Why Every Division in the NFC Is Still Up for Grabs

This is the counterpart to my article written previously in the same context, only about the AFC.

The teams are listed in the order of which they stand right now. Not necessarily in the way I believe the division will shape up. That will be explained at the end of the division's breakdown.

This time, I'll be taking a look at the NFC and breaking down why I think every division in this conference (arguably the better of the two for the first time in years) is up for grabs.

NFC East

1. New York Giants

Why they have a shot:

• Eli Manning has a newfound confidence about him. He believes in himself now, it would seem, and that radiates throughout the Giants' locker room.
• Brandon Jacobs is still the beast he has been. The man is nearly impossible to take down without taking a beaten from those immense shoulders or legs. It's basically "pick your poison."
• Spags has that defense still playing well, despite losing the likes of Osi Umenyiora (IR - knee), Michael Strahan (retirement), Kawika Mitchell (free agency), and Gibril Wilson (free agency).

Why they could blow it:

• Pre-2007 Eli Manning reared his ugly head on Monday night in Cleveland. Three interceptions, one of which was taken back for a touchdown (because of a Manning missed tackle, just to add insult to injury), and a whole slew of badly thrown balls won't get the job done.
• The secondary was exposed possibly. However, it could turn out to be an aberration. That has yet to be seen. What we could see was Derek Anderson running (or throwing) wild on their secondary.
• I think Tom Coughlin's dictator-like style of coaching is growing old with locker-room leaders like Plaxico Burress.

2. Washington Redskins

Why they have a shot:

• Clinton Portis is making his case for MVP this year. He's running like a man possessed and is getting a lot of help from a determined offensive line.
• Jason Campbell seems to be hitting his stride as an NFL quarterback. He's making good reads, good decisions, and up until the game against the Rams, had thrown no interceptions. I expect to see more of that kind of play from him.
• The defense is not a star-studded one by any means, but they're playing well enough to give their offense a shot to win games. That's all you can really ask of them.

Why they could blow it:

• A huge setback against the Rams, no doubt about it. It's always bad when you find a way to lose against a team even Redskins fans were calling one of the worst teams to ever take the field. Ouch.
• Ladell Betts is banged up. Enter in Shawn Alexander. Does he still have enough to take some pressure off Clinton Portis? Or do we see a Portis injury because he's being leaned on too much? We'll see.
• It seems like one mistake can send this team down a slippery slope in a hurry. They'll need to prove they can handle the expectation of winning as a front-runner.

3. Dallas Cowboys

Why they have a shot:

• There's a lot of talent on this team, no matter what position we're looking at. Many teams would kill to have half the talent this team has on paper.
• Marion Barber is showing he can carry the load and that he wants the load. That will help immensely with injuries to Felix Jones and Tony Romo.
• Terrell Owens. Need I say more?

Why they could blow it:

• The same concern always lingers with the cowboys. Can they keep all the egos in check? Romo is injured. Brad Johnson is in. Roy Williams just showed up. Less balls for T.O. means more words out of his mouth, which could mean less wins for this team. Oh, and he will always and forever be known as "Pacman".
• The defense is not playing up to par so far this year. They allowed themselves to be taken advantage of by the Cardinals and the Redskins in back-to-back weeks. With all of the offensive issues, the D needs to step it up.
• It's bad when quarterbacks have another guy looking over their shoulder, but if this team starts losing, how soon before Wade Phillips starts becoming desperate knowing Jason Garret is ready to snatch the clipboard away?

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Why they have a shot:

• Donovan McNabb is a premier quarterback in this league. Top five at the very least. Only three interceptions this year shows he does not make mistakes very often and will do everything in his power to put this team in a position to win.
• Brian Westbrook, Kevin Curtis, Shawn Andrews, and Reggie Brown are all expected back for the next game after the bye. Teams hurt when they are without four starters. They're back now.
• The defense is No. 1 in the league in sacks. Pressure on the quarterback is always a good thing.

Why they could blow it:

• The stellar run defense has been non-existent the past two weeks. They've given up 145 and 101 yards the past two games. Granted, that was to Clinton Portis and Frank Gore, but that's still unacceptable.
• The pass defense, an area that was thought to be a strength coming into the season, has been a weakness. I put a lot of that to young LB's not knowing how to cover premier tight ends, yet.
• In any other division, the Eagles are front-runners. In the NFC East, no one has any idea.

