The NFC experienced a talent drain this offseason that they haven’t suffered in a few years. Nearly every big free agent and trade target left for the AFC, leaving this conference very predictable and top-heavy. That doesn’t mean a lack of drama, though. Let’s go over the 16 teams trying not to suck this year.
Chicago Bears
The defending tank bowl champions will be looking to do a tad bit better this coming season. That starts with their offseason moves. For winning the tank bowl, they were able to get some decent players and assets by trading the 1st overall pick. Enter DJ Moore- the new threat at wideout for the Bears. Regardless, the key to success for this team is Justin Fields. Will he take that next step forward with his arm? Or will he turn into a diet Lamar Jackson? This season is critical to his development.
Green Bay Packers
For the Packerena, the time has come. Aaron Rodgers is gone. Now, Jordan Love, the much-maligned first-round pick of the team from 2020, has big shoes to fill. The unfortunate thing is that Rodgers took most of his wide receivers with him when he went to the Jets, so in addition to having a paper-soft defense, they also no longer have an offense. It’s going to be a long year on the frigid tundra of Lambeau.
Detroit Lions
This is the most optimistic Lions fans have felt in a generation. A competent offense. A semi-competent defense. Expectations are through the roof. A weak division. It is all right in front of them. This offense might be the best they’ve had in 5 years, and Hutchinson has added some oomph to a defense that has slid a little. Dan Campbell is a beast, and I hope for his sake that they do well.
Minnesota Vikings
The purple people eaters, coming off an embarrassing playoff loss, are coming back with a vengeance, but serious questions loom for the Vikings. They spent a lot of last year dancing through the raindrops, and a 13-4 year on that kind of luck is highly unsustainable. In addition, the Kevin O’Connell luster may have worn off, and Kirk Cousins might be the most Jekyll and Hyde quarterback in the league right now. It’s going to be an interesting year in the land of a thousand lakes. Justin Jefferson needs to be paid too.
New Orleans Saints
This is the weakest Saints team we’ve had the pleasure to see on a gridiron in a very long time. While the offense has the potential to be something, especially with Derek Carr now in the saddle at quarterback, it still doesn’t fix their disastrous tire fire of a defense. Dennis Allen hasn’t proven himself as a coach yet, and they will likely be a stepping stool for real teams in their pathetic joke of a division.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are looking to usurp control of a terrible division through fun, exciting youth. In addition to Kyle Pitts, they added an electric back in Bijan Robinson to hopefully serve as a bell cow back. The defense looks a bit better, led by guys like AJ Terrell and Grady Jarrett. Even Cordarrelle Patterson is back in the mix. This could be an exciting year for a franchise that has known nothing but pain and misery. Knowing the falcons, though, they’ll probably find a way to screw it up.
Carolina Panthers
Carolina is entering an interesting time. A new young quarterback, a good defense, and a strong coaching staff. The hope is that they’ll do a bit better than last year and surprise us all. However, these are the Panthers, the incompetence has been top-down for a few years now. David Tepper will find a way to screw something up and derail their season, won’t he?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This team is a joke. Behold the heavyweight QB battle of Baker Mayfield versus Kyle Trask! While the defense is still solid, I don’t trust Bowles and Leftwich to manage the offense, especially without Brady holding their hands this year. Nothing else to say on this front, they’re gonna be last in the division and it won’t even be close. Prepare the tanks.
Washington Commanders
The bad man is gone, Washington. Dan Snyder has finally sold off the team, albeit for much more than he should have got, to billionaire Josh Harris, the owner of the New Jersey Devils.
A much-needed culture change is hopefully on the way, and maybe another name change. It turns out that the name change was so lazily done that Snyder didn’t even bother trademarking the name. One last black eye on a disaster of a tenure for him, good riddance. As for the team, Sam Howell is their starting quarterback, so they’re a complete wild card. And not in a good way.
New York Giants
The Giants, coming off a surprisingly good year, are looking to build on the success. Brian Daboll, fresh off the NFL’s version of a Jack Adams Award, will also get to face his former team this year, on primetime. The Giants are a weird team to me. They’re not all that talented, but then again, look at what happened last year. Guys like Daniel Bellinger will probably keep popping up to keep them fresh and unpredictable, and the G-men will do a lot better than a lot of “experts” are predicting this year.
Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones is frustrated. He wants a winner no matter the cost. Limping into the playoffs and getting massacred by the Niners twice in a row won’t suffice this year. Conveniently, the team that bested them has some trash for them to pick up at a garage sale. Trey Lance. Acquired for a 4th round pick. Horrendous asset management by the Niners brass aside, the Cowboys might have just made their best move of the century. Even better, Zeke is no longer hogging a roster spot, too. Tony Pollard is now the feature back. Once again, nobody outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth area wants them to succeed. If they fail, it will be candy to the 31 other fan bases in the league.
Philadelphia Eagles
What do I even need to say, this team needs no explanation. After spending the entire offseason complaining about the turf and the refs, the Eagles are looking to run it back to the big game with a much different result. This team is absolutely stacked. The offense is otherworldly, and the defense, while losing pieces, is still solid. They lost both coordinators this offseason but should still be in decent shape under Sirianni. This is one of the few exciting teams in the NFC this year, and I can’t wait to watch them play. Grab the popcorn.
Los Angeles Rams
This was one of the hardest teams for me to gauge this offseason. They lost two defensive stalwarts in Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner, and Stafford is still recovering from a lingering injury and might not play. Cooper Kupp is going to be out for a while, and it looks like Aaron Donald might be single-handedly carrying the defense this year. Sean McVay can dream. 2 more years and then he can get thrown a Brinks truck of cash by Amazon to go do Thursday Night Football.
Arizona Cardinals
This organization is a joke. The on-field product is a joke. Kyler Murray will be out for most of the year. If there were relegation in North American sports, the Cards would be in League 2 by now. Nothing else to say here.
Seattle Seahawks
A year ago, I thought this team was DONE. Now look at them. Geno Smith has been revealed to be a competent NFL quarterback. This alone makes them a contender. Kenneth Walker has the potential to be a generational talent, and if he doesn’t get hurt this year, this team is a serious contender. Not Super Bowl material yet but getting there with some help next year.
San Francisco 49ers
Behold a masterclass in asset management, featuring John Lynch, GM of Santa Clara! Trade multiple high draft picks and assets to get the 3rd overall pick. Draft a quarterback with that pick, even though you already have one. Play him about 3 times over two seasons. Then trade him for pennies on the dollar. Buy high, sell low, a true masterclass by the Niners brass! As for the team, nothing eventful happened other than that. Nick Bosa just finished his contract holdout after being thrown a dump truck full of cash, and now will be playing in week 1. The quarterback will be Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy. He’s recovered in record time after receiving Tommy John. If the rest of the defense doesn’t skip a beat, this team could be scary.
Playoff Predictions
The NFC is going to be wild this year. Every division is up for grabs this time around. I have the Eagles repeating in the east, the Lions getting their act together and taking the North, the Falcons being the least horrible in the South, and the Niners taking the west. The wild cards will be Dallas, Seattle, and the Vikings. It’s going to be a great year. Brace yourselves.
