Mainland’s NFC Division Picks
Similar to the AFC article, our staff will choose the winners of each NFC division. Let’s dive in!
NFC
NFC NORTH
Charley Collier: Looking at this division right now makes me sad, because I know that it’s likely that a good team will be left out of the playoffs. That team will likely be the Vikings. They have an elite defense, but they also have the worst quarterback out of the three top teams. That narrows it down to the Packers and the Lions. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL, and Green Bay could very easily be 0–3 without him. As good as Rodgers is, he can’t continue to carry this team, and with the injuries starting to pile up, it looks as though he may have too. The Lions, on the other hand, are one of the more complete teams in football. Darius Slay Jr. is the best corner in football, the run game is underrated, and Matthew Stafford is a dog. No, I didn’t forget the Bears, and yes they had a nice win Sunday. They have a good front 7, and are no pushovers, but it’s just not their year. The Lions take the North and challenge the Falcons for the NFC’s best team.
Daulton Sauls: This is the toughest division in the NFC, and second in the league only to the AFC West. The Vikings defense is legit, Aaron Rodgers is the best QB in the league right now, and Matthew Stafford is the comeback king. When Sam Bradford or Teddy Bridgewater return to play quarterback for the Vikings, they can compete with Green Bay. That being said, the Lions look like the best team. Matthew Stafford is elite and if that defense begins to play up to their potential, they will win this division. That is why the Lions this year.
Austin Kohls: As a lifelong Vikings fan, it’s so hard for me to make this pick, but it’s the obvious one: the Packers are going to win the North. Yes they have issues on the offensive line and on the defense, but as someone who has witnessed Aaron Rodgers mastery for every year of his career, I will never doubt him to get it done in the regular season. If Minnesota can stay healthy they have a chance. Detroit is the biggest challenger, and likely a lock for a wild card spot.
Wyatt Harnage: This division appears to have the most basic race to win: two teams above .500 racing for the top spot, 1 team that will settle around .500 with much uncertainty of its future, and 1 team that will shock me if they hit above 5 wins. With all do respect to the Packers, I think the media has brainwashed us fans/writers into thinking they are the Patriots little brother. In reality this year, they are just a football team, and in my opinion Detroit’s football team is much better this year, although it may take them until the last week of the year on New Year’s Eve when they play the Packers at home to prove their ownership of the NFC North.
NFC EAST
Charley: The NFC East is one of the more interesting divisions in football. Every year it seems as if it goes right down to the last week. This year looks to be no different as all four teams still look to have a real shot at winning it. The Giants are the best 0–3 team of the last decade, whatever that means. The Eagles look to be much improved, but still look weak in the secondary. The Redskins played lights out Sunday night, but struggle with consistency. The Cowboys haven’t looked as sharp thus far, as opposing defenses have begun to figure out Dak and Zeke. This is really a toss up, but I like the Eagles to take this one. Their finish in the division a year ago softens their schedule allowing them to win just enough games.
Daulton Sauls: The NFC East has three 2–1 teams and the Giants at 0–3. While I love what Eli has been doing the past couple years, this is not the year for the G-men. Kirk Cousins is playing good football, but it is only a matter of time until he slips up. No team can stop the Dak and Zeke combo. The Wentz-wagon Eagles have started off well, have yet to show me whether or not they’re legit this year. Dallas is just too good right now to lose this division.
Austin Kohls: This is another division that you should avoid buying the hype in. Washington is bound to collapse and I’ve learned to be wary about trusting the Eagles. Dallas is going to win the division on the legs of Zeke, but it might come down to a week 17 matchup between Dallas and Philly to decide a winner. Both Philly and Dallas should make the playoffs, as one will likely claim a wild card spot.
Wyatt Harnage: Going into the year, all 4 of these teams seemed so similar in terms of likeliness to succeed, skill, etc. One thing I did not expect is how well the Redskins would play, with Kirk Cousins, Josh Doctson, Chris Thompson, and Josh Norman all playing championship like football. The Cowboys also proved they were no team to play around with after defeated the Cardinals Monday in a defying fashion. Although this is not a popular pick, my gut is telling me that the Redskins take the NFC East for the 2nd time in 3 years.
AJ Morreale: Ever tried hitting yourself in the head with a brick 100 times to see if it won’t hurt the 101st? No? That’s kinda what it’s like watching the Giants’ offensive line. Ereck Flowers may be the worst offensive tackle I have ever watched, and the coaching staff still believes in him for some odd reason. I have no doubt that Odell Beckham could build up the strength to punch a hole in this line, then drive a boat through it. I feel bad for Eli Manning because by mid-season, he’s going to have to retire and become a spokesperson for Domino’s and Allstate. All that money spent on the defense is going to waste, as the starting field position sucks every time they see the field. Helmed by an incredibly average coach in Jason Garrett, the Cowboys look to be a much more down to Earth team this year. The inexperience in the secondary has been very evident, as they have surrendered a lot of yards through the air. When he’s not making sure that Zeke doesn’t have a hissy fit or hit somebody, Dak Prescott has picked up where he left off last year. Dallas entered a semi-rebuild this past offseason, so don’t expect them to be as good as they were. Give it a year or two to see how the rookies and second year players turn out, but this isn’t the year for the Cowboys. In Philadelphia, things are going alright. Carson Wentz has had a nice three game stretch, and Eagle wide receivers have hands again! While the passing attack looks decent, the complete lack of a run game is going to bite the Eagles later in the year. It’s only a matter of time until teams dial in on this, and Eagles’ fans are going to be more desperate for a solid running back than they are persistent that Donovan McNabb is a Hall of Fame quarterback. Which leaves us with the Redskins (dare I say that name?!). After a big loss free agency and terrible week one, Washington looked like they did pre-Kirk Cousins. But, fortunately the team has figured everything out and seems to be on the right track after a big win against Oakland on Monday night. The Redskins will win the division, but it will be a hard fought and long win, as the Eagles could also compete.