How I See This Shaping Up

1. Washington Redskins (11-5)
2. New York Giants (10-6)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
4. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)

*** Note: I know I'm going to get torn apart for this. However, this is contingent upon what I believe is an inevitable implosion of the Dallas Cowboys. If that does not happen, this is much different. In the end though, I'm afraid the Cowboys just have too many egos to make any real moves this year and will be a shocking disappointment. Please keep all criticisms clean. ***

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers

Why they have a shot:

• Aaron Rodgers is playing well. Very well. He's limiting his mistakes and is putting his team in a position to win. I'm not saying starting him and getting rid of Favre was the right move, but it sure doesn't look like it's going to hurt them any.
• The wide receivers are playing well and making Rodgers very comfortable. It's a lot easier for a young quarterback knowing he has great guys to throw to.
• Ryan Grant seems to have gotten figured out a little bit, but he's getting better. He's showing a determination to win and it's paying off for them.

Why they could blow it:

• Is Aaron Rodgers ready to play with the big boys in the playoffs and beyond? We'll see.
• Ryan Grants, while getting better, needs to continue that improvement. If he drops off in production, or even plateaus, that could mean bad things for this team.
• The defense needs to play better against the run. I can think of at least two games this year that they lost because their run defense did not show up.

2. Chicago Bears

Why they have a shot:

• I said during the preseason that Kyle Orton was the obvious choice here. He may not make the highlight reels for any spectacular games, but he does enough to win games. He's a winner, plain and simple.
• Matt Forte makes you forget he's a rookie. He's playing like he's been in the NFL for years. He has great vision and is big enough to get the tough yards.
• This group of seemingly pedestrian receivers are playing like a group that hasn't been told they're not supposed to be good. Good for them.
• Have to give props to the defense. They show up when it counts (just ask an Eagles fan).

Why they could blow it:

• This is not a team built to play from behind. So, if the defense were to have a couple bad games, the offense is not built to get them out of a jam.
• Losing a close game like they did to the Falcons has to hurt. They have to show they can rebound. And for the record, I credit that win to the Atlanta offense, not a strike against the Bears' D.
• Devin Hester is having a decent year at WR. However, his return skills are suffering, like many predicting. That's hurting their special teams greatly, and I don't see that unit winning any games for them this year.

3. Minnesota Vikings

Why they have a shot:

• Adrian Peterson is a freak of nature. That's that.
• Bernard Berrian and Gus Frerotte are getting some chemistry going and are moving this offense right along. They need to keep it up.
• Run defense is still beastly. The Williams brothers are still the best defensive tackle tandem in the league.

Why they could blow it:

• Not enough offensive production is gonna hurt them somewhere down the road, as if it hasn't been detrimental enough already.
• The pass defense is still suspect, as it was last year. They better hope that teams don't just throw out the running game against them, because that's all they can stop.
• They need more pressure on the quarterback. Jarred Allen especially needs to step up.

4. Detroit Lions

Why they have a shot:

• They still have talent left on that offense; they just need to utilize it better than what they have.
• If you really wanted a second reason, you're a Lions fan and I feel sorry for you anyway.

Why they could blow it:

• Dan Orlovsky is not the answer for this team. He proved that when he ran out of the back of the end zone in Minnesota. Drew Stanton has his chance now to make a stake to be this team's quarterback.
• The defense can't stop the run or pass and have given up the second-most points only to the Rams. Yikes.
• They got Rudi Johnson in the back half of his career. He may be done. The poor line play isn't helping either.

How I See This Shaping Up

1. Green Bay Packers (10-6)
2. Chicago Bears (9-7)
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
4. Detroit Lions (3-13)

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Why they have a shot:

• I'm not sure why Jon Gruden decided to go with Brian Griese, but Jeff Garcia is now back under center where he belongs. He certainly gives them the best chance of winning.
• Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn are running at will. I'm sure a lot of people thought re-signing Warrick Dunn was just a courtesy to him so he could have a paycheck and keep doing his fantastic community work, and maybe play a spot role. That has not been the case.
• The defense seems to be back to the old Bucs defense. They held a good Panthers offense to just three points while scoring 27 of their won. That will get you far in this league.

Why they could blow it:

• Gruden's indecisive nature about quarterbacks could mean Garcia gets yanked if he has a bad game. As the old adage goes, if you have two quarterbacks, you've really have none.
• The receivers need to step it up. They are not doing their part in this whole thing yet. Garcia needs some consistent targets.
• Get a real fullback; don't waste Graham.

