2024 NFL Season: Preview For NFC Teams & Division Standings

    

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NFC Preview For 2024 Season

A few days ago, I gave my AFC preview with predictions for the division standings this season on the same post where I gave my first prediction for a game (the opener between the Chiefs and Ravens) for the opening game of the season.

Now, it's time to do a preview for the NFC. As of my writing this, no NFC teams have yet played any games so far this season, although that will obviously change after this weekend, when they all will play games. So it feels like an opportune time to give my prediction of what will happen on the NFC side this season, now that it is officially here.

Last season, it felt like there were two teams to really watch on the NFC side: the then defending NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Francisco 49ers. That seemed to remain the case, until the two teams met in a big showdown. Philly took an early lead, and then the 49ers just pounded them badly, ultimately blowing them out in such a convincing way, that the Eagles never recovered. They did not only fail to recover in that game, but for the rest of the season, managing only one game the rest of the way, including their first round playoff exit.

That made the San Francisco 49ers the clear favorites on the NFC side. it was really not much of a surprise that they went all the way to the Super Bowl, representing the NFC. We know, of course, that they lost a close and hard fought battle that went all the way to the final seconds of the overtime session. It was their second loss to the Chiefs in a recent Super Bowl.

Still, you have to figure that San Francisco will be among the very favorites to get back to the big game this season, as well. However, I think there is more competition this season than there appeared to be last year. The Philadelphia Eagles remain a mystery. They went to the Super Bowl just a couple of seasons ago, and it feels like they have the talent to be an elite team again. Yet, the chaos and turmoil with which they disastrously closed out the year last season kind of makes me uncomfortable with any predictions that they will be a serious contender come playoff time again. However, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers both feel like young teams that have a serious shot at making deep playoff runs, and possibly challenging the 49ers (and possibly the Eagles, or some other team) for NFC supremacy. In fact, both of those teams were on the brink of upsetting the 49ers in the playoffs last season, although both times, those opportunities were squandered. It feels like both of those teams made improvements in the offseason, and should be able to mount seriously competitive teams that are capable of not just qualifying for the postseason again, but of possibly being good enough to earn a shot at the Super Bowl.

There may be some other teams that can contend. I would not completely eliminate the Dallas Cowboys from possibly being a highly competitive team, although we have all grown so used to them basically choking either late in the season (November and December) or actually in the playoffs, that it sometimes feel difficult to take them too seriously. Also, I feel that the Rams could be a serious contender, having won a Super Bowl recently, and coming off a playoff season that restored some faith and good feeling around them. Possibly even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in a dark horse kind of a role.

Those would be the main teams that I feel have something of a real chance to be among the elites and make some noise in the NFC this season. Now, let me make some predictions for the divisional standings for the NFC for this coming season:

NFC West:

1. San Francisco 49ers - They are still the elite team in the NFC, as far as I can tell. They are the defending NFC champs, and that was their second Super Bowl appearance in a span of five seasons. During that time, they qualified for the NFC title game four times. And they sure appear to be ready to rank among the elites in the league this season, too. They have a very tough defense, and an efficient offense that can sometimes be explosive. So this feels like the obvious, clear-cut choice.

2. Los Angeles Rams - Yes, the Rams were Super Bowl champions two years ago, but a lot has changed. They suffered through the worst title defense of any team in NFL history during the Super Bowl era the following season. And while they bounced back from that last year to qualify for the postseason, they got knocked out right away. True, they were tough against the Lions on the road in Detroit, but they still lost. So the Rams have a long way to go before they can be considered in a position to rejoin the ranks of the elite teams.

3. Arizona Cardinals - I am picking the Cards for third simply because the Seahawks are a team in transition, and not so much because Arizona looks like they will be impressive. The Cardinals have an explosive quarterback, but they do not feel like they are quite ready to take a huge leap and become even a serious playoff contender yet. 

4. Seattle Seahawks - Yes, they are my pick for last place in the NFC West, because Pete Carroll's departure will probably hurt. This was a team that flirted with the playoffs last season, and have shown glimpses of being solid at times over recent years. But it feels like the transitional nature of this season likely calls for some struggles to come.

