NFL Power Rankings: NFC and AFC Division Champions and Wild Card Contenders

Each division has something unique to bring to the current NFL season.  Some teams such as the San Francisco 49ers have showed tremendous growth under new coach Jim Harbaugh.  With stellar defense and a quarterback who is finally feeling comfortable in his new system, the 49ers look to make a deep push in the postseason. 

Under the play of Suh, Stafford and Johnson, the Detroit Lions have shown the powerhouse potential they possess.  Only time will tell if they can make it all the way to the end of the season playing at this pace.

Although it is only mid-way through the 2011 NFL season, teams are showing that they are en route to either make the playoffs or show why they will falter.

People are wondering who will win each division or end up a wild card at the end of the regular season and here are some predictions.  

NFC East Champs: New York Giants

The New York Giants are currently 5-2 and no other team in its division has a record above .500.  Although there is still time for either Dallas or Philadelphia to step up and make a run, it is unlikely they will.

If there is going to be any competition for the division championship, both the Eagles and the Cowboys will have to get a serious hot streak while the Giants are going to have to cool down dramatically.

The Eagles dream team looks to have no flow as a unit.  That is ultimately what is going to hold them back.  It has nothing to do with the talent and more so how they work cohesively.  Unfortunately for a problem like that, only time can really fix it, which is what the Eagles do not have.

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys are extremely talented on offense and defense but they just cannot finish in the fourth quarter.  With the exception of a tough loss against the Patriots, the losses on their record were just ugly.  Until Romo can get his act together and start finishing games, this team will have a difficult time finding the postseason regardless of the talent they have.

In the end, the Giants have a solid quarterback in Eli Manning as well as a coaching staff who has experience in the game.  The defense is a hard working unit that can finish off teams at the end of the game.  The Giants will win the NFC East. 

NFC North Champs: Green Bay Packers

With the exception of the Detroit Lions, Green Bay is running away with this division.  They have the best record in the NFL with seven wins and have yet to lose a game. 

Aaron Rodgers is playing at an elite level on par with some of the game's greats.  He is arguably the best quarterback in the league, leading one of the most explosive offenses to an average of 32.9 points per game.  The lowest scoring output they had all year was 24 points. 

The Detroit Lions are a tough team. They won't just lay down and allow the previous Super Bowl champs a walk through to the playoffs.  The Lions are energized and poised to make a serious run for the division title. 

However, the Packers are still undefeated and have the experience of winning it all just a year ago.  Besides the slacking defense that the Packers are showing, it is tough to go against a team that has no losses on their record.  Until Green Bay loses and shows that they are human, it looks like the champs are still expected to win the NFC North and even earn a bye for the first playoff game.   

NFC South Champs: New Orleans Saints

This one was pretty tough.  In the south, three teams really have a solid chance at winning the division championship.  The New Orleans Saints are in the lead with a record of 5-3 while both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are close behind with 4-3 records. 

Drew Brees is leading this team to the number one passing offense in the league and an offense that is pretty tough to stop when they are in a groove.  Brees is having another MVP caliber season in contention with other quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

Atlanta has great playoff experience and are a tough team to beat at home.  Matt Ryan leads an offense with great skills players such as Roddy White and Michael Turner.  The defense is led by a great defensive line and some great corners.  Overall, the Falcons have the talent to win as long as they can maintain a high level of intensity for the rest of the season.

The Tampa Bay Bucs are a surprise team this year with a fairly young core group of guys.  They are on a hot streak and playing some good football.  If the seasoned veterans in the Saints and Falcons do not watch out, the Buccaneers could make a big splash in the south.

However, the Saints do have the experience, talent and coaching staff to play consistently throughout the season.  If there were an edge, even a slight one, it would fall in favor of the New Orleans Saints.  

NFC West Champs: San Francisco 49ers

This one is the most clear-cut choice in all of the divisions.  The 49ers play in arguably the weakest division this year with the next best team behind them having only two wins. 

San Francisco boasts an impressive 6-1 record with some big wins against quality teams such as Detroit and Cincinnati.  The only loss came from a 27-24 overtime loss against the Dallas Cowboys. 

They have the best rushing defense in the league and also maintain the league's sixth best rushing offense. 

Alex Smith is playing very efficiently and finally looks like he is confident in the system he is playing in.  The system was simplified and it looks like Smith is taking full advantage of the opportunity he has been presented with. 

The 49ers will win the NFC West and make it to the postseason with a chance at having the best record in the conference.

NFC Wildcard: Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a good team.  At 6-2 they have the talent, drive and coaching to make a serious run to the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately they are in the same division as the Green Bay Packers so it will be difficult to win the division outright.  Not saying that it is guaranteed they will not win the division, merely that it is tough to go against the previous Super Bowl champs who are yet to lose.

Ndamukong Suh is a beast on defense and it looks like there is surge of pride in how they stop their opponents.

Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford are synced up and playing some incredible football together. 

Jahvid Best is starting to emerge as a serious runner and a serious threat not only between the tackles but for big yard plays as well.

Assuming these standings stay consistent, it looks like they will win a wild card spot and have to prove to everyone else why they are the best team in the NFL.  

NFC Wildcard: Atlanta Falcons

With other wild card contenders in Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, it is difficult to say the Falcons are a clear-cut playoff contender. 