2. Carolina Panthers

Why they have a shot:

• Jake Delhomme is playing as well as he did in 2003. He's playing well in the clutch and has this team believing again.
• Drafting Jonathan Stewart turned out to be a pretty good call. And now we're even starting to see DeAngelo Williams play better because of his success.
• Muhsin Muhammad? No, he's not too old to produce.

Why they could blow it:

• The Bucs gave everyone the blueprint to shutting down this offense. They must be scrambling for answers to try and show the league that the Bucs game was a fluke.
• A blocked punt for a touchdown? That just can't happen to a contending team.
• The defense will still have lapses of incompetence. They must eliminate the mistakes.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Why they have a shot:

• Even with all of their early success, I think teams can still get trapped into overlooking them. They must take advantage of this and win some games that they really should not have otherwise won.
• Michael Turner is playing well in his first year with Atlanta. He has been a welcomed addition.
• Matt Ryan is the real deal. I rest my case.

Why they could blow it:

• This is still a young team. Typically, young teams have trouble closing out games. But in their defense, the Chicago game really goes a long way in disproving that theory doesn't it?
• The defense is still suspect. They need to eliminate the little mistakes in order to make a run at the title of this division.
• They play in arguably the most competitive division other than the NFC East, and some would put the East below this division.
  

4. New Orleans Saints

Why they have a shot:

• Drew Brees could throw for 300 yards with his eyes closed. He's very underrated this season, and it's only a matter of time before people have to start looking at him as an MVP candidate.
• Reggie Bush, while still lacking in the running game, is producing elsewhere. He is a Brian Mitchell type player and will continue to help this team in a variety of ways.
• They've been producing with Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey. With them back, this offense looks mighty scary.

Why they could blow it:

• Their defense has a numerous amount of holes. They need to plug them before somebody really takes advantage and has a field day with them.
• Drew Brees has to sputter out sometime doesn't he? Maybe not.
• Deuce McCallister and Thomas Pierre are producing on the ground, but they need Reggie Bush to learn how to run between the tackles if they want their run game taken seriously.

How I See This Shaping Up

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
2. New Orleans Saints (10-6)
3. Carolina Panthers (9-7)
4. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

NFC West

1. Arizona Cardinals

Why they have a shot:

• Kurt Warner is playing like he's manning the Greatest Show On Turf, Act II.
• Tim Hightower, the rookie, is playing lights out and to date has only two games thus far without at least two touchdowns. That's impressive.
• Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston. They might just rival Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokely of the back-in-the-day Colts.

Why they could blow it:

• Their pass defense has been letting them down. The run defense is capable but they're getting slashed through the air.
• Not enough pressure off the edges from their rookies and free agent pickups. The new guys need to start producing more on the defensive side of the ball.

2. San Francisco 49ers

Why they have a shot:

• The offense is playing well under Mike Martz. They just always seem to make that one costly error. But overall, they're playing well enough for this team to win some games.
• Frank Gore is playing like Marshall Faulk did for the Rams in '99.
• Patrick Willis is once again one of the best LBs in the league, in his second year.

Why they could blow it:

• The defense makes too many mistakes. They're not ranked higher than 20th in any defensive statistical category.
• The offense, while playing better and showing some explosiveness, isn't playing well enough to make up for the defense's shortcomings.
• Poor special teams won't win them any games.

3. Seattle Seahawks

Why they have a shot:

• They still have guys like Deion Branch, Matt Hasselbeck, Maurice Morris, Patrick Kerney, and Julian Peterson. There's no reason for them to be this bad.

Why they could blow it:

• Seven wide receivers were injured to start the year. Then, once they finally get healthy, Hasselbeck goes down. This team cannot catch a break.
• The defense is putrid. They don't rank above 22nd in any statistical category. That won't win you any games in this league.

4. St. Louis Rams

Why they have a shot:

• They still have players like Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, and Torry Holt. Just like the Seahawks, there is no reason for this team to be this bad.
• They found a way to win a game, that's always a step in the right direction.

Why they could blow it:

• The defense is a huge let-down. They showed they can play against the Redskins. Will they continue the success and let the momentum carry them? I'm not ready to say that.
• The offensive line is not giving Bulger the necessary time to make plays. They need to step up as a group.

How I See This Shaping Up

1. Arizona Cardinals (11-5)
2. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
3. Seattle Seahawks (5-11)
4. St. Louis Rams (2-14)

Check the link to the AFC divisional breakdown as well!