NFC Predictions

The NFC is up for grabs this season, with no dominant team appearing to emerge.  So it’s time to put my money where my mouth is and make a prediction for how each team will fare this upcoming season and where they finish. 

NFC EAST

1. Philadelphia Eagles:  I’m not a big fan of the Eagles signing Michael Vick as I believe the risk outweighs the reward.  That being said however this seemed to be the Eagles way of announcing that they are going for broke this season and wanted to be covered in case of an injury to QB Donovan McNabb.  The Eagles are loaded at every position and only injuries would seem to be able to slow them down. 

Strongest position:  Secondary, more than enough playmakers to make opposing teams think twice about throwing the ball.

Area of Concern:  Offensive Line may need more time to become cohesive as a unit.

 

2. Dallas Cowboys:  Losing Terrell Owens may be the best thing to happen to this team.  Still plenty of playmakers on offense.  Roy Williams is not TO, but he should be good enough to get the job done.  Dallas will put up points and the defense has the potential to be one of the league’s best.  Terrance Newman needs to stay healthy for the secondary to perform at its peak.

Strongest Position:  Running Back, too many choices to choose from.  How Dallas divides up the carries between Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice could go a long way in determining how their season goes.

Area of Concern:  Offensive Line, old, slow and no depth.

 

3.   New York Giants:  Why do I have them third?  The Giants offense was stuck in the mud with the loss of WR Plaxico Burress last season.  They have tried to solve that problem through the draft, and that may work, but until I see results I’m not placing them ahead of two teams that don’t have any obvious weaknesses.  The Giants defense however maybe the best in the league and should be able to keep games close enough for the offense to find their groove.

Strongest Position:  Defensive Line, Osi Umenyiora is back, Quarterbacks beware.

Area of Concern:  Wide Receiver, hard to place this team among the elite until someone steps up and becomes the deep threat the G-Men need.

 

4.      Washington Redskins:  The Redskins aren’t a last place team, but they just play in the wrong division.  With Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, and Mike Holmgren waiting in the wings, there is a ton of pressure on Coach Jim Zorn to get the Skins to the playoffs.  If he were to fall short, this could be his last season in D.C.  Speaking of falling short, Jason Campbell’s career in Washington could also be over if he has another disappointing season.

Strongest Position:  Cornerback, Fred Smoot, Carlos Rogers, and DeAngelo Hall will make throwing the ball into the secondary a gamble for opposing teams.

Area of Concern:  Quarterback, jury is still out on Jason Campbell.  Is he a starting QB, or just a good backup?

 

NFC North

1.      Minnesota Vikings:  No, I didn’t place the Vikings in first because of the addition of Brett Favre, but rather because they don’t have as many issues at the other teams in their division.  We all know running on the Vikings is next to impossible, and that the Vikings will be able to run the ball with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, question is can Minnesota keep Favre’s arm healthy, and can they stop the pass?

Strongest Position:  Running Back, how can it not be with Peterson?

Area of Concern:  Wide Receivers, Bernard Berrian gets a bump up in the ranking with Favre as his starting QB, but still not a true number one in the bunch.

 

2.      Green Bay Packers:  Was tempted to pick them first as their offense should be very good this season, but the switch to the 3-4 defense scares me a bit.  It may take the Pack a few games to master the 3-4, and one still has to wonder if they have the linebackers capable of playing this defense.

Strongest Position:  Wide Receiver, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones give QB Aaron Rodgers a strong trio to throw to.

Area of Concern:  Linebacker, switching to a 3-4 requires LBs that can rush the QB and drop back into coverage.  It may take Green Bay a couple more drafts to gather such players.

 

3.      Chicago Bears:  You can make an argument for the Bears winning the North also.  I just really dislike QB Jay Cutler as a person and wonder if he has a tough adjustment coming to Chicago with all of the expectations that come along with him.  He has a below .500 record for his career and doesn’t have Brandon Marshall to throw to anymore.  Not to mention the weather in Chicago is not always fun to thrown in.

Strongest Position:  Running Back, Matt Forte could have a big season with teams having to respect Cutler’s arm strength.

Area of Concern:  Wide Receiver, neither Earl Bennett nor Devin Hester is anywhere near the talent level of Marshall.

 

4.      Detroit Lions:  Hey, they actually won a few games this pre-season, but then again they won them all last season.  They are rebuilding and they know it.  Detroit certainly can’t go winless again, but anything more than 3-4 wins would be a great season.

Strongest Position:  Wide Receiver, not really sure they have a strongest position, but Calvin Johnson certainly makes it better than the rest.

Area of Concern:  Quarterback, the Lions desperately need Matthew Stafford to be the face of this franchise for years to come.

NFC South

1.      Atlanta Falcons:  Offensively this team is stacked offensively at the skill positions with, QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and TE Tony Gonzalez.  If the Falcons stay healthy they will put plenty of big numbers up on the scoreboard.  Outside of the NFC East however, they play in the toughest division in football, and to boot, play the NFC East also this season, this will be a true test of their mettle.

