Part two of JOE’s preview of the NFL takes a look at the National Football Conference (NFC).
By Sean Nolan
NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys: Looked liked potential Superbowl winners last year until getting mauled by the Minnesota Vikings. This year’s finale is at Cowboys Stadium and no team has ever appeared in a home Superbowl, so owner Jerry Jones would love to break that cycle. With QB Tony Romo looking the real deal they have a chance. In DeMarcus Ware, they have a linebacker who is a sack machine and running backs Felix Jones and Marion Barber are formidable. Should win the NFC East but will want to go further.
New York Giants: 8-8 and no playoffs was a poor return last season. They must do better, but they play in the toughest division in football. Eli Manning seems to be getting better every year and with their running game so weak, he will need to keep his passing accuracy up. Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon are great wide receivers but defensively you fear for them if they don’t tighten up.
Philadelphia Eagles: A new QB (Kevin Kolb) for the first time in 11 seasons following the departure of Donovan McNabb is a gamble for a settled offence. The entire team has now been reshaped, so it is hard to know what form they will be in. It all depends on Kolb‘s performances. If it doesn’t work they have America’s Sweetheart Michael Vick as back up. It might take a year for all the changes to bed in.
Washington Redskins: Donovan McNabb’s new home; they could surpass his former team. Coach Mike Shanahan has spent the summer fighting with defensive end Albert Haynesworth over a new defensive system and it looks like Shanahan has won. He is an offensive coach and with McNabb they will be good to watch and might cause a few upsets this year. Not enough to make the playoffs though.
NFC North:
Chicago Bears: With Mike Martz as offensive co-ordinator and Jay Cutler at QB, the Bears will be a serious attacking threat. The defence will improve now that Brian Urlacher is fit and the addition of defensive end Julius Peppers further strengthens that area. Expect lots of amazing plays and disappointing turnovers, adding up to another year with the post-season off.
Detroit Lions: Just two wins last year, but that was an improvement from a 0-16 season the year before. So could they make it to five or six wins this time? Maybe, but no more than that. Jahvid Best was a good draft and he will provide some valuable running yards. Even better is Ndamukong Suh (below), a monster of a defensive tackle. His hits will be highlight reel stuff all year. Low expectations are justified.
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh hits hard.
Green Bay Packers: One of the favourites for the NFC, they lost to the Cardinals last year in a 51-45 overtime wildcard thriller. This year they should be even better. No real stars, but a really solid roster of talented players makes them justified favourites to win the North. QB Aaron Rodgers has proven he is a classy performer and the team is set up to exploit his abilities. Great bet to win it all this year.
Minnesota Vikings: As always, it is all about Brett Favre. Back in the team and he is already complaining about his ankle. This could be the year his unbelievable run of consecutive starts ends. If it does, the Vikes could be doomed. They have other issues too with one wide receiver Sidney Rice out for six months and another, Percy Harvin, hospitalised by migraines. They still have Adrian Petersen, but too much rests on a 40-year-old ankle.
NFC South:
Atlanta Falcons: Could be a surprising team this year. Matt Ryan has all the tools to be a serious quarterback and he is supported by a lot of weapons. Defensively they can be unlocked, but there is a chance they could make the play-offs.
Carolina Panthers: With an inexperienced quarterback and a young roster, the Panthers are betting on the exuberance of youth. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are quality backs and Steve Smith is vital as their best wide receiver. If his broken arm is healed, he will be QB Matt Moore’s main target. With Julius Peppers gone to Chicago, they will be weaker on defence and another 8-8 year is a realistic target.
New Orleans Saints: Champions, but can they repeat? Well, they have a softish division and an OK schedule. They have the superb Drew Brees running the offence. They have almost all of last year’s roster available to them again and they seem to be lucky with injuries. Back-to-back titles is on. First up is the Vikings in the Superdome and a win there will set them on the way to another divisional title and possibly another tilt at the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Manchester United may be doing well, but the Glazers’ first love is struggling. They only managed three wins last year and it is unlikely they will get much more this time. The team is in the middle of a serious rebuild. They drafted well with nose tackle Gerard McCoy bound to make them tighter and second year QB Josh Freeman will be better, but it would be a surprise if they did not finish bottom of the division.
NFC West:
Arizona Cardinals: Carried by Kurt Warner deep into the playoffs for the past two years, the great man finally hung up his helmet in the off season, passing the baton to Matt Leinert. Now he has been cut, meaning Derek Anderson is the man taking the snaps. They still have Larry Fitzgerald, but the team looks in disarray. Running back Beanie Wells will see more action, but Coach Ken Whisenhunt has a big job to win another divisional title.
Seattle Seahawks: Pete Carroll arrives from USC to have another crack at coaching in the NFL. He was deemed a failure at New Jersey and New England, but it is 11 years since he coached with the pros. In Matt Hasselbeck, he has a franchise player but the rest of the roster is weak. Nate Burlson, their best receiver, went to Detroit so another grim year beckons for the Seahawks.
San Francisco 49ers: The NFC version of the Jets. Everybody is talking them up as potential champions so now they have to step up. Defensively they are very solid, meaning that if they can get some points on the board they could rack up a lot of wins. QB Alex Smith still has to convince many, but he has talent to throw to the likes of Michael Crabtree. Frank Gore is an exceptional running back too so they should win the moribund NFC West.
St Louis Rams: Fewest wins (1) and lowest points scored (175) last year. It meant they could draft Heisman winner Sam Bradford and he will be their starting QB. He looks NFL ready and in pre-season, there were signs the Rams will be better this year. Taken over by Arsenal shareholder Stan Kroenke in the summer, the team is planning to build around Bradford but he looks to have few players of his calibre around him yet. If wide receiver Laurent Robinson is fit they could win a few but not too many.
Read part one of the NFL preview, a look at the American Football Conference (AFC), here.
