After going over the AFC teams yesterday, it is now time to go over the NFC. And like I said yesterday, this won’t be an extensive analysis of each team, instead it will be a collection of brief thoughts and my opinions on each team about a third of the way through the season. Starting today with the NFC East and the current division leader:
New York Giants
Yes the Giants are leading the division right now, even if that is hard to believe. Like the Cleveland Browns yesterday, the Giants are a division leader that I don’t believe in. They have played the weakest schedule in the NFL up to this point, with games against the Titans, Cardinals, Commanders, and Saints. Injuries have hurt the team but that is the case with everyone. In New York’s case though, their starting quarterback was injured. Jaxson Dart started off the season strong but hurt his left knee in week 2 and was ruled out for the year. Jameis Winston took over for the next few weeks and that was the traditional Jameis experience but now it is time for J.J. McCarthy to take over. After looking incredible in the 4th quarter against New Orleans, he gets to take the starting job and try and make the best out of a new environment. The QB situation has been inconsistent but they’ve been winning games. My issues are largely the disjointed run game, the middle of the pack offensive line, and the pass rush. With Brian Burns’ injury, the defense lacks elite players that are game wreckers. Rookie Arvell Reese and second year player Abdul Carter have looked decent, but they are still young and need time to improve. Malik Nabers has been a star after taking a few weeks to adjust after coming back from injury and Isaiah Likely has been a great addition to the offense, catching five touchdowns so far. This team is weird and doesn’t seem to be that good, but they might win the division due to everyone else’s incompetence.
Philadelphia Eagles
Just about everything has gone wrong for the Eagles so far. On paper, they have one of the better rosters in the NFL; however things have not gone as planned. Jalen Hurts will miss the rest of the season due to blood clots, Lane Johnson retired, Saquon Barkley has been injured, Devonta Smith has missed two games, and Dallas Goedert got injured to name a few. They’ve lost four games in a row and it seems this season is lost. Jalen Carter and Quinyon Mitchell have continued to be defensive superstars, Nolan Smith Jr. seems to be ascending, but Cooper DeJean looks like he has taken a step back. It is still early in the year but the defense has struggled much more than the past few years. The regression on defense is not helped by the total offensive collapse. After trading AJ Brown and losing a number of starters due to injury, this offense has looked like one of the worst in the entire league. They are still a competitive team but they aren’t the same team that they have been for the past four years when they made two super bowls and won one. I think this team is done for with all the injuries and other issues, but in a division this bad, you never know.
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas has one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They can’t stop the run, they give up big plays, they don’t force turnovers, and they don’t get sacks. There is no other way to put it: they are bad. Quinnen Williams has been alright this year for them but he hasn’t been a top defensive tackle like they were hoping. Caleb Downs has not made the immediate impact they expected him to, and Daron Bland has been arguably the worst corner in football. They did make a trade for Joey Porter Jr. and it does seem to have helped out their defense, but somehow the offense has looked awful instead. The offense line has been around average but an offense with Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens should not be struggling to score like they have the past two weeks. They started off great offensively with an awful defense and were 2-2. The last two games they have played mediocre defensively but have had a terrible offense. For a team that should be the favorite for the division title, losing to a rookie undrafted quarterback is probably not the best outcome. I have faith the offense can turn it around and lead them to a potential division title but it has not looked like it will yet. Sorry Cowboys fan, it isn’t your year.
Washington Commanders
Like Dallas, the Commanders also have a horrific defense. They’ve been a very inconsistent team so far, narrowly losing to Philly, getting killed by Dallas, beating the Seahawks, losing to the Colts, tying with the Giants due to awful clock management, and nearly coming back against the 49ers. They aren’t a very good team but Jayden Daniels still is a reason to watch them. Rookie Sonny Styles has looked great on defense, CB Amik Robertson has been having a good year, and the run defense has been pretty good so there are positives on the defense too. Offensively, Terry McLaurin is out for the year, Jacory Croskey-Merritt is on IR, and Jayden Daniels has missed a few games so it has been rough and will continue to be rough. They’re on a bye this week and maybe they’ll be able to adjust and bounce back after a few rough weeks but I doubt it. I think they’re a 6 win team at best and will probably finish last in the division.
