NFL NFC Breakdown of the Conference for Week 11 of the NFL
November 15th, 2008For the majority of this decade, the NFC has been the little brother of the all powerful AFC. The Patriots dynasty brining home three Super Bowls. The Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens all bringing home a Super Bowl victory have added to the supremacy of the AFC. However, last year’s Super Bowl, with the underdog wild card team New York Giants upsetting and upstaging the then undefeated, 18-0 New England Patriots shifted a power change few could imagine.
That power change starts with those Giants of course. Coming off of that Super Bowl victory and their improbable postseason run, winning three NFC playoff games on the road as a wild card team, the Giants haven’t lost any momentum this season. Many thought that the team was a fluke, and that this season they would be hard pressed to even make the playoffs. Michael Strahan retired, Osi Umenyiora was lost for the season, Jeremy Shockey was traded and Eli Manning still couldn’t be trusted. Well the analysts who predicted it that way sure have a lot of explaining to do!
Eli Manning has shown he has made the leap from a quarterback with a great last name and a lot of potential to a clutch, big game performer who every fan dreams of just having a chance to lead his team back in the end of a close game. He has had the support of one of the NFL’s best running attacks, spearheaded by Brandon Jacobs. And the defense has been fierce, with Justin Tuck and Fred Robbins dominating an overpowering defensive front line. Sitting at 8-1, the Giants plan on steamrolling their way right back to the Super Bowl again this season.
Sitting in their paths are a couple of teams from the ultra-competitive NFC East, the best division in all of the NFL. The Washington Redskins are a bit of a surprise with Jason Campbell playing superb quarterback under the tutelage of new head coach Jim Zorn. And Clinton Portis has been one of the standout running backs across the league thus far. Throw in a stout defense, which just added cornerback DeAngelo Hall who was cut from the Oakland Raiders, and the Redskins can be a very tough match for many contending teams.
The Dallas Cowboys also reside in the NFC East, and they have to turn their ship around. Tony Romo was lost for a handful of games with a finger injury and the team suffered during (and truthfully, before) his absence. The offense needs to not just rely on Terrell Owens but also stud running back Marion Barber, and new addition Roy Williams.
The Eagles still have their playoff hopes alive but are tied for last in the division with the Cowboys at 5-4. Neither team has a margin of error, not in the NFC East. With the division so strong it’s hurting these clubs, as they knock each other off and lower down in the wild card race compared to the teams floating relatively easily along in the NFC South.
The Carolina Panthers have to be the most unmentioned 7-2 football team that the NFL has ever seen. They have fallen out of the storylines of the media due to the Giants, the Titans and the other usual names, like the Patriots and the Colts. But with a strong running game, a healthy Jake Delhomme and a great defense, nobody wants to play John Fox and company come playoffs time.
And it’s about time, it looks like the Arizona Cardinals are finally going to be building on all of that promise they have had for several seasons. Only, it’s not with first round draft pick Matt Leinart, it’s with wily veteran Kurt Warner and his big arm, along with his cast of stellar wide receivers.
The other surprise team in the NFC this season is the Atlanta Falcons. Drafting a quarterback, Matt Ryan in the first round, and getting yet another head coach, few expected much out of the team. But Matt Ryan has been playing with poise and confidence, and free agent pickup Michael Turner has been great in the backfield. Sitting at 6-3, the Falcons have a great shot at a wild card birth.
The NFC North has the Bears, the Vikings and the Packers all vying for contention. It is likely that only one of those teams will make the playoffs in the extremely crowded wild card race which is flooded with teams from both the NFC East and NFC South. There are a lot of strong teams that want their shot at a Super Bowl victory, and nobody feels like they are out of it, and nobody feels like they are getting the credit they deserve, still overshadowed by big brother AFC, even if little brother is now all grown up.
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