NFL: NFC Preview 2007 - 2008

Although it is apparent that the four best teams in the AFC, the New England Patriots, the San Diego Chargers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the defending Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, are the class of the NFL this year, before any of us decide that an NFC team can't win the Super Bowl we should first take a look at each division and team in the NFC. The NFC is a conference full of very talented coaches and talented coaches can do some damage in a Super Bowl. After all, the Super Bowl is only one game.

Here, then, is a peek at each division in the NFC - -

NFC East - We start with the Philadelphia Eagles who still are the class of this division. If Donovan McNabb returns to form, then the Eagles have an excellent chance of not only winning the division but securing home field advantage in the conference playoffs. Their defense isn't as good as it used to be, but Andy Reid is as good of a play-caller as anyone in the NFL and, again, McNabb, no matter what his critics say, is one of the better quarterbacks in the league.

After the Eagles, a surprise team looks best to maybe steal a wildcard spot. That team is the Washington Redskins. It's about that time where Joe Gibbs' genius comes to the forefront and his quarterbacks start playing like hall-of-famers. It's not like Jason Campbell is a bad quarterback. So, we expect big things from him. The defense should be better with LaRon Landry joining Sean Taylor in the defensive backfield. But, the real reason they have a shot is Gibbs. The guy's a winner.

The Dallas Cowboys will take a step back going from the Big Tuna to Wade Phillips. Phillips just doesn't have the head coaching chops you need in the NFL and Tony Romo is untested. He's got a lot of Brett Favre in him without Favre's big arm. Not sure what to make of their running backs and their defense is somewhat overrated. They have trouble covering receivers in space. How long before Andy Reid dissects that Saints game from last year?

What's going on with the New York Giants? What a mess! We love Tom Coughlin, as a person, but honestly, he needs to go. I'm surprised he's still there. Without their anchor, Tiki Barber, the team really has nothing going for it this year. They'd better find a way to get Eli Manning going or this team could win maybe five or six games. No pride, no heart, no chance to make the playoffs.

NFC North - Believe it or not, we aren't set to hand this division over to the Chicago Bears just yet. We explain why below, but, first, let us tell you who we think wins this division. The Detroit Lions look ultra-tough and have a terrific chance of making a New Orleans Saints' turnaround this year. 10 - 6 is not out of the question, especially in the weak NFC North, and we really believe that they have too much firepower on offense and a defense that might come around in time for them to actually make some noise. Boss Bailey is no joke as a linebacker and Shaun Cody should be better this year. The most important thing is the fact that they have two very good coaches at the helm. Mike Martz hates losing and will do whatever it takes for this offense to click. We love Rod Marinelli's attitude. The man cares nothing about individual accolades. Expect the Lions to surprise this year.

The Chicago Bears could grab a wild-card spot out of default. They appear weak on the defensive line and no matter what they say; Rex Grossman just doesn't have it as a quarterback. Losing Ron Rivera to call their defensive alignments is absolutely huge and the switch from Thomas Jones to a bad attitude Cedric Benson is not going to help their run game. Still, the NFC appears so weak, the Bears may win enough games to get into the playoffs. Don't expect a repeat of last year's performance, though as that undersized defense was exposed in the Super Bowl.

The Green Bay Packers at least have a decent quarterback. Unlike most individuals, we truly believe that having Brett back is a good thing. Aaron Rodgers just isn't ready to lead a young, rebuilding team, and Brett will provide a winning attitude at least. This team is a mess with nothing good to say about it. So, they'd better wise up and thank Brett for staying one more year. He's still good enough for three or four wins which is all they will probably muster.

How many games will the Minnesota Vikings win? The NFL is a quarterback's league. It always has been and always will be. The Minnesota Vikings have no quarterbacks. Zip. They might win two games. Maybe three. Their defense isn't bad, but Adrian Peterson might not make it through the season due to their lack of quarterbacks. This team probably has the best chance out of almost every team in the NFL of falling from respectable to downright ugly in a hurry. No real quarterback, no wide receivers, not a single real playmaker on defense. Ugh!

NFC West - We're calling another surprise divisional winner in the San Francisco 49'ers. Alex Smith could have a break-out year at quarterback and we really like Frank Gore. More importantly, that defense may come together as a unit and it won't take much for the 49'ers to win this division. Young, hungry, great coaching. This team could make some noise.

We think that there could be a great battle between the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks for second place in this division. The Cardinals have almost all of their pieces in place except the most important, a good O-Line. That could spell doom for Matt Leinart. We hope not, but it could. Seattle has pretty much run its course as a good team, but they still have enough bullets to make some noise. We don't really like them, but whenever you have a running back like Shauna Alexander carrying the ball, you've got a shot.

The St. Louis Rams have a great quarterback, a great running back, and excellent wide receivers. So, why don't we like this team? They just don't have the winning attitude a team needs to succeed in the NFL. We expect them to take a step back even with Marc Bulger throwing for over 3,000 yards and Stephen Jackson running for over 1,000. There are rumors that Bulger is going to hold-out. If that's the case, then this team is toast.

NFC South - Without a doubt the class of this division, and of the NFC, is the New Orleans Saints. Without a doubt. They have a top three quarterback in Drew Brees, two of the top ten running backs in the league in Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister, a terrific young receiving corp and an excellent O-Line. The Saints made some huge strides on the defensive side of the ball signing Kevin Kaesviharn and Brian Simmons from the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jason David from the Indianapolis Colts. They also have two much feared defensive ends in Charles Grant and Will Smith. One thing that the Saints did that few folks noticed was trading for Olindo Mare, one of the best kickers in the NFL. Mare will extend the "red zone" for the Saints and make them an even better offensive team. Then, there's Sean Payton who might be the best coach in the NFL. The Saints should make it to the Super Bowl. Barring injuries, they are the class of the NFC.

The Carolina Panthers will bounce back and grab a wildcard spot this year. Delhomme is a good quarterback, not great, but good and the defense will shut down some teams. The biggest thing about the Panthers is that other teams might take them lightly which should help their cause. They also need to keep DeShaun Foster healthy. When he's healthy, he's a load for any defense to contend with, and he makes the entire offense exceptional, but when he's not, teams find it easy to take away Steve Smith and the Panther's passing attack. They're not good enough to challenge the Saints, but they are good enough to make get into the playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an aging defense, too many quarterbacks, a running back who is closer to a Studebaker than a Cadillac, and a coach who's "genius" label ran out of ink three years ago. They're just not that good. Garcia probably won't even start. John Gruden's ego gets in the way of the team succeeding, and - - well, they're just not that good. But, they aren't the worst team in this division. That moniker falls to - - -

The Atlanta Falcons! Is there a team in the history of the NFL who will fall faster and with more aplomb than the Atlanta Falcons this upcoming NFL season? Their quarterback is most likely going to jail. They're bringing in a college football coach and, historically, that doesn't work. Their defense is undersized and their best defensive player, John Abraham, is always hurt. Their owner doesn't seem to know what he's doing. They signed 35 year-old Joe Horn, who was hurt most of the year last year, to become the Joe Horn of old. That's not going to happen. The team will win four games - - maybe.

AFC Divisional Winners - - Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49'ers, New Orleans Saints

Wildcard Teams - - Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals or Seattle Seahawks or Chicago Bears

NFC Championship Game - - Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints

NFC Super Bowl Representative - - New Orleans Saints