That’s it for the NFC East. I wouldn’t be shocked if the division winner is under .500 and I think it’ll come down to the Giants and Cowboys for the crown. I think Dallas comes away with it but I have no idea, this division is always a mess. I think the Eagles and Commanders are the bottom two due to the Eagles injuries and the Commanders just being bad. I wouldn’t be shocked if both Philadelphia and Washington end up firing their head coaches after the season is over. Next, moving on to the NFC North starting with the undefeated division leader:
Minnesota Vikings
Contrary to the last two teams I talked about, the Vikings have the best defense in the NFL. They’re allowing under 13 points per game, Brian Flores and this defense led by Byron Murphy, Blake Cashman, Alex Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner have caused everyone problems. I have complete faith in Minnesota defensively but their offense concerns me. They have been one of the worst offenses in the NFL at this point. They are under 300 yards per game and have a bottom five passing game in the sport. Kyler Murray has not been good but he’s winning games. They have played a pretty easy schedule for the past three weeks and that continues again against Indianapolis tomorrow. I think they’re good enough to make the playoffs but I don’t think they can win a Super Bowl with this offense. November will define this team and who they can be with games at Detroit, vs Buffalo, at Green Bay, and against the Niners in Mexico City. It hasn’t been the toughest schedule yet and credit to them, they are undefeated, but I don’t think I can say they’re the best until they prove they can play good offense against the good competition that they’ll play next month.
Chicago Bears
So much for the greatest offense of all time. The Bears are good, I’m not denying that but I think they have the ability to play even better. Caleb Williams’ injury did not help, getting inconsistent play from Tyson Bagent, but they need to be more consistent. They were dominant in week 1 against Carolina but in week 2, the weather and Flores’ defense shut them down completely. Thursday against New England was great for stretches but not for a full 60 minutes. Luther Burden is emerging as a star, but Rome Odunze hasn’t made that jump. Last year, Colston Loveland seemed to be the next great tight end, but he has largely been a no-show this year. He has started to be more productive the past two weeks and if that continues, this offense should be even better. Their run game is also very good when healthy, the duo of Swift and Monangai is great. Defensively they have been better than expected but they have not done well against above average offenses. Their secondary has struggled against good receivers, especially against Green Bay. They have had a pretty good run defense but I don’t think this is some great defensive group. Like the Packers and Lions, they’re an NFC North team with a good offense and not so great defense. I do think they have been the best team in the division so far and Caleb Williams has mostly looked great, but they definitely have flaws.
Green Bay Packers
After week 3, it seemed like the Packers were going to suck. The offensive line was in shambles, the defense had just given up over 190 yards on the ground to Bijan Robinson and over 190 receiving to Drake London. They were awful and had no run game to speak of. They still don’t have a run game which might change with Josh Jacobs’ return, but their offensive line has improved dramatically after some veteran signings. The defense has looked better the past few weeks but it will be tested against a great Detroit offense tomorrow. Like the Vikings, I need to see more and November will show that, with games against Carolina, New England, Minnesota, and the Rams. The next month of games for NFC North teams will help clarify who the best of the best are. The Packers have suffered major injuries to players like LB Edgerrin Cooper, RT Zack Bako-Bewele, and WR Jayden Reed, but they should be getting Micah Parsons back in the next few weeks. His return should boost the defense and maybe they’ll be as good as early last year. Offensively, Jordan Love and the WR duo of Christian Watson and Matthew Golden have been elite. They have arguably been the best receiving duo in the league thus far and they should both go off against a terrible Lions secondary tomorrow afternoon.
