Not long ago, the NFC East was considered the best division in the league. Some even still think that it is, and there may be a case to be made for it.
That said, it will not be readily evident if you look strictly at the regular season records these last few seasons. The Giants finished 9-7 both of the last two seasons, and that includes their 2011 championship team. The Redskins won the division with a 10-6 record last year, hardly the best record out there. The Cowboys have finished each of the last two seasons at 8-8, good enough only for third place both seasons. And the Eagles have been disappointing, particularly last season, when they just bombed. Yet, the teams here have been on the brink of greatness, seemingly. The Giants actually won two titles, and have to be deemed a serious threat. The Redskins appear to be an up and coming team. The Cowboys seem always to be on the brink, but fall just short. And the Eagles were supposed to be a championship contender, although that did not pan out. But these have been good teams who have beaten each other up and down, making their weaker records deceptive.
As for the NFC North, every team there seems to have that explosive offense. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers ("Discount Double Check!", and they won a ring just a couple of seasons ago. The Beats were the team that they had to beat to get to the Super Bowl, and they always seem to be right there, competing for a playoff berth. The Vikings rejoined the ranks of the solid teams, and seem to have a promising. future, with a potent offense. And the Lions were the next big thing, before last year's disappointment. But they still have talent and, given some breaks, could have another breakout season to propel them back to the playoffs. So, it should be interesting.
NFC East
Washington Redskins - RG3 has everyone excited, but what makes me a bit nervous about him was the knee injury that proved costly last last season, paticularly in the playoff game. This is a tough team that could very well contend on a serious level, but it seems that their fortune rely too exclusively on how their star young quarterback will take them. Now, that could work out brilliantly, if he stays healthy, because he really is a dangerous guy. He provides such a dangerous weapon, such an element of unpredictability and a wide variety of playmaking options, that it runs opposing defenses ragged. There simply has been no adequate answer by other defenses to a healthy RG3 at his best. The big worry is that the Redskins rely on him too much. It could prove to be a gold mine, if he remains healthy. But then again, if last season repeats itself, this is a team that could see their season spiral out of control. Hard to tell what fortunes await this team.
New York Giants - From Super Bowl greatness and a second title in five seasons, to a disastrous season that saw them not even really a factor in the playoff picture in the final week. All that, and they had the exact same regular season record last season as they did in 2011, their recent championship season. So, what to make of them? The defense dropped off quite a bit, and that was obviously a problem. The offense was hot at times, but not so much other times. Cruz seemed to take a few too many hits, and that seemed to effect how much of a weapon he could be. Manning is growing older and more mature, and obviously has some valuable experience. But the running game could be a concern, and once again, you can't really tell what Giants team will show up. Sometimes, they get hot, and they rank right up there with the elites.R emember that this team not just beat, but blew out the Packers and the 49ers, and that game was in San Francisco! But they also lose games that they have no business losing, and that makes them also a difficult team to read. But a solid nine or ten wins is likely, and this could very well be a playoff team, and maybe
(hopefully)
more.
Dallas Cowboys - Another team in this division that is hard to gauge. Romo looks like one of the elite quarterbacks at times, or at least shows glimpses of it. But then, at the most inopportune times, he will throw a pick or make some other mistake that costs his team dearly, and he looks bad. that was the story last season, and the season before that, and the season before that, and so on and so forth. If he is on his game, the Cowboys could saddle up for a playoff ride. This is a team that has talent, and if they put it all together for a best case scenario, they not only could be division winners, but a team that advances, possibly deep, into the playoffs. But this team is fully capable of going .500 again, and missing the playoffs. Too many inconsistencies to feel very comfortable here.
