Ranking the Top 5 Potential NFC Championship Game Matchups

It would be hard to imagine at this point in the season any NFC championship game other than Giants vs. Falcons. Those two teams look tough to beat and are on major roles.

The Falcons won on Thursday night to improve to an NFL best 7-2 and the Giants will attempt to match that on Sunday against the Cowboys.

But there are plenty of other potential matchups should one of those teams stumble. In what has been a very weak season thus far for the NFC, here are the top five potential matchups in the NFC's biggest game of the year.

5. Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 08: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers scores a fourth quarter touchdown as defenders Barrett Ruud #51 and Sabby Piscatelli #21 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers deliver a hit during the game at Raymond James Stadium on

This wouldn't be the greatest game in the world but it would still have some excitement. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 3-13 last season and if they can take the current roster they have to the NFC title game, that would be an interesting story.

The Packers on the other hand were many people's favorites to go to the Super Bowl and would be heavy favorites and probably at home.

Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman has done a good job this season, surprisingly, throwing to a 59 percent completion percentage and a two-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio. He'd take on Packers' stud Aaron Rodgers, who's having a fabulous season.

Other than passing, which the Packers have a significant advantage in, the two teams' numbers are the same for the most part. It shows in their records too, as the Packers are 6-3 and the Buccaneers are 5-3.

The Buccaneers in all likelihood will even with the Packers this week as they face the 1-7 Panthers at home while the Packers have a bye week.

4. Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 22: Members of the Chicago Bear offense line up against the defense of the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on November 22, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The Eagles defeated the Bears 24-20. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

There would be some juice if these two teams were to match up. Both teams are currently 5-3, in second place, and they face each other in Week 12 in Chicago.

A case could be made that talent-wise, the Eagles are the third-best team after the Falcons and Giants, and that it would be them to knock one of those two out. Therefore, they'd probably be favored and probably would come out the winner of this game. We'll get a good idea of who's better when we see them play each other.

Michael Vick has made a great comeback into the NFL this season, and he returned with a bang last week from a rib injury. He led the Eagles to an impressive victory over Peyton Manning and the Colts, throwing for over 200 yards and a touchdown.

Vick has thrown seven touchdowns this season to zero interceptions. His QB rating is over 105.

Meanwhile, the Bears' Jay Cutler is having a typical season for himself. Throwing for chunks of yardage while throwing too many interceptions with seven.

The most interesting matchup of this game would be the Bears defense against the Eagles' running attack. The Eagles are fifth in the league in rushing while the Bears are third against the rush.

Both teams have games this week against teams in the center of controversy. The Bears face the saga that is the Vikings and the Eagles go to Washington to face a Redskins team with uncertainty at the quarterback position.

3. Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 22: Mario Manningham #82 of the New York Giants runs the ball past Erik Coleman #26 of the Atlanta Falcons after a recdeption in overtime on November 22, 2009 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants def

Here's the matchup the majority of us think is going to happen in the NFC: Falcons vs. Giants. These two teams are just a cut above everyone else in the conference. They have quarterbacks who are playing the best of their careers, and overall great talent.

Assuming the Giants handle the 1-7 Cowboys at the Meadowlands, these two teams would be the only with seven wins in the NFC. If you're looking at the AFC, there are some teams that are 6-2 as well, but that conference is much better than this one.

What will be interesting to pay attention to for the remainder of this regular season is which team finishes with the better record. It'll make a huge difference in deciding where this game would be played.

If it's played in Atlanta, the Falcons should win. They're 5-0 at home this season and their quarterback Matt Ryan is 18-1 in his career at home.

If it's played at the Meadowlands, it would be a toss-up. The Giants have a loss at home, and the Falcons are .500 on the road.

That's what makes the Giants game so big for them to win this week, to even the 7-2 Falcons.

The premiere matchup in this game would obviously be Eli Manning against Matt Ryan. Both quarterbacks are having monster seasons, and you could expect a high-scoring game, although the Giants defense has been menacing and both teams stop the run well.

This game would have plenty of story lines leading up to it.

2. Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints

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NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 26: Lance Moore #16 of the New Orleans Saints is tackled by Thomas DeCoud #28 of the Atlanta Falcons at the Louisiana Superdome on September 26, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Falcons defeated the Saints 27-24. (Photo by Ch

Who will win this division?

The NFC South was predicted by nearly everyone to be won by the defending Super Bowl champion Saints. The Falcons were supposed to be a wild card team at best and the Buccaneers were supposed to be the worst team in the entire NFC.

None of that has turned out so far as the Falcons lead the division by one game, but technically two over the Saints. The Falcons beat the Saints in New Orleans so they have the tiebreaker advantage so far. These two teams meet in Week 16 for the final Monday night game of the season in Atlanta and the Falcons should win that game too.

The Buccaneers aren't out of this race just yet, although they're losing ground in a hurry. They were tied with the Falcons entering Sunday's battle, but lost to them and now with Atlanta already winning this week, trail by 1.5 games.

As for the potential all-NFC South matchup, it would be quite a game. It compares very closely to that of Falcons-Giants but what gives this game the higher rank is that it's an intra-divisional game and those are rare in a conference title game.

Once again, it'll come down to home-field advantage first and foremost and if the Falcons can earn the first seed, they'd be in great position.

The Saints would have a great chance in this game, though. Drew Brees hasn't had an extraordinary season, but he's still been good as he's thrown to a completion percentage of nearly 70 percent.

The Saints may also be the only team in the league that can stop Matt Ryan's high-flying passing attack. The Saints have allowed the fewest passing yards per game in the league so that would help them immensely in trying to win the game.

1. New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 13: Donovan McNabb #5 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks to pass against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium on December 13, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

It's not that I'm being a homer for the East coast or anything like that, it's just that this would be the greatest rivalry potential of any matchup. Giants-Eagles dates back for years and both teams have had their moments.

The last time the Giants went to the playoffs in 2008, they got beat by the Eagles in the divisional round at Giants Stadium, 23-11. It was an ugly drubbing at the hands of Donovan McNabb and company after a 12-4 season and first-round bye.

Now, McNabb is no longer on the team and when these two meet for the first time this season in Week 11, it'll be the first time in over a decade that McNabb isn't the Eagles starter in the rivalry.

Vick, though, can play with Eli Manning and the Giants. He looks like the guy he was in Atlanta and if the Giants could lose at home to McNabb, they could certainly lose to Vick.

Right now in the NFC East, the Giants are in first place at 6-2 and soon-to-be 7-2. The Eagles will be in Washington and it's not a given that they'll win that game, especially if Donovan McNabb starts.

The Giants have a two-game advantage over the Eagles when it comes to conference record. The Giants are 5-0 while the Eagles are 3-2. It would be tough for the Eagles to win this division if they were to lose a game in the standings this week.

The Giants would probably be slight favorites to win this game, but we'll get a better feel as the season continues. They still face each other twice before season's end.