Detroit Lions
If you’ve read my other posts or know me, you know I’m a Lions fan and can talk about them more than anything so I’m going to try and keep this brief. I’ve talked extensively in other posts about them so I’m only going to focus on a few things. QB Jared Goff has been playing like an MVP. Jahmyr Gibbs has been playing like the best RB in the league. Sam LaPorta needs to be re-signed. The offensive line has improved a ton since last year. Starting center Cade Mays returns this week but I’m worried that might mess with what has been working. Offensively, the team is good. Each week they have struggled in the first quarter but besides that, they have looked like one of the best offenses in the league. The defense is the issue. Starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch have not played yet and it shows. The secondary has been the worst in the league. Shockingly, the defensive line has been great. Detroit leads the league in sacks despite already having their bye week. Hutchinson has been good as usual but Alim McNeill looks to be better than his pre-injury self and DJ Wonnum has been a good free agent addition. The linebackers have struggled but should play better and I’m hoping Branch’s return tomorrow somehow magically fixes the secondary. It won’t and I’m still hoping for a cornerback trade. These next two games against Green Bay and Minnesota might be the most important games of the season. Detroit can get right back in to the division race or fall up to 4 games out of it. Division games are always important but they especially are this year with how good this entire division is.
The NFC North is the best division in football this year. You could make a convincing argument for the standings to end in any order. I have no idea how this division is going to play out but in the end I think that 3 out of 4 will make the playoffs. I won’t be shocked if everyone finishes above .500 again. Obviously I’m hoping the Lions win it but I need to see some results the next two weeks. This division is a bloodbath and everyone is good; unlike this next division, the NFC South:
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are fun. Bryce Young has been playing great, Chuba Hubbard has been good, the receiving duo of Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker has been exciting, and the defense has some good players. I do think they are clearly the favorite in this division and might be the only team to finish over .500 but they aren’t without issues. The defense gave up 59 points in week 1 so they definitely aren’t perfect. They’ve been an interesting team, dominating the Falcons, losing to the Browns, McMillan looking perfect against Detroit, and a good win at the Eagles, but they haven’t been the most consistent. They don’t need to be great to win this division and if Bryce Young keeps up this level of play, they’ll easily win the division title. Bryce Young also isn’t being talked about enough like some players I mentioned yesterday. He has been arguably a top five quarterback this year which is a huge leap from the past few years. Last year it felt like they were managing to barely win games and get by but this year the wins have felt much more deserved and that they are a good football team. I think they’ll probably get the three seed and host a playoff game again and I wouldn’t be shocked if they win one depending on the matchup.
Atlanta Falcons
With Cooper Rush in weeks 1 and 2, this might have been the worst team in the league. Then in weeks 3 and 4, Bijan Robinson and Drake London were unstoppable and they looked like one of the best offenses in the league. Then in weeks 5 and 6 they’ve looked average. This has been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. They’re a fun watch with Bijan Robinson but that doesn’t make them a good team. Their defense has struggled but Za’Darius Smith has had a great return and I’m very happy for him after his retirement last year. They have a good pass rush but they don’t force many turnovers. Michael Penix Jr. has looked decent in his 4 games but I don't believe he is their long term answer at quarterback. Kyle Pitts has had an interesting season too; hopefully he scores exactly six touchdowns this year so he continues to score one more each year of his career. The Falcons aren’t a very good team but they can be fun to watch. I think they’ll be an average team overall and win around seven games. They probably won’t be an easy win for teams and they will contend for the division since this division isn’t strong, but I don’t think they’re a playoff team.
