A look at the 2005-2006 NFC season through the
black-and-gold glasses:
A look at how I see the NFC this season with a few comments
about each team, along with postseason predictions. AFC predictions will be
coming in the next day or so.
NFC East
- Philadelphia
10-6
- Dallas
9-7
- New
York Giants 7-9
- Washington
2-14
The Eagles will take a step
back this year, but in a weak division and a weak conference, they will still
win the division and contend for a bid in Detroit. Loss of Pinskton hurts, but
the bigger question is the psyche of McNabb. How will the public riff between
TO and Donovan play out? Let�s rewind just 6 months ago � Eagles down 10, still
7:00 left, Eagle fans still think they have a chance�.Donovan taking his
time�hurry, hurry, Eagle fans screaming at McNabb, �What are you doing? Hurry
up� Anyway, we know the ending, and I don�t think Eagles� fans will let McNabb
forget, especially when the games count. As far as the Cowboys are
concerned, they better hope Drew Henson is ready soon. Is Drew Bledsoe really a
much better option than Vinny? First round picks Ware and Spears will help what
was already a pretty decent defense. May be in a few 17-14 games. Eli Manning
and the Giants will improve. A healthy Michael Strahan is a must. If he
is healthy, and Eli progresses more than I think he will, then the G-men might
contend for a wildcard. Has the game passed the Redskins� Joe Gibbs by?
I have always liked Ramsey as a QB, back to his college days. Doesn�t appear he
has many weapons though? Santana Moss as a #1 receiver? Clinton Portis needs a
better season. Defense needs Arrington the be healthy, but still probably won�t
be as good as last year.
NFC North
- Green
Bay 11-5
- *Minnesota
9-7
- Detroit
6-10
- Chicago
4-12
As Brett Favre goes, so go the Packers.
How many years does Brett have left before passing the reins over the 1st
round pick Aaron Rodgers? Offensive weapons are still there, but defense will
need to be better for perhaps Favre�s last chance at another SB. How will no
Randy Moss affect the Vikings and Dante Culpepper? And with the SB so
close to Viking land, will Mike Tice be the #1 scalper of tickets? Michael
Bennett needs to have a good year to help ease the loss of Moss. Smoot is a
good addition to what has also been a suspect defense. Will the reunion of
Mariucci and Garcia do anything to improve the Lions? Will Harrington
have enough to hold off Garcia as the starting QB? Whomever steps up behind
center will have a load of talented WR to fling the ball to, but Charles Rogers
needs to stay healthy. The defense should be solid, but probably a few wins
short of a wildcard. QB, again, is the big question for the Bears.� Kyle Orton was considered a contender for
the Heisman last year until he had a few injuries. He may end the year as the
starter, especially considering that Rex Grossman has been injury prone since
his arrival in the league. Cedric Benson will be a stud at RB, when/if he
signs. Offensive Line will be key to offense�s success. Brian Urlacher needs to
be healthy to help defense.
NFC South
- Atlanta
10-6
- New
Orleans 9-7
- Carolina
6-10
- Tampa
Bay 6-10
If Michael Vick can ever learn to
throw the ball, the Falcons could be unstoppable. Of course, we�ve been
waiting for that to happen since his days at Va Tech.� In the same vein as wondering why the Stillers draft a TE in the
first round since they never throw to a TE, one could question the picking of
WR White from UAB in the first round since Vick can�t seem to throw accurately.
LB�s lead a middle of road defense. Jim Haslett is under the gun as Saints
coach. Will be interesting to see how much of a look they give to Adrian
McPherson at QB. (Odds are 10-1 McPherson is a keeper! Ugh, sorry, couldn�t
resist) Duce McAllister needs to remain healthy for shot at playoffs. Defense
needs to be the defense of the last 4 games of last year and not the first 12.
Which Panthers team of the last two years is the real one? Either Steven
Davis or DeShaun Foster (or both) need to stay healthy, as much as I love Nick
Goings, he isn�t a #1 back. The defense line needs to dominate like they did
two years ago for any chance of return to glory. Brian Griese did a decent job
of resurrecting his career with the Bucs last year. Is he the answer, or
will Chris Simms take control of the offense? Cadillac Williams will help the
running game. Defense could, and needs to return to glory days.
NFC West
- St
Louis 11-5
- *Seattle
10-6
- Arizona
9-7
- San
Francisco 4-12
Look for the Rams to win in
what will probably be the NFC�s toughest division. The key to whether the Rams
contend for NFC honors or are an also-ran hinges with the OL. A healthy Marc
Bulger and the Rams contend for the SB. Free Agent acquisitions Coakley and
Claiborne help the defense. Not sure if Hasselback will ever be more than an
average to above-average QB for the Seahawks. All David Greene did at
Georgia was win. I can see Greene as the QB of the future, but with Alexander
the Hawks have one of the most dominant RB�s in the game. Defense is the key,
they may slip from last year, which would be a disaster in this
ultra-competitive division. A winning season for the Cardinals? I think
so, and if Warner has anything left in him, the Cards may actually contend for
division. JJ Arrington at RB, the WR tandem of Fitzgerald and Boldin, and the
Cards offense can be a powerhouse. Defense has to improve against the run. Look
for Antrell Rolle to make an impact at CB and as a punt returner. The 49�ers
got the QB they wanted, but Alex Smith will go through some tremendous growing
pains in the Bay. If Frank Gore is healthy, he will overtake Barlow as starting
RB by end of year. If the defense can dominate at times, by the end of the
year, San Fran will be one of those teams no one will want to play.
Playoffs
�����
������ Wild Card
Weekend � Atlanta over Seattle, Philadelphia over Minnesota
������ Division
Playoffs � St Louis over Atlanta, Green Bay over Philadelphia
������ NFC
Championship � St Louis over Green Bay
������ First coach
fired (or resigning) � Joe Gibbs, Washington
������ Team that
may surprise - Detroit