NFC North:

1. Detroit Lions - This was a tough one. There are two teams in this division that feel like up and coming teams with promising futures, potentially as early as this season. The Lions were simply the better of those two teams last year, and it feels like they have certain advantages entering this season that qualify them as favorites to win the division title again. This is a very talented team, and they now have last year's successes as experience. Plus, they came so close to beating the 49ers last season, were within reach of what would have been the franchise's first ever Super Bowl appearance, that you've got to figure that they feel confident, and on a mission, entering this coming season. They have talent on both sides of the ball, and Dan Campbell feels like the kind of coach that will keep this team on it's toes, and prepared to be highly competitive.

2. Green Bay Packers - Love seems like the man. He is the first quarterback to really look like a natural fit to succeed the legacies of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers to become another legendary quarterback for Green Bay. The offense looked explosive, particularly towards the end of the season, and especially in the playoffs. Can they sustain it for an entire season? I don't see why not. However, it is not guaranteed. After all, remember that they barely qualified for the postseason, and had they failed to do that, the complexion for this team entering this season would feel totally different. Still, they did get into the playoffs, and then made quite a lot of noise once there. So there is strong hope entering this year.

3. Chicago Bears - The Bears feel like they are a team going in the right direction. That is not something said based off of their perfect preseason, which I saw a funny meme about, rating the 2024 Chicago Bears preseason as topping a short list of the most dominant teams in history, just before the '85 Bears and '72 Dolphins. Still, the Bears started to look much better towards the end of last season, following a disastrous start to the season. There is some real talent in place here now, and this team could be one of the big surprises. Still, with both the Lions and the Packers also surging, it will be difficult for Da Bears to really storngly compete in this tough division.

4. Minnesota Vikings - Two seasons ago, the Vikings were flirting with being a serious contender, going 13-4. But they lost the number two seed to the 49ers by losing their final regular season game, and then lost to the Giants in the playoffs, ending what had been an excellent season on a sour note. Last year, the Vikings were pretty lame and lifeless by way of comparison, and never looked like a serious playoff contender. But with the upward mobility going on in this division with literally all of the other teams, it feels like Minnesota will be left behind in the dust. That is why they are my pick as cellar dwellers.

NFC South:

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I am not in love with this pick. Frankly, I don't even think that Tampa Bay is that good. But they always seem to find a way to survive and emerge as the best in this division for the past four years, and there really is no other team in the division that clearly stands out as favorites to end Tampa Bay's reign. 

2. Atlanta Falcons - I would have picked New Orleans, but they have been too consistently inconsistent. The Falcons have been making moves, and they could surprise some people this season. They were surprisingly good last season, and could make enough improvements to possibly even win the division this time around.

3. New Orleans Saints - The Saints could be a dark horse pick to emerge with the NFC South division title. It's just that the only kind of consistency they have shown in recent seasons is being consistently inconsistent. They may surprise you with an impressive win, only to let you down with a discouraging loss. It's just really tough to pick them as winning this division.

4. Carolina Panthers - They have been among the worst teams in the league now for a few seasons, and it's for a reason. They may  - key word being may - be making some decent moves to change all of that. But they are not going to pull out a magic wand and shock everybody this year. If there is a turnaround, expect the improvements to be modest.

NFC East:

1. Philadelphia - Yes, I am picking them to win the division. Mostly, because last year's collapse felt too complete to be real. This is a team with real talent, and some serious playoff experience. They have a star quarterback, an offense that can be explosive, and a defense that usually can play well, although there were some holes obviously in that defense late last season. They have had an entire offseason to work on their issues, and they should benefit from that this season.

2. Dallas - Okay, I know. This team has been seriously disappointing their fans season after season. It feels like more a matter of when than if. Still, they have some real talent, and as they showed last year, any slip by Philly, and the 'Boys will likely emerge as the winner of this division. The real question is whether or not they are ready to get over the hump once it comes time for the playoffs.

3. Washington - This team has a very tough and physical defense. It might not be the sexiest way to win, but if they get out of their own way and do not beat themselves with turnovers and other mistakes, this team can surprise some people. Still, I do not believe that they have enough talent or experience to have realistic expectations of winning the division title or going far in the playoffs, should they qualify.

4. NY Giants - My favorite team, but I have to assume that the issues that grounded them last year are still relevant. The ongoing issue with this team is the offensive line, which has been the weakest link on the chain for the G-Men, it seems, for something like a decade. In the absence of serious improvements with the O-Line, I just don't see them making serious improvements this year.