Less than a week to go until the last two Super Bowl Champions meet up in Green Bay for early bragging rights. This game is tailor made to be a shoot-out, so that means one thing: expect the final score to be something like 17-13. The NFC has produced the last two NFL Champions, and three of the last four. The NFC has finally put themselves back on the map as the leagues best after the AFC won the Super Bowl from 2004-2007. There are a ton of talented NFC teams this year, starting with the reigning Super Bowl Champs, the Green Bay Packers. Also, the Philadelphia Eagles were busy during the off-season acquiring Nnamdi Asomugha, Steve Smith, Ronnie Brown, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, and Jason Babin. The NFC South might be the best division in football with the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and the up and coming Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chicago Bears surprised a lot of people last year making it all the way to the NFC Championship. Also, the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions should be better this year. Lets not even talk about the NFC West, we should just move them to the Pac-12 and call it the Pac-16. Last week, in my blog I had the Baltimore Ravens winning the AFC, so lets find out who they will be playing in Super Bowl XLVI.
NFC WEST
I really would not be surprised to see 7-9 be good enough again this year to win the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks are the reigning NFC West Champions, but I don't think they will be going back to back. For some odd reason Pete Carroll thinks Tavaris Jackson is a better fit for the Seahawks than Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck is definitely not at the same caliber he once was at, but he has proven himself as a veteran, and Jackson has not done anything in his career. I am a huge Pete Carroll guy, but he is made to be a successful college coach, not an NFL coach. I expect a 5-11 year for Seattle this year. The San Francisco 49ers are a good quarterback away from winning the NFC West. For the seventh straight year, Alex Smith is not the guy! Colin Kaepernick struggled in the pre-season and handed Smith the job. The Niners have a lot of talented players, including the best middle linebacker in the NFL in Patrick Willis, but not having a good quarterback leads to one thing: failure. The Niners are hoping that Frank Gore can stay healthy and ride him into the playoffs. However, I see another missed post-season for the Niners, which would be their ninth straight year missing the playoffs. This leaves us with two teams battling in the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals made some nice moves during the off-season. Last season, Arizona's quarterback play was atrocious. They gave up a second round pick along with former pro-bowler Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to acquire Kevin Kolb. Kolb still has not proven himself, but Arizona gave him a ton of cash to be their quarterback of the future. Also, having Larry Fitzgerald makes his job a lot easier. The Cardinals also had Patrick Peterson fall in their laps with the fifth selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. Peterson was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, and also was an All-American. This kid is a beast, and expect him to be in the running for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He might end up being the best player from the 2011 NFL Draft. However, I see Arizona improving this year, but I think the playoffs are a little out of reach. The St. Louis Rams will be the 2011 NFC West Champions. Sam Bradford threw for 3,512 yards last year, and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. I expect him to have an even better year in his second year. He got himself a new toy in wideout Mike Sims-Walker, who is a very underrated receiver. Mark Clayton is currently on the PUP list so he won't be able to until after week six, so it will be crucial for Danny Amendola to step up in the first half of the season. Also, the Rams drafted one of the better tight-ends in Lance Kendricks out of Wisconsin, who is a very talented tight-end with excellent hands. They also snagged Anthony Pettis from Boise St. and Greg Salas out of Hawaii to help a weak receiving corp from 2010. The Rams also have a new offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels, who has proven himself as a good play-caller from his days as the New England Patriots offensive coordinator. Also, Head Coach Greg Spagnoulo is an outstanding defensive coach, so the Rams young defense should improve from a decent 2010 season. Things are looking good for the Rams, and I see them finding a way to win nine or 10 games this year. They have a murderous schedule to begin the 2011 season, but things get a little easier after week eight. If they can go 3-4 in the first eight weeks (Bye Week 5) they will win the NFC West. Thinks are looking bright for the Rams future.
