The National Football Conference used to be the dominant force in the NFL, not anymore, this year it again will likely be considered the weaker conference. The NFC is wide open, however, with no dominant team in any division and certainly no true favorite to represent in the Super Bowl. The defending champion Arizona Cardinals do not exactly strike fear into the hearts of their opponents even though they have one of the best offenses in the league. With their receivers and new running back Beanie Wells the Cards should be just as good if not better on offense. Defense is their problem and we had a first hand view of that last week when Aaron Rodgers absolutely picked them apart
The Cardinals will win the NFC West but I could see the Seattle Seahawks with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck giving them a real run for their money. The Rams and 49ers seem to be treading water at best. The Cardinals are the best of the West but I can’t see them repeating as NFC Champs. Kurt Warner is not getting any younger. Cards, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers.
Down South I can’t see New Orleans not winning the division. The Saints have Dree Brees and some major weapons to make life dangerous for anybody. A new defensive coordinator to fix the woeful defense and the Saints might have something. I’m not real high on Gregg Williams though and am glad he turned down Mike McCarthy when he offered him the defensive coordinator job in Green Bay. The Falcons I think surprised a few people last year and I can’t see that happening this year. Matty Ice will have to avoid the sophomore slump for Atlanta to even come close to last year’s 11-5 record.
Every team in the South was .500 or better last year but I don’t see that happening again. Saints, Panthers, Falcons and Bucs.
The NFC East contains the latest NFC team to win a Super Bowl and I think the Giants might have a chance to do it again this year. I also think the Philadelphia Eagles have a chance to win the conference so I think this division is going to be a battle. The Cowboys can’t be forgotten but for whatever reason, call it a hunch, I think they will take another step back this year. Bum’s son is not for long in Dallas. The Redskins are an afterthought. Giants, Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins.
Saving the best for last? Hard to say that with the Detroit Lions part of your division, but I do believe the moniker “Black and Blue Division” has returned. There is no love lost between the top three competitors. The Packers hate the Vikings, respect the Bears and the incredible rivalry they have with them, and count on two wins when playing the Lions. The Bears also hate the Vikings and respect the Packers which tells you all you need to know about the Vikings and their organization. The Vikings are four-time Super Bowl losers and all-time leaders in playoff disappointments who just added the all-time leader in playoff disappointments by a quarterback in Brett Favre. This is the perfect storm.
The Bears have added a quarterback to an offense that already has a good running back in Matt Forte but lacks any real receiver. They do have a couple of good tight ends so expect a lot balls thrown in that direction. The bottom line is while Cutler is a upgrade at quarterback he is not a proven winning quarterback, he never had a winning record in Denver and is quite the little baby, which is why he is in Chicago in the first place. Brian Urlacher said it best. Cutler’s combined college and pro record is 28-54. He did have a winning record in high school, however.
The Packers through three preseason games look like the cream of the crop, but again, it is only preseason. Still, with Aaron Rodgers looking like he will be even better than last year when he threw for 4000 yards and 28 TDs in his first year as a starter, the Packers clearly have the best quarterback in the division. Combine that with the best offensive weapons in the division outside of Adrian Peterson, the Packers’ will be hard to stop. Wide receivers Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and probably James Jones and Jordy Nelson would all be starters on any of their division foes. Running back Ryan Grant doesn’t rate with Peterson, but is dependable and healthy this year, which should equate to more big plays like we saw from him in 2007, when he out-gained Peterson in the second half of the season.
Of course, the Packers really need improvement on defense. If Dom Capers can work his magic one more time and improve this defense, which is looking good at this point, the Packers will have the most balanced team in the division. The Vikings have Peterson and a good defensive line, but couldn’t stop the pass if they tried. The Bears have Cutler and Hester, going to put your money on that combo? I didn’t think so. The Lions have a fresh start and a long way to go. The Packers have a seasoned quarterback, and yes, I say seasoned, four quality receivers and an emerging big play tight end. Add to that a dependable running back and a new attacking defense. 6-10 record last year, 11-5 this year. Packers, Bears, Vikings, Lions.