Unlike the AFC, where pretty much everyone is in agreement that the Patriots are head and shoulders above the others, we don't know what the NFC has in store for us this season. We know who the good teams are, but there are some serious questions regarding each one.
The biggest of those questions, of course, revolve around Ezekiel Elliott (by the way, how in God's name did the Rookie of the Year voters give it to Dak instead of him last year?). How long will he be suspended, and when will that suspension start? Without any sort of resolution forthcoming, it looks like he'll be suiting up against the Giants in Week 1. But how many games he misses and when could have a big bearing on the NFC playoff picture (although we were asking those same questions about Brady after Deflategate, and we all know how that turned out).
If his suspension is shortened (which seems likely), Dallas may be able to weather being without Zeke for a few games. That, of course, is assuming there's no sophomore slump for him and Prescott, who is now officially the Cowboys' quarterback after Tony Romo retired and moved into the CBS broadcast booth (hiring a complete novice as your No. 1 analyst when you already have Phil Simms?).
NFC East: Because of all the uncertainty surrounding Elliott, making picks in the NFC East, let alone the NFC as a whole, is extremely difficult. Dallas is the best team. But Elliott's their best player. They're deep enough to be a playoff team either way, but when they lose him (and for how long) will be key. Especially with an early road trip to Denver and Arizona and a midseason stretch against Kansas City and Atlanta. They won every non-division game they played last year, but I don't expect that to happen again.
And, again, knowing how much time Elliott will miss is vital to predicting a champion in the NFC East. Because a very good New York Football Giants team is ready to pounce. After all, they handed the Cowboys two of their three regular season losses last year en route to the playoffs, where they were embarrassed in Lambeau. Even if they don't win the division, the Giants certainly look like they'll be a playoff team again. And I'm sure they'll probably do what they usually do in the regular season. They'll beat good teams and have a random loss or two against a team that has no business beating them (like either LA team or the 49ers), which will likely cost them a playoff seed.
Washington's chances at making the playoffs involve everything going right and a little bit of luck. However, the Redskins simply aren't good enough to be a playoff team. Same thing with the Eagles. Although you know they'll both give their buddies in Texas and New York all kinds of headaches during the season.
NFC North: There's one team in the NFC that everybody agrees on, and that's the Green Bay Packers. Many experts have the Packers pegged as New England's Super Bowl opponent, and it's easy to see why. They're one of the most consistently good teams in football year in and year out. And with the rest of the NFC North down, they should easily win the division title. The Packers' focus should be on getting that first-round playoff bye and avoiding the extra game.
Minnesota made the right call in letting Adrian Peterson go. It's going to make the Vikings a better team in the long run. The 2017 edition is more like the team that ended last season than the one that started it 5-0, though. Detroit was a playoff team last year, but the Lions will need a lot of things to go their way to get back. That's not to say the Lions can't. I just think the rest of the competition for a wild card has gotten better. One team that hasn't gotten better is the Bears. Chicago will be lucky to go 5-11. And Mitch, sorry "Mitchell," Trubisky is not the answer at quarterback.
NFC South: Here's my bold prediction for 2017...the Tampa Bay Bucs will win the NFC South. The Bucs have been building for the last couple of seasons, and this year is the year they'll get over the top. They've got a really good offense, which is key in the NFC South, and their defense is very underrated. I think it's that defense that will make the difference in a division that's always decided by a game or two.
Atlanta's Super Bowl collapse was epic. How will they recover from it? We'll probably find out pretty early. If they show no ill-effects, they're perhaps the best team in the NFC. But I have a feeling they'll have Super Bowl hangover, just like the Panthers did last year (how could they not?). Even if they do, the Falcons are still probably good enough to snag a wild card.
This is the NFC South we're talking about, though. And seeing the Panthers return to their 15-1 form from 2015 wouldn't be that great of a shock, either. Carolina's probably somewhere in the middle of that team and last year's 6-10 squad. I can see a rebound to 9-7. The Saints, meanwhile, have gone 7-9 in four of the last five years. Why shouldn't we expect it to happen again?
NFC West: Last season was a "down" year in Seattle, and the Seahawks still managed 10 wins, including a victory in New England. We all know that they're one of the best home teams in the league. It's how well they do on the road that will determine how many home playoff games they get. Because winning the NFC West shouldn't be a problem.
Arizona's window of opportunity is closing. The Cardinals can be a playoff team again. But if they are, it'll be as a wild card team. I don't like the Rams' new helmets at all. And, worst of all, the gold trim on their uniforms makes completely no sense now. I will say this about LA, though. At least they're not the 49ers. Incredibly, the Rams were the only team that came between San Francisco and 0-16 last year. The 49ers swept the Rams and lost to everybody else. They play the AFC South this year, so beating a different team is possible. They won't beat many, though. Another 2-14 season is a definite possibility.
So, that leaves us with five of last year's playoff teams returning. The Cowboys (East), Packers (North) and Seahawks (West) as division champions, the Giants and Falcons as wild cards. The only playoff newcomer will be Tampa Bay (South). I've got the Falcons beating the Bucs and the Seahawks beating the Giants, then Green Bay beating Atlanta and Dallas beating Seattle. Like many others, I've got the Packers winning the NFC title (over Dallas) before losing to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
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