NFC NORTH
The Chicago Bears surprised a lot of people last year by winning the NFC North. However, the Green Bay Packers did not win the NFC North, and won something even better: The Lombardi Trophy. The North is one of the better divisions in football. The Detroit Lions are a very talented young team, but they are hoping their young stud quarterback can find a way to stay healthy. Stafford has missed 19 of 32 games since being selected number one overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. And, he only started in three games last season. The Minnesota Vikings said goodbye to one old quarterback and said hello to another. The Packers pretty much won the Super Bowl with half of their roster on injured reserve, so expect the Packers to be healthy and ready for a run to repeat as Champs. The Minnesota Vikings made a good move to acquire veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb to mentor their first round selection, Christian Ponder. They had a horrible season last year, and will look to erase those memories. Anytime you have Adrian Peterson, you have a good chance to win. They will need Bernard Berrian to step up this year because Sidney Rice followed Tavaris Jackson to Seattle. I see the Vikings improving this year, but their weak secondary will be one of the main factors why they will be happy to go 8-8 this year. The sexy pick for a lot of people this year is the Detroit Lions. Ndamukong Suh was an absolute beast last year, and was the first rookie defensive tackle to be named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team. Nick Fairley, the Lions' first round selection, was a great pick to go along with Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch on the defensive line. If the Lions secondary can step up their defense will be one of the better defenses in the NFC. Calvin Johnson is an absolute monster, and is one of the best receivers in the game. However, the key for the Lions' offense this year comes down to one thing: staying healthy. Matthew Stafford and Jahvid Best both need to stay healthy if the Lions want to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. In my opinion, I do not see Stafford playing more than 10 games and Detroit will finish 8-8 this year. The Bears have one of the best defenses in all of football, and they just got that much better with the Brandon Merriweather signing. The Patriots waived the two-time pro bowl safety, and the Bears signed him up the next day. The Bears defense is great at all three levels. Julius Peppers is one of the best defensive ends in all of football, and Brian Urlacher is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. The one question mark with the Bears is Jay Cutler. Also, the Bears are hoping that two Dallas cast-offs (Roy Williams & Marion Barber) will step up for them this year. I think trading Greg Olsen will hurt the Bears offense significantly this year. He was Cutler's favorite target. I see the Bears finishing 9-7 this year, and since the NFC is so good this year, it will not be enough to get back to the playoffs. The Packers are stacked, and winning the NFC North will not be a problem. Aaron Rodgers had one of the best post-seasons ever. The Packers defense has been one of the best since Dom Capers took over in 2009. His 3-4 scheme has been one of the best in the NFL, and they know how to force a ton of turnovers. Clay Mathews, Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, BJ Raji, Tramon Williams, and Desmond Bishop flourished in Capers system last year. The Packers have one of the best offenses in all of football, and if they can stay healthy expect big thing from the Packers once again this year. They will be battling for the top seed in the NFC this year, and will try to be the first team to repeat as Champions since the 2004-2005 Patriots.
NFC SOUTH
The South is the best division in football. No other division can say they produced three 10-win teams in 2010. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the youngest team in the NFL, but that didn't stop them from going 10-6 last year. The New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons both have two of the top offenses in the game. And, for the Carolina Panters it is Lights, Cameron, Action. They hope the reigning Heisman Trophy winner can lead the Panthers back to their winning ways. Cameron Newton won every big award in College last year, as he led Auburn to the National Title, but that means one thing in the NFL: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! A lot of people think Cameron Newton is going to be a bust. However, I am not one of those people. I think he will have a good NFL career. He has good leadership qualities, a strong arm, big, fast, physical, and is a hard worker. He needs to work on his accuracy, and also it will take a couple years to adjust to the NFL. He only played one year of college football and it was in a college-style offense. Luckily, for Cam Newton he gets to hand the ball off to Deangelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart so that will make his job a little easier. The Panthers will be lucky to win six games this year, but more importantly, for them it will be huge for Newton to get some NFL experience. There is another young quarterback down in Tampa that made a name for himself last year. Josh Freeman, in his first full year as a starter, led the Bucs to a 10-6 record. He threw for 25 TD's and only six interceptions. He also had six game winnings drives last year. This kid has the moxy, and Head Coach Raheem Morris knew how much potential he had from back in his days working with Kansas State, when Josh Freeman was their quarterback. Also, the Bucs are hoping wideout Mike Williams and running back LeGarrette Blount can have huge sophomore seasons. Watch out for Dezmon Briscoe to make a name for himself and get in the mix as one of the starting wide receivers this year. The question mark is going to come on the defensive side for Tampa Bay. They are hoping their top three draft choices Adrian Clayborn, Da'Quan Bowers, and Mason Foster can come in and be impact players for this very young defense. Tampa Bay is expecting a big sophomore year from Gerald McCoy, who was the third overall selection from Oklahoma in the 2010 Draft. Ronde Barber is the leader on this defense and he will have a crucial job being the vocal leader on and off the field. I see the Bucs finishing the season 9-7, missing the playoffs just barely. I think both the Falcons and Saints will get back into the playoffs this year. Once again, the Saints will get one of the wild-card spots. Drew Brees is one of the top five quarterbacks in the game and he has a ton of guys to get the rock to. Mark Ingram was a great pick for the Saints in the 2011 NFL Draft. He will be in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Jimmy Graham is going to have a really good year as the teams number one tight-end, and will quickly become one of Bree's favorite red-zone targets. The Saints problems will be on the defensive side, but if their defense has a big year, expect big things down in New Orleans. The Atlanta Falcons trading up to get Julio Jones was the best draft move made in the 2011 NFL Draft. I am guaranteeing Julio Jones as the 2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year, if he stays healthy he will get it. He has something that most top ten picks don't have in their rookie campaigns: a good quarterback. Matt Ryan is one of the better quarterbacks in football and he has a ton of guys to get the ball to. Roddy White led the NFL in receptions last year. Tony Gonzalez is one of the better tight-ends in football and Harry Douglas will be a name to remember in 2011. Michael Turner is one of the top running backs in the game. Atlanta has a very good chance at being the number one offense in the game. Their defense added Ray Edwards to line up one the other side of John Abraham, and their defense should improve in 2011. Atlanta has a good chance to repeat as the top seed in the NFC.