New Orleans Saints
I’m disappointed in the Saints. I had expectations for them. I thought they would be good enough to win the division and their defensive performance at the end of last season would continue. It hasn’t. They’re giving up nearly 30 points per game and look incapable of stopping anyone. They started off fine with a close loss at Detroit and a win at Baltimore, but since then the defense has been abysmal. They gave up 35 in the home opener vs the Raiders, gave up 45 to Atlanta, lost by 10 to Minnesota, but then managed to hold on and beat the Giants after allowing J.J. McCarthy to pass for nearly 250 yards in a single quarter. I don’t trust this defense at all. Offensively, Tyler Shough looked like a star early but hasn’t been consistent since. Their run game is nonexistent but Travis Etienne’s injury has hurt them there. Chris Olave looks like a top ten wide receiver in the game but I need to see Jordyn Tyson next to him to see what this offense could be. Juwan Johnson has been an old and reliable tight end but overall it isn’t a top offense in the league. Like Atlanta, they shouldn’t be an easy win for anyone and I do think they will compete for the division, but so far they have disappointed me. If they would have lost to the Giants, I would have been out but after that win I still have some hope. They play a decent Steelers team tomorrow morning in Paris and winning that would prove to me that they can still compete for the division title this year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I expected regression but not this much. Baker Mayfield should return this week after missing the past few games but even when he was healthy, they’ve been bad. Since they’re in this division, they’re not out of it but there really has not been anything good about this team. Zyon McCollum has looked like a very good cornerback and Bucky Irving has been good at RB but not much else has stood out. Antoine Winfield Jr. is a good safety but he has also been dealing with injury. I had them regressing and missing the playoffs but I didn’t expect them to be arguably the worst team in the conference. Their only win is without Baker Mayfield so I can’t even say his injury is the reason why. They still have a slim chance due to the division they are in, but I think this is the year it all goes south for good and Todd Bowles is finally out as head coach. There have been rumors for years now that they might move on from him and I think this is the year they do so. Based on Jacksonville’s success, it would seem they should regret keeping him and letting Liam Coen go.
The NFC South as usual is one of, if not the worst, division in football. The Panthers have looked good so far for the most part but no one else has looked like a playoff-caliber team. I expect the Saints and Falcons to put up a fight for the division title but I still think Carolina wins it. I don’t expect Tampa Bay to turn it around and I expect them to finish last. But no matter what, this division will only have one playoff team. Unlike this division that had three last year, the NFC West:
San Francisco 49ers
Mike Evans, hurt. Deebo Samuel, hurt. Rookie De’Zhuan Stribling, injured reserve. Ricky Pearsall, out for the year. Demarcus Robinson, IR. George Kittle, coming off an Achilles tear. Who needs healthy receivers anyway? All these injuries have led to a top 3 scoring offense in the league, a 6-0 record, and Brock Purdy playing like the MVP. Mike Evans has been great and turning back the clock while playing through Achilles soreness. Christian McCaffrey has been better on the ground than last year and is averaging 90 total yards per game. Rookie Kaelon Black hasn’t been great but he has helped take some weight off McCaffrey’s shoulders. Defensively they’ve been great even with Nick Bosa’s injury. Bosa will be back but the defense led by Fred Warner, the best linebacker in the league, has been one of the best in the league. They need to get healthy and stay healthy. Even with the injuries they are winning football games but if they continue to pile up, it will catch up to them. As of now, they are Super Bowl favorites and for good reason. If they can get healthy, they look to be the clear best team in the NFC as things stand.
Seattle Seahawks
The defending champs have already lost as many games as they did the entirety of last year. Losing Kenneth Walker has been detrimental to their offense. Their run game is week and their only productive receiver has been Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Saying productive receiver isn’t saying enough about how good he has been. He is on pace to break the receiving yards record and has been unstoppable. As a Lions fan, I don’t want that record broken and I want Calvin Johnson to keep it so I’m hoping he slows down. He currently would have the receiving triple crown and would deserve another offensive player of the year award. He is without a top a top three receiver in the league and is making a convincing argument to be number one. The defense is still one of the best in the league and should keep them in every single game. They have by far the best pass defense, even better than Minnesota, and allow the fewest total yards per game. Defense has not been the biggest issue. A weak run game and poor QB play have hurt them most. Sam Darnold is not playing anywhere close to as well as he did in their Super Bowl run last year. He has as many interceptions as he does touchdowns and has been holding the team back. Drew Lock played better than he has. If Darnold can play more like last year, Seattle will be just fine and will be Super Bowl contenders again. If he continues to play this poorly, they will struggle to make the wild card and could even miss the playoffs due to the strength of the NFC North. Whenever Charbonnet and Price return, they should have a more effective run game but it is still a huge fall off from Walker last year. They aren’t as good as last year but are still a very good team.
