. They have a somewhat challenging two games coming up against the Cardinals and Bengals, but 14-2 is a very real possibility.
Firmly seated in second place are the Brett Favre-less Packers (7-4). It actually seems like a good thing that Favre is gone right now because if Favre was getting hit as much as Aaron Rogers is he would have already had two hip replacement surgeries and an artificial ribcage by now. Nevertheless Green Bay continues to perform well as a high tier team, and with their winnable schedule ahead they should cruise to a 10-6 finish.

NFC South: Winner: New Orleans Saints….Wildcard Contender: Atlanta Falcons
The NFC South features another one of the elite teams in football in the New Orleans Saints (10-0). Their big win Monday night over the Patriots has officially and undoubtedly cemented them as the team to beat in the NFC (or NFL for that matter). With Drew Brees leading the charge and the much improved defense not allowing the other teams to keep pace, their 38-17 spanking of the Pats means that it is now very possible the Saints could grab that coveted 16-0 record.

Jake Delhomme reverted to the Jake we all know and love throwing four picks to the Jets, and without a good QB and a wide receiver to complement Steve Smith you can have all the best running backs in the world and still not make the playoffs. And the Bucs should be thankful that the Packers took a week off and handed them a win….I don’t see them getting anymore.
NFC West: Winner: Arizona Cardinals…..Wildcard Contender: San Francisco 49ers
The NFC West again proves that it is still one of the worst divisions in football.

And then the Rams (1-10) continue to make a case for themselves as the worst team in football. However with Steven Jackson still on the team vs. no elite players for the Browns, I think we all know who that title goes to.
The Final Cut:
1. New Orleans Saints (first round bye, home field throughout)
2. Minnesota Vikings (first round bye)
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Arizona Cardinals
5. Green Bay Packers
6. Dallas Cowboys (gasp)
No comments:
Post a Comment