Philadelphia Eagles - Like the other teams in this division, the Eagles were hard to predict in recent seasons. Unlike the other teams in this division, the only way that they would prove hard to gauge this season is if they start to win with consistency. This was a bad team last year, and they had a lot of problems everywhere. Gone are Michael Vick's predicitons of a dynasty in Philly. Right now, this team would be lucky to simply compete for a playoff spot. Fans of the Eagles are long suffering, and much like many other times in their history, they were excited about the prospects a couple of years ago, when the Eagles were considered the preseason favorites, with some pickups that made their line-up a "dream team". But that never materialized, and right now, the Eagles are clearly in rebuilding mode. Unless one of the other three teams really drops off, or the Eagles truly surprise with more wins than expected, this Philadelphia team is a cellar dweller.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers - They were getting better and better in the post-Favre era, and Rodgers was really showing his stuff. Everyone predicted great things from them, and they delivered in a big way, winning the Super Bowl after becoming only the fourth team in NFL history to win three straight road games in the playoffs. Everyone seemed to predict more such success in the future, and indeed, when they started the next season 13-0, en route to a 15-1 record, the best regular season mark that the team had ever achieved throughout it's illustrious history, this faith in the Packers seemed well placed. After all, it was only the sixth time in NFL history that a team had finished with such a strong regular season record (the 1984 49ers, 1985 Bears, 1998 Vikings, 2004 Steelers, and 2007 Patriots were the others). But then, they became the first such team not to win a single postseason game, as they got dismantled against the Super Bowl-Bound Giants, getting blown out 37-20, with home field advantage at Lambeau. Then, they lost the season opener last season to the 49ers at home, and lost that controversial game at Seattle on Monday Night Football. They recovered enough to win the division, but not enough to get the valuable playoff bye, losing in the final week to Minnesota. They exacted revenge against the Vikings in the Wild Card Game, which set up a rematch against San Fran. But the 49ers pretty much tore the Packers apart, and Green Bay lost yet another playoff blow out loss, for a second year in a row. Now, it seems, few are looking at this team as among the favorites to take the championship, and that's a shame. they are a dangerous team and, at their best, are fully capable of beating anyone in the league, and even of making a serious ttitle run. But if the Packers want to bring anothr Super Bowl trophy to Titletown at the end of this season, they will need to make adjustments. And beating the 49ers would be a huge step. Despite the rise of the Vikings and a fairly tough Bears squad, this team should still be the class of the NFC North, and likely one of the top three seeds. They will need to turn it up a couple of notches to get back to the Super Bowl, though. But they are still capable, and should be seen as a serious threat.
Minnesota Vikings - Pronger still needs to mature a bit, I think. But this team has a lot of the weapons in place on the offensive side to continue their rise. This is a team that could very well be a serious contender, particularly if they find consistency on the offensive side. This is one of the most talented squads in the league, and they could even threaten the Packers for the division title, in a best case scenario. They will not sneak up on anyone this season, and it may be the case that they are a better team this year then they were last season, and still might not have as good a record as they did last season. Adrian Peterson seems to feel he has something to prove, and looks like he has a chip on his shoulder. The defense still has some question marks, although the addition of Brian Urlacher may help, although age is a concern there. The Vikings should contend for a playoff berth, but I think a truly breakout season to rise to the ranks of the elite contenders in the league is still a year away.
Chicago Bears - The Bears have been consistently inconsistent. A typical season seems to go like this for them: they start off hot, and look like they will be an elite team, possibly even a title contender. They win a surprisingly big game or two, and at least seem a sure bet for the playoffs. Then, they get rocked by a tough loss. Perhaps there is an injury or two. Still, they weather the storm for a critical win or two, and seem to be in playoff position. This is the point where it becomes less predicaable, although in the last two seasons, it was precisely at that point that all hell broke loose. The Bears have enough to get to that point again. They can start off surprisingly well, and seem to be in playoff contention when November rolls around. But then, they need to find the toughness to be consistent, and that has been a problem. If they are in that position, and all works well, then they will go to the playoffs. But they do have some tough games in that first portion of the season, including games against each of the last three Super Bowl winners, as well as the Saints (who could be good again), the Bengals, and at Pittsburgh and Washington. If the Bears don't come up with some big, and maybe surprising, wins early on, they may not even be in the hunt for a playoff spot come November. But if they do, that last portion of the season may prove more accomodating to them. The loss of Urlacher certainly hurts, and Cutler has to remain healthy. They will need to establish a running game, and if Cutler proves effective in holding up his end of the bargain with the passing game, that could prove very helpful. This is a hard team to figure out. It is a team that, at their best, could be a serious contender in the division. But they could just as easily remain right in the middle of the pack and remain in the background, never emerging.
Detroit Lions - They certainly have some talent on offense. A hot young quarterback that still should be on the rise, ready for a truly breakout season. One of the best wide receivers in the game. An offense that has been very dangerous at times in each of the last two seasons, which included their playoff berth in 2011. They even have some talent on defense, with Suy being the obvious leader and most recognizable face. At their best, this team could compete. In fact, in a best case scenario, this team could contend for at least the division title, I think. But they have to deal with teams like the Packers and the Vikings twice a season, and they have proven not to be up to the task, usually. With coaching changes, they should be able to adjust, and improve upon their horrible results of last season. Yet, the question mark is just how much they will improve, and whether or not they can make a serious run to the playoffs. They have some tough games on their schedule, and even at their best, it is not at all certain that they can overcome some of their past problems to truly be a serious team looking to make that final push to the playoffs in the final weeks, let alone more than that.
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