The NFC seems to be very competitive this year with several good teams vying for the Super Bowl. I think all the divisions will go down to the last couple of week to crown a champion. Here’s how we see the 2009 season going in the NFC.
NFC EAST
The NFC East has teams in the news for their involvement with criminals. The Giants were linked to the Plaxico Burress case that was just resolved and the Eagles signed Michael Vick. This is the most talented division in football and it was hard to put these teams in order.
1. Philadelphia Eagles - This will be a motivated team. They were close to going back to the Super Bowl last year plus lost their outstanding defensive coordinator in the off-season as Jim Johnson passed away. Donovan McNabb will be focused and the dual threat of Michael Vick will put fear in defenses. Losing Brian Dawkins will force someone to step up and lead the defense.
2. Dallas Cowboys – No TO this year but will Roy Williams be healthy and fill TO’s shoes in Big D? The Cowboys will be a wildcard team.
3. New York Giants – Who will be Eli Manning’s go-to receiver? A great defensive should keep the Giants in games but won’t be enough to make the playoffs this year.
4. Washington Redskins - They’ve got a talented roster but in such a loaded division it’s just not enough. They’ll be in every game they play but just won’t be able to make enough plays to actually put them in the win column. I’m sure there will be major changes as Daniel Snyder won’t be happy with another last place finish.
NFC NORTH
This division will depend on the play of each team’s quarterback. The QB’s dominated the off-season. Brett Favre to the Vikings has been the biggest story of the pre-season, Jay Cutler’s trade from the Broncos to the Bears was the story of the off-season and Matthew Stafford was chosen first by the Lions at the 2009 draft. Oh yeah, Aaron Rodgers had a low profile trying to escape the Favre shadow in Green Bay. The most watched NFL game in history will occur on November 1, 2009 when the Vikings travel to the Packers. It will have Super Bowl like hype.
1. Minnesota Vikings - Brett Favre was brought in to win playoff games. He should have a good season with play action due to defenses keying on Adrian Peterson. The Vikings D should be very good again and get them far.
2. Green Bay Packers – A team that disappointed last year has played great in the preseason and looks like the 2007 team that went to the NFC Title game. This team looks motivated and will challenge the Vikings for the division championship.
3. Chicago Bears - Jay Cutler will be a huge upgrade for the Bears. They’ll have a guy who can try to hit Devan Hester on some deep balls to stretch a defense. With Tommie Harris not looking 100% and a tough division, the Bears don’t have enough playmakers on offense to contend this year.
4. Detroit Lions - I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the Lions win at least 2 games this year. Coming off an 0 for 16 season, that would be a big improvement. Starting a rookie at QB and a defense that has a lack of talent, the Lions will struggle through 2009.
NFC SOUTH
This divisions seems to rotate the title year by year. Carolina won last year so logic says they won’t repeat. Two of the league’s best tight ends, Tony Gonzales and Kellen Winslow II, were traded here in the offseason and should make an impact right away.
1. Atlanta Falcons – They should have one of the best offenses in the league now with the addition of Tony Gonzales, the best TE in NFL history. Matt Ryan should improve after a stellar rookie season but the defense has some question marks.
2. Carolina Panthers – John Fox keeps getting it done in Carolina. If he can keep his team healthy they should be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Health seems to always be an issue though for the most talented players on the roster.
3. New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees will put up huge numbers again but he has to for the Saints to stay in games. The defense looks to be better with Gregg Williams coordinating but does it have the playmakers to keep them in games? Does Reggie Bush finally live up to the hype and have a 20 TD year? If he does, the Saints could be in the playoffs.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - They collapsed and missed the playoffs to end last year. That got Jon Gruden a pink slip and brough in the league’s youngest coach, Raheem Morris. This is a team going through rebuilding right now as several familiar faces are no longer in Tampa. The Bucs will win 6 games at best.
NFC WEST
The NFC West was the worst division in football last year but had the NFC Champion come from it. This year it should be better but don’t look for a wildcard from here.
1. Arizona Cardinals – They should cruise to another division title this year. Do they have a letdown after their Super Bowl loss? They could sleep through half their schedule and still beat the rest of the division.
2. Seattle Seahawks – They were banged up last year so if they stay healthy this year they should be around 8-8. Adding T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Aaron Curry will help a lot.
3. San Francisco 49ers – Mike Singletary has had a training camp now to put his imprint on this team after taking over mid-season in 2008. The Michael Crabtree saga has been a distraction and no solid starter at QB will keep the Niners out of the playoff hunt again.
4. St. Louis Rams – Steve Spanuolo takes over a team that is vastly lacking talent. Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger are quality players but with no Tori Holt, who will Bulger throw to on third down? The defense has numerous holes. The Rams are on the clock.