However, they have a great defense and doubting Matt Ryan will be a bad decision for other teams.  They have the talent to win and the poise to make it to the postseason.

It is almost impossible to win at the dome in Atlanta that helps them in terms of keeping their record up. 

Hopefully the Atlanta Falcons can get their problems fixed soon so they can make a serious second half push.  

AFC East Champs: New England Patriots

Currently New England is tied for first in the division with the Buffalo Bills at 5-2.  The New York Jets are also in contention if they can make a big push in the second half and both these teams falter towards the end.

The Patriots are led by one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Tom Brady.  At the start of the season he was playing at a pace that was unseen in any year of the NFL.  Although he has slowed down a bit, his caliber is still at an elite level. 

Recently Brady led his team to victory against the Cowboys with a signature fourth quarter drive.  Brady has spoiled us as fans to the point where if he has the ball on a game tying or winning drive, we expect him to do it. 

Although the Bills have the same record, experience tips in favor of the Patriots.  They have proven they can win it all and continue on to play at a high level for the second half of the season.  The Bills are relatively new to this level of success and although Fitzpatrick is playing well, he is not the fan's first choice to lead the team. 

New England is always prepared with a coach who is also arguably one of the best in the league.  With the quarterback, skills players and coach, going against the Patriots would be a bad idea in the East. 

Look for the Patriots to win out the division and make a run in the postseason.

AFC North Champs: Baltimore Ravens

This was another choice that was not clear-cut and even probably opposed by many.  The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the lead in that division and the Ravens are only tied for second place with the Cincinnati Bengals at 5-2. 

The Ravens have the third ranked defense against the run as well as the pass.  With players like Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and Haloti Ngata manning the defense, it is going to be tough to score on them.

Baltimore’s only real fault would be on offense where Flacco is going to be judged very closely on how he handles the pressure in the postseason and end of the regular season.

Pittsburgh is also playing at a high level but Ben Roethlisberger has been playing fairly shaky and injuries have been plaguing this team all season long.  At the mid-point of the season, it is tough to see the Steelers maintain this pace with the amount of injuries that is falling upon them.

Cincinnati is also playing at a very high level even with a rookie quarterback.  However, that fact is why the edge goes away from them.  Having a rookie quarterback makes it tough to really judge how the play from teams and the pressure at the end of the season will affect him. 

In the end, the Baltimore Ravens will make a strong push to win their division and earn a playoff berth.  

AFC South Champs: Houston Texans

The Texans look good with Matt Schaub and arguably the best receiver in the game in Andre Johnson. 

With a record of 5-3, Houston winning the division is not an easy answer.  The Tennessee Titans are right behind them at 4-3 even with an underachieving Chris Johnson.  If Johnson can pick up his play and make an impact on the field, it will ultimately be the Titans' division to lose. 

However, until that happens, Houston looks too good on both sides of the ball. 

The defense is ranked in the top 10 in both yards rushing and yards passing against their opponents. 

The offense is also playing very well, ranked fourth rushing and just outside the top 10 passing. 

Houston does not look to be slowing down and have a favorable schedule to look forward to. 

The Houston Texans win the AFC South.

AFC West Champs: San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers is really making it hard for the Chargers to take a commanding lead of the division.  Last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was basically caused by a botched snap from Rivers in the fourth quarter. 

The defense is stellar and is ranked in the top 10 in opponent rushing yards.

Although Rivers has had some bad games with more picks than he typically has in an NFL season, they are still ranked in the top 10 in passing yards per game. 

San Diego has great talents in Rivers, Gates and Jackson on offense while being led on defense by Takeo Spikes and Eric Weddle. 

There is a three-way tie for first in the AFC West among San Diego, Oakland and Kansas City. 

With an injured starting quarterback in Oakland, it is tough to say that they can continue to play at a high level for the rest of the season.

Kansas City does have a solid team and just recently beat San Diego in overtime.  However, based on past experiences San Diego has shown to have the poise to at least maintain a high level to the end of the season. 

The edge has been tipped in favor of San Diego, although not by much.  

AFC Wildcard: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have a great talented team and it would be foolish to say they do not have a shot at winning it all.

Unfortunately, they are in the same division as the Baltimore Ravens who are also playing at an incredibly high level.  If the Ravens end up winning the division, the Steelers are almost guaranteed to make the wild card spot.

Big Ben recently led his team to a victory over the New England Patriots by playing one of his best games of the season.  The defense is always a threat to stop and even score against opposing teams.

Polamalu is not only physically gifted, but one of the smartest players in the league at his position. 

They currently are leading the AFC North with a record of 6-2 and are not counted out to even win the division outright. 

Whether they win the division or not, one thing is certain, no team is going to look at the Steelers and decide it is going to be an easy game.  

AFC Wildcard: Buffalo Bills

The Bills are one of the surprise teams in the NFL for the 2011 season.  Ryan Fitzpatrick has inspired the team to play with a bit of swagger. 

Buffalo currently has a record of 5-2 and is tied for first in the AFC East with Tom Brady’s New England Patriots.  It was tough to say that they would not win the division, as it is always fun to root for the underdog.  However, if it comes down to deciding between the Patriots and the Bills, the Pats will always win. 

Fitzpatrick is playing very well and the team is rallying behind him.

They have a good record and are playing great football.  If they can keep this up, it is looking good for them to earn a spot in the playoffs and possibly make a splash in the postseason.