Unlike the AFC, where there are really only two top teams, the NFC's Super Bowl representative seems far less clear. The Rams are plenty motivated after being embarrassed by New England. So are the Saints after how their last two seasons have ended. Then there's the Vikings, who carried Super Bowl expectations into last season, only to massively underachieve.
Meanwhile, the Falcons, Bears, Cowboys, Eagles and Seahawks all have reasonable playoff expectations. And if things go right, they could even challenge that trio. After all, a different NFC team has faced the Patriots (and Denver once) in each of the last five years.
What that also means is we're going to have some exciting races for both division titles and the wild card spots. I wouldn't even be surprised if there's a two- or three-way tie for the second wild card. Especially when you consider there are three really bad teams in the NFC (Washington, Tampa Bay and Arizona), it's going to be really competitive between those mid-level teams. We could easily see a handful of teams in the 9-7/8-8 range, which should be enough to get one of them into the playoffs.
NFC East: Both Dallas and Philadelphia made the playoffs last season, and they're still the two most talented teams in the division. It should come down to those two again. The Eagles magic from their Super Bowl run carried over into the end of last season, complete with the "double doink" in Chicago. But you've gotta wonder if there's any of that magic left, especially now that Nick Foles is in Jacksonville. Their best hope at returning to the playoffs will be as a wild card.
Make no mistake, Eli Manning is the Giants' quarterback. That's not going to change. At least not this season. He'll finish out his career then ride off into retirement. It's Saquon Barkley's team now, anyway. As long as he stays healthy, the Giants have a chance to make some real noise. Are they a playoff caliber team? Not yet. But they'll be better than they were last season. Which is more than I can say for the Redskins. After a great start last season, it was straight downhill after Alex Smith's gruesome broken leg. Things don't look like they'll be much better this year. Washington seems more likely to challenge for the No. 1 pick than the playoffs.
Projected Standings: Cowboys (10-6), Eagles (9-7), Giants (6-10), Redskins (3-13)
NFC North: Props to the NFL for starting the Centennial Season with Bears-Packers, the oldest rivalry in the sport. Of course, they played in the opener last year, too, although none of us could've expected how each team's season would go after yet another Aaron Rodgers comeback. I'm especially interested to see how Chicago follows up its division title. The Bears tend to make the playoffs once every few years, then regress back to a 6-10 team for the next few seasons.
Either way, I think Minnesota is the team to beat in the NFC North. The Vikings are out to prove that last year was a fluke and they really do belong in the upper echelon of the NFC. Green Bay also wants to rebound after the bottom fell out last season. The coaching change will help. Mike McCarthy had simply worn out his welcome. Besides, the Packers still have Aaron Rodgers. As long as he stays healthy, they have a chance. But, as always, his health is the key to Green Bay's success. I didn't forget about the Lions. They're simply not as strong as the other three teams in the division.
Projected Standings: Vikings (11-5), Bears (10-6), Packers (9-7), Lions (6-10)
NFC South: The NFC South has developed a bit of a reputation as a division that's always up for grabs. That's because the NFL always backloads the division games for some reason, and they usually beat up on each other throughout December. Which is how Atlanta and Carolina go from 6-2/7-1 to not even making the playoffs. Expect similar around-.500 records for both of them again. I don't think they can both make the playoffs, but one of them getting a wild card is definitely possible. Don't forget, they're both only a few years removed from a Super Bowl appearances.
Don't count on either to challenge New Orleans, though. The Saints aren't just the clear best team in the division. They're right there at the top of the NFC. As for the Bucs, they'll be much improved under Bruce Arians. The problem is they still aren't nearly as good as the Saints, Falcons or Panthers. So, even if they're competitive against everyone else, their division record is gonna sink them.
Projected Standings: Saints (11-5), Falcons (9-7), Panthers (8-8), Buccaneers (4-12)
NFC West: Is there more buzz about any division other than the NFC West? From potential breakout rookies in Arizona and San Francisco, all the wheeling and dealing in Seattle, and a Rams team that reached the Promised Land last year and expects to get back, people are talking about all four teams. Although, in two cases, it's more hopeful optimism than realistic expectations. For the other two, those thoughts are legitimate.
Those two with realistic hopes are the Rams and Seahawks. Last season, it was Super Bowl or Bust in Hollywood. This year it is again, but for a completely different reason. They want to get back and hope the real Rams team shows up this time. As long as Pete Carroll's in charge, Seattle will be a playoff contender. And with the moves the Seahawks have made to fortify their defense, expect more of the same this season. The 49ers struggled last year after Jimmy Garroppolo went down. Now that he's back, and they added Nick Bosa in the draft, there are high hopes in San Francisco. The playoffs might be a little too much to expect, though. As for the Cardinals, I have no idea what they're doing. Their new head coach got fired by an under-.500 college program. Yes, he's a quarterback savant and, who knows?, maybe he'll work wonders with No. 1 pick Kyler Murray. But Arizona's still a long way from respectability.
Projected Standings: Rams (13-3), Seahawks (9-7), 49ers (6-10), Cardinals (5-11)
I've got some tiebreakers coming into play once the playoffs come around. Minnesota edges New Orleans for the 2-seed on conference record, while the four-way wild card tie between Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Green Bay goes to the Seahawks. Which gives us Chicago at Dallas and Seattle at New Orleans in the wild card games, with the home teams winning and moving on to face the Rams and Vikings.
Just like in the AFC, I think the NFC Championship Game will be a rematch of last season. Except this time, the Rams meet the Saints in sunny Southern California. Last year, most people thought the home field would make a difference, but the Rams won in the Superdome. I think it actually will matter this year. Especially since the Rams are a better team than the Saints.
That gives us a matchup of the Rams and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV (aka the same Super Bowl most people outside of Boston wanted last year). Kansas City's last Super Bowl appearance wasn't just the last game in AFL history. It also marked the end of the NFL's 50th season. So them going again 50 years later seems kind of fitting. The result won't be the same, though. The Rams have gotten better since last season. This time, they'll be up for the occasion. They won't let the Super Bowl stage get the better of them. And they'll prove it by beating the Chiefs for the Lombardi Trophy.
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