NFC EAST
The NFC East has a ton of talent, and it all starts with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys are hoping for a better 2011 season, after they struggled in 2010. The Giants lost some key guys from last years team, so they will hope to plug in some new guys. The Washington Redskins elected to go with Rex Grossman as their starting quarterback in 2011, so that means one thing: no playoffs for Washington. The Redskins will be a mess in the NFC East this year. I think Tim Hightower will have a solid 2011 campaign, but besides that their offense will struggle. Roy Helu, out of Nebraska, might have a good rookie campaign, and could very well be the future running back for the Skins. Brian Orakpo, LaRony Landry, and London Fletcher are good pieces on the defense, but their defense should struggle in 2011. They are hoping Ryan Kerrigan, thier first round selection out of Purdue, can help a weak pass rushing defense. The New York Giants are hoping Eli Manning can back his claims as being in the same class as Tom Brady. He has some talented young wideouts in Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham to get the ball to. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs provide a nice one-two punch in the backfield. However, I think the problems for the Giants will be on the other side of the ball. Terrell Thomas tearing his ACL in the pre-season will hurt their defense tremendously. The Giants have always had one of the best front fours in football, but I think their linebacking corp and secondary will be the reason why the Giants will finish the season around 8-8. The Dallas Cowboys will bounce back after a horrible 2010 season. Tony Romo is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, and he has three talented guys to get the ball to in Jason Witten, Miles Austin, and Dez Bryant. The key for the Cowboys offense will be in the backfield. They are hoping Felix Jones can be the featured back and have a big 2011 season. If he doesn't, watch out for DeMarco Murray, the rookie from Oklahoma. This kid is explosive and as the season progresses I expect him to be involved in the Cowboys offense a lot more frequently. I expect the Cowboys defense to bounce back and have a great year. Rob Ryan will be the perfect defensive coach for Dallas this year. He is just like his twin brother, Rex Ryan, who is a players coach, and guys love playing for him. The Cowboys defense will regain the swagger they had in 2009. Dallas will find a way to win 10 games this season and get back into the playoffs. The Philadelphia Eagles will win the NFC East. They are stacked on offense and defense. Even if Mike Vick gets hurt, Vince Young will be a capable quarterback to fill in. They have two good running backs in LaSean McCoy and Ronnie Brown. They are stacked with receivers: DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Steve Smith, and Jason Avant. Brent Celek is a very capable tight-end. Their problems on offense will be the offensive line, but I expect their O-line to be good enough for Philly to win at least 10 games. The Eagles probably have the best secondary in football with the addition of Nnamdi Asomugha. Also, the additions of Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin will help out their defensive line. Casey Mathews has had a solid pre-season and it looks like he will be their starting middle linebacker, and if he is anything like his brother, watch out NFC East. The Eagles will finish the season 12-4 and be in the mix for the top seed in the NFC.
NFC PLAYOFF PREDICTION
1. ATLANTA FALCONS (14-2)
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (12-4)
3. GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-5)
4. ST. LOUIS RAMS (9-7)
5. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (11-5)
6. DALLAS COWBOYS (10-6)
NFC WILD-CARD
6. DALLAS COWBOYS vs 3. GREEN BAY PACKERS
5. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS vs 4. ST. LOUIS RAMS
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
5. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS vs 1. ATLANTA FALCONS
3. GREEN BAY PACKERS vs 2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
NFC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES vs 1. ATLANTA FALCONS
NFC CHAMPIONS: ATLANTA FALCONS
SUPERBOWL XVLI
BALTIMORE RAVENS vs ATLANTA FALCONS
SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS: ATLANTA FALCONS
