NFC Predictions: Will Rodgers Outshine Favre?

Last season, the Arizona Cardinals stunned everybody by reaching the Super Bowl. It’s not that the Cardinals were a bad team. In fact, everybody and his brother had been predicting the Cards to be that year’s “sleeper” for at least the last eight years.

No, the problem was the fact that Arizona limped into the playoffs, barely winning a bad division then ignored 70 years of NFL futility to win three-straight games. On top of all that, it almost won the Super Bowl.

Will the Cardinals repeat as NFC champs? Will the Cowboys finally fulfill all of their promise? Will the Eagles ride Michael Vick to the promised land? Will the Vikings, everybody’s darling this season, finally win a Super Bowl?

In compiling my predictions, I took out the master NFL schedule and went through each week, game-by-game, trying to decide who will win where and against whom. As a result, the records all add up (even if the prediction doesn’t). Even I was surprised at the way some of teams turned out.

The following is a breakdown of the NFC, team by team. The AFC will follow Wednesday with my playoff predictions for Thursday. With a little luck, these predictions will hold up longer than week four.

----
NFC East

On paper, any four of the teams could win the division. There’s a lot to like about all four. But there’s also a lot of red flags that appear at almost every turn. In the end, the Giants are my pick to win the division. The passing game is down, the running game is down.

But the G-men still have the best defense in the division and the most underrated quarterback in the league. Prediction: 12-4.

All eyes have been on Michael Vick this preseason but in reality, Vick will have little effect on the Eagles’ 2009 season. Sure, he may make a play or two, but he’s the third QB at best and Donovan McNabb has made it clear he doesn’t want his offense all mucked up with that Wildcat stuff. Prediction: 11-5.

The Cowboys finally rid themselves of Terrell Owens, but now their passing game will suffer. Aw, the conundrum that is T.O. He makes your team better while at the same time making it worse. Buffalo beware.

Aside from T.O., the Boys still have enough to make a playoff run, but for some reason, I just can’t pull the trigger. Maybe it’s year after year after year of choking down the stretch. Prediction: 9-7.

Jason Campbell has a chip on his shoulder and the defense is vastly improved. Really, there is no reason not to pick the Redskins to win the division. Except of course that they play in this division. Prediction: 8-8.

-----
NFC North

Between Jay Cutler and Brett Favre, everybody seems to have forgotten about the Packers when it comes to this division. Aaron Rodgers looks like the real deal and the Packers don’t have to deal with that pesky preseason hype. All eyes are on the Vikings and Bears, but it will be the Packers that win the division. Prediction: 11-5.

Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre. Had enough? Me too. The Vikings were a playoff contender before Favre got there and they’re a playoff contender now. But in the past five seasons, Favre has had one great year, one not bad year and three awful years.

Adrian Peterson is a stud and the defense is solid, but like it or not, the QB play is a question mark. Prediction: 9-7.

Speaking of hype. Did you know that all that stood between the Bears and the Super Bowl was a quarterback? Never mind that your top receiver is a punt returner who played cornerback in college or that your defense was ranked 30th against the pass a year ago and is only getting older. Jay Cutler, the man with the losing career record, is the difference. Prediction: 6-10.

I would like to say that the Lions will win three times as many games as they did last year, but that’s a mathematical impossibility. And with a rookie quarterback, they’ll be lucky to do that. Prediction: 3-13.

----
NFC South

Like a 12 beating a five in the NCAA Tournament, everybody’s favorite axiom is that somebody different wins the South every year. The reason for this is simple. Nobody is truly dominant. This year, it’s the Panthers’ turn. Quarterback is suspect, but running game is fine and the defense isn’t too shabby. Prediction: 10-6.

I like everything about the Saints except their defense and running game. Drew Brees is a monster, the receivers are great, but the team cannot control the game on either side. There is enough talent to win games, but not titles. Prediction: 9-7.

Matt Ryan had a super rookie year and really elevated a Falcons team to a season nobody expected. That won’t happen again this year. It’s not that Ryan isn’t a good QB, it’s just that this a league of adjustments and the league will adjust. How quickly can Ryan adjust to the league’s adjustment? Prediction: 8-8

Remember when the Buccaneers were the most dominant team in the league? Me either. It’s been a while and this team hasn’t hit bottom yet. Prediction: 5-11.

----
NFC West

Many people (myself included) felt like Kurt Warner was a flash in the pan, a product of a pass-happy system in St. Louis. Last year changed my mind and I now fully believe that Warner is one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. Of course, he’s also approaching 40 and the bottom could fall out at anytime. Of course, he also plays in the NFC West. Prediction: 9-7.

The Seahawks are improving but there are still too many questions at almost every position. There is enough talent to reach near .500, but little else. Prediction: 7-9.

Frank Gore is good enough to carry the 49ers to several wins almost single-handedly. Too bad he doesn’t have more help. Prediction: 7-9.

When I added up the Rams wins total I was shocked. No quarterback and an offense falling apart. But hey, that defense ain’t bad. Prediction: 6-10.

Coming tomorrow: AFC Predictions.