NFC Up For Grabs, Eagles Falcons and Packers Cream Of The Crop

With the NFL season heading into Thanksgiving, the NFC has many teams still in the hunt. The parity that the league has seen has made making wagers and playing fantasy football very hard. When a team looks so good one week and then falters the next, it is hard to get a grasp on who are the pretenders and contenders.

In the NFC North, the Packers and the Bears are tied for first place. Initially, Green Bay and Minnesota were the favorites, but the Vikings are performing at a very poor level. With the recent trade of Randy Moss, Brad Childress’s lack of leadership, and injuries on both sides of the ball, the Vikings look to be done.

The Packers have had injuries including losing standout tight end Jermichael Finley for the season and letting go of physical cornerback Al Harris. Overcoming adversity has been the theme for Green Bay so far. They put a beating on the Cowboys at home in Week 9. The Bears are surprisingly starting to build momentum after looking so bad.

Jay Cutler has taken fewer hits in the last few weeks and the defense is shutting down the run. They have a brutal schedule coming after Miami Thursday night. The Lions lost Matt Stafford again, but the defensive line has been surprising. Will Stafford ever stay healthy for a complete season?

The Falcons have the best record in the NFC South at 7-2. They are coming off a great win against the Ravens. Matt Ryan and Roddy White are a great compliment to the downfield running of Michael Turner. They seem to really bring it in the Georgia Dome where Ryan has only lost one game in his career.

After stumbling, the Saints are starting to warm up and Drew Brees is trying to duplicate the success of last year. He has had to deal with losing Reggie Bush, but has a plethora of receivers to throw to. Tampa Bay has been startling teams with young quarterback Josh Freeman and are 2-2 in the division.

They just seem to keep it close and execute when it matters. The Panthers are an abomination. They have quarterback problems and Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams are fighting injury. John Fox’s job is definitely on the line this year.

The NFC West is considered the worst conference in the NFC. With teams like the Seahawks being in first place, this division could be competitive until week 17. The Seahawks are still finding themselves, but improve on both sides of ball every week. Rookie QB Sam Bradford is showing signs of being one of the premier quarterbacks in years to come.

With no real consistency at the receiver position, he has found ways to get the ball downfield for the Rams, but they are still 0-4 on the road. In fact, no team in the NFC West has a winning record on the road. The Cardinals have fallen far from where they were without the leadership and quick release of Kurt Warner.

It is hard to replace such a big part their culture. The 49ers have underachieved, but with Troy Smith behind center they look to improve on a 3-6 record. The defense is making strides and look to improve after the exciting win Sunday.

The NFC East is the most intriguing division currently. Andy Reid has developed Michael Vick into a quarterback with pocket presence and the explosiveness to make a big play at any time. After the career night he had on Monday, the Eagles could be the one of the favorites in the conference.

DeSean Jackson is becoming a superstar in front of our eyes. The revamped defense is emerging every week as well. The New York Giants took a loss against the Cowboys and now have questions with Steve Smith being out until December. Dallas, who fired Wade Phillips, has to look in the mirror with all their talent and wonder what could have been. Like the Chargers, the Cowboys are full of talent, but just can’t put it all together on the field. Will Jerry Jones hire a big name coach or keep Jason Garrett at the helm?

A big name coach is going to want control, which could be a clash for Jones style. The Redskins once again sign big name players, but have nothing to show for it. Mike Shanahan might be questioning whether his decision to come back this year was the right decision. Donovan McNabb just got a contract extension, but he has no weapons to speak of to get the ball too.

The NFC might not have the talent of the AFC, but the conference has so many storylines. The Eagles, Falcons and Packers look to be the cream of the crop now. That could all change in a snap. Before the regular season ends, we could have some surprising division leaders and wildcard playoff teams.