Strongest Position:  Running back, Turner and Jerious Norwood make for a dynamic duo.

Area of Concern:  Secondary, as good as the offense is, if the Falcons corners don’t step up, you might see quite a few track meets in Atlanta.

 

2.      New Orleans Saints:  Talk about a team that can put some crooked numbers up.  New Orleans enjoys doing so and has the playmakers to make it happen.  Reggie Bush remaining healthy is a key cog in this offense.  When healthy he is a PPR machine.  Unfortunately he is just not built to handle the load of a starting RB.  QB Drew Brees may be the number one QB taken in most fantasy drafts and he will have the services of WR Marques Colston for a full season this year.

Strongest Position:  Wide Receiver, Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meacham, and Lance Moore give Brees plenty of options to throw to.

Area of Concern:  Defensive Line, suspensions to Charles Grant and Will Smith certainly don’t help.

 

3.      Carolina Panthers:  DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart rewarded their owners handsomely in 2008 and should do so to a lesser degree this season.  This is a timeshare where Williams seems to get about 60-65% of the carries.  Problem is, Williams broke many a long run last season to boost his totals and that may be unrealistic to expect again.  As for Stewart he has never been one to avoid injury and he has already missed practice for most of the past week.  I’m thinking Williams has a big year this season, but Stewart, not so much.

Strongest Position:  Running Back, I may not be thrilled with Stewart, but he would be more than capable of replacing Williams should he go down with injury.

Area of Concern:  Quarterback, Jake Delhomme looked awfully old in Carolina’s playoff loss last season.  He will need to rebound and prove to opposing defenses that he can still be an accurate passer and take some pressure off the running game.

 

4.      Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  Another team in transition.  Tampa may be the only team in the conference that doesn’t have a stud at any of the skilled positions.  Rookie QB Josh Freeman may be one in time, but that could take a few seasons.  Antonio Bryant is a solid WR, but one that may be best suited for the #2 role, Derrick Ward and Earnest Graham form a solid RB duo, but neither one will be feared by opposing defenses, and TE Kellen Winslow at one time was thought to be a stud but he has to prove that there is still a light at the end of that tunnel.

Strongest Position:  Running Back, the aforementioned Graham and Ward give the Bucs a solid tandem.

Area of Concern: Quarterback, Leftwich is just a caretaker while the Bucs hope that Freeman becomes the franchise QB they need him to be.

 

NFC West

1.      Arizona Cardinals:  Imagine how good this offense will be if 1^st round pick Beanie Wells turns out to be a solid RB, not great, just solid.  If teams have to play the run as well as the pass, this is yet another offense that could keep defensive coordinators awake at night.  The key to this offense however is keeping QB Kurt Warner upright and healthy.  Warner is coming off hip surgery this off-season.  Warner can put up top flight numbers, but asking him to play 16 games in back to back seasons may be asking him too much.

Strongest Position:  Wide Receiver, what else could it be with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston.

Area of Concern:  Defensive Line, consistent pressure needs to put on opposing teams QBs who figure to be dropping back to pass quite a bit to keep up with the high scoring Cardinals.

 

2.      Seattle Seahawks:  Could be your surprise team in the NFC.  My only problem with Seattle is that I’m just not sure if QB Matt Hasselback can remain healthy all season.  Hasselbeack has a bad back that cost him a good portion of the 2008 season and like  Warner of Arizona, it’s difficult to see him remaining healthy all season.  Between Hasselbeck and Warner, whomever starts more games, that team wins the West.

Strongest Position:  Wide Receiver, if Hasselbeck can remain upright, he’ll have plenty of targets to throw to in WRs Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, TJ Houshmandzadeh, and TE John Carlson.

Area of Concern:  Quarterback – Hasselbeck has to start for this team to have any chance of a deep run in the playoffs.

 

3.      San Francisco 49ers:  Hard not to talk about rookie WR Michael Crabtree when discussing the 49ers.  Where does this kid get off thinking he deserves more money than those drafted below him.  Yeah, he may end up being better than WR Darrius Heyward-Bey of Oakland, but you’re still going to be a rich man either way, sign the contract, get in camp, and prove how good you are. 

Strongest Position:  Linebacker, Patrick Willis is a beast and should be remembered come IDP time.

Area of Concern: Quarterback, what is the old saying, when you have two starting QBs (Shaun Hill and Alex Smith) you have none.

 

4.      St. Louis Rams:  As if the Rams weren’t already on the clock for the first pick in the 2010 draft, Marc Bulger and Donnie Avery are both starting the season coming off pre-season injuries.  There isn’t nuch help on the ofensive line, so it will be unlikely that Bulger makes it through 16 games.  This team seems destined for a 3-13 season or worse.

Strongest Position:  Running Back, Steven Jackson may be great, but without a passing game, he may face 9 guys in the box.

Area of Concern:  Just about every other position other than RB.

 

WildCard Teams

Dallas and Green Bay

 

Super Bowl Representative

Philadelphia

           

This post was written by George Kurtz