Arizona Cardinals
Yes the Cardinals are in third place and the Rams are in last as crazy as that might sound. The Cardinals aren’t good. Yes they beat the Rams but in the NFL anyone can beat anyone. It’s any given Sunday for a reason. They have one of the least exciting offenses in football. Brissett is averaging only 5.7 per attempt, they have one of the worst offensive lines in the league which has not helped rookie Jeremiyah Love succeed, and their top three receiving weapons are Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, and Kendrick Bourne. Nothing against those three but with how the o line and Brissett are playing they can’t do much. McBride has a ton of catches but most of them are for only a few yards and same goes for Michael Wilson. A wideout averaging 9.7 yards per catch is horrible but it can also be a product of surroundings. McBride is averaging just 7.4 yards per reception which is bottom five for qualified tight ends this year. I still believe he is a great tight end but it hasn’t been his year yet. With all these offensive problems, you would hope the defense is alright. It’s not. They’ve allowed the second most points per game and have allowed the most touchdowns. Beating the Rams was impressive but I don’t expect the winning to continue. They’re not a good team and will finish last in the division.
Los Angeles Rams
I was one of the people who said the Rams would win the Super Bowl. I didn’t think they would be a 20-0 juggernaut like some people said but I still thought they were good enough to win it all. But as is the case for many teams crowned Super Bowl champion during the offseason, things go wrong. Puka Nacua has been injured, Davante Adams ruptured his hamstring, they cut their kicker and the next one tore his ACL, DT Poona Ford is out for season, Kobie Turner is out 4-6 weeks, young tight end Terrance Ferguson is on IR, and offseason acquisition Myles Garrett has been on IR after only appearing in one game. Things have gone wrong. None of this excuses losing to the Cardinals, that was just pathetic. Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay both deserve criticism and have not been as good as last year but even after the 2-3 start I believed. They started tough with losses to the Niners, Broncos, and Bills so it isn’t like they were losing to bad teams. Up next were the Cardinals, Raiders, Chargers, Commanders, and Cardinals again. It seemed very reasonable that they could be 7-3 before their game against the Packers the night before Thanksgiving. It seemed like everything would be fine then they lost to the Cardinals without even giving up a touchdown and the injuries continue to pile on. I still think the Rams make a push more the playoffs but I would not be shocked at all if they missed at this point. I will say even through all this, the secondary has been one of the best in football and the Trent McDuffie addition has been one of the best in the league. Their linebackers and special teams still hold them back but there are positives despite the 2-4 start.
The NFC West isn’t exactly as expected. The Rams were expected to be juggernauts alongside Seattle. The Niners were expected to be good but not this good. The Cardinals were expected to be in last and somehow they’re not. I think the Niners win this. They’ve looked too good and already have a three game lead. The Cardinals will probably finish last and that leaves Seattle and LA to fight for the number two spot and a wild card. With how many losses they both already have, I think it is reasonable to expect only one of them to make the postseason which is shocking after they met in the NFC title game a year ago.
Overall the NFC has two good divisions and two that you could argue are the worst in football. I think the NFC East and South will only send one team each to the postseason and the other five spots will be from the North and West. So between the Rams, Lions, Vikings, Packers, Seahawks, 49ers, and Bears, 2 of them have to miss the playoffs. They’re all playoff caliber teams but at this point I think the NFC North will get three and the NFC West two. I think the 49ers, Bears, and Seahawks have the best shot at this point of making the Super Bowl and I think the Niners will do it if they can remain healthy. The Seahawks have an elite defense and have JSN, the Bears should have an incredible offense, and the Niners have looked the best despite injuries. There is still a long way to go and no one has truly separated themselves from the pack yet.
If I had to pick now, I would pick the 49ers to make the Super Bowl and to win it. I know they are the clear choice at this point but they have been too good not to be legitimate contenders. Maybe this is the year Kyle Shanahan finally wins the big game. It probably won’t be. He seems destined to never win it. He’s been so close too many times to not have won the Super Bowl yet. So I think this is the year he does it if San Francisco can get healthy. Hoping it will be Detroit. Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch will save the defense. Anyway that’s all for the NFC, now time to look forward to some good football tomorrow. Thank you for reading.
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