NFC SOUTH
Charley: Let’s get this out of the way right now, the Panthers suck. Don’t let anyone fool you, they are not good. Cam Newton is soft and lacks leadership capabilities. His teammates lost trust in him when he refused to fall on a fumble in the SUPER BOWL! He is the most overrated player in the NFL. Add in the Greg Olsen injury and this is a 5 win team. The Saints are equally awful and sadly, it might be time for Sean Payton to go. It’s a shame that Drew Brees is getting wasted by the Saints abysmal defense, but they just don’t have the ability to stop any decent offense. This is one of the worst bottom halves of a divison out there. I really like the Buccaneers. Jamies Winston is incredibly charismatic, is the best leader in the NFL, and just finds ways to win. The defense, however, must improve. When Winston is down in games, he tries to do too much, and gets careless with the football. Tampa will compete for a wildcard, but they don’t have what it takes to beat out the Falcons for first. The Atlanta Falcons are the best team on the planet. I thought they would have experienced some sort of psychological hangover after a crushing defeat in the Super Bowl, but it seems as if they have only been motivated to work harder. I assumed the offense would take a step back with the absence of Shanahan, but they have picked up right where they left off. There is no hole on this football team and it scares me. The Falcons will not only win the division, but will finish with the best record in football, and win the Superbowl.
Daulton Sauls: While the Falcons are the frontrunners right now, Carolina has the tools to overtake the Falcons. Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey have started off on the right foot. The Bucs are a dark horse team with Jameis Winston having targets on each side of the field. Tampa’s defense is serviceable and will keep them in games. The Saints are off to a rough start, and while I love Brees, he just can’t carry that defense. In the end, it’s all about which defense holds up longer.If they can manage to stay healthy, the Panthers can outplay the Falcons. The Panthers take the division this year and sweep the Falcons in the regular season.
Austin Kohls: This division is absolutely terrible except for the Falcons and Bucs. The Falcons seem to not be as affected by the so-called “Super Bowl Hangover” and will win the division pretty handily, but could be pushed by the Bucs assuming they stay healthy (which, if you watched the Vikings-Bucs game you would know, is a big if).
Wyatt Harnage: With the Falcons already starting the season 3–0, with impressive wins over teams like the Packers and Lions, it would be hard to counter the about-unanimous fact that the Falcons are winning the NFC South and going back to the playoffs this year. No defense in this division can keep up with the reigning MVP Matt Ryan’s offense this year. Luckily for the Falcons, even with many questions coming from the defensive side of the ball in Atlanta, games are won by the most points scored. All in a high-scoring low defense matter, the Falcons will win 75% of their games going at least 12–4 this year winning their division.
AJ Morreale: Cam Newton needs to get on his stolen laptop and google “How to play like I played in 2015,” because the evidence of his regression is only growing. Ever since failing to fall on a fumble in the Super Bowl, Cam has not been anywhere close to his 2015 season. Blame it on whatever you want, but I think the league has figured Cam out. It also doesn’t help the offense that all the good offensive players (Greg Olson and Matt Kalil) are hurt, Jonathan Stewart is 30 years old, and Christian McCaffery has had questionable use. The Panthers are a discombobulated team. Im predicting a last place finish for the former Super Bowl runner up team. Things aren’t looking much better down in New Orleans, as a high school quarterback could complete about half his passes against the secondary, and Drew Brees still eats away all the cap space to pay quality defenders. Turns out that trading your best receiver not named Michael Thomas was a bad idea, as Brandin Cooks’ departure has left the Saints’ offense looking different. “The Bucs are gonna win the Super Bowl!” said your mother who watched all of HBO’s Hard Knocks series before watching that week’s Game of Thrones. In all seriousness, Tampa Bay looks like a solid team this year. Quarterback Jamies Winston has some of the best weapons in the league around him, and once Doug Martin returns from his 4 week smoke break, this offense may be in the top 8 of the NFL. All things considered, I would say the Bucs would win the NFC South if it weren’t for the Falcons still looking really, really good. I thought Atlanta would miss a step when offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan left for the 49ers, but Steve Sarkisian has called plays well and has yet to show up to a meeting drunk. With some of the best offensive players in the league (Julio, Matt Ryan, and Freeman), the Falcons look just like last year. The defense coached up by Dan Quinn still looks elite. Overall, the Falcons haven’t lost a thing since last year, and may have just got better over the off season. Look for them to drop a late game to the Bucs, but win the division and make a deep playoff run.
NFC WEST
Charley: Well this is awkward. One of the NFL’s more competitive divisions in the NFL in recent years now looks overwhelmingly average. The Seahawks are lucky that Russell Wilson is a magician or he would have died behind their high school JV offensive line. Richard Sherman plays with too much emotion, and sometimes ignores his assignment, which has hurt the Seahawks defense in the run game. The Rams have looked pretty good so far, but I don’t trust Jared Goff. I actually really like the 49ers; if they didn’t have to start Brian Hoyer they would win the division. Kyle Shanahan is a coaching phenom and San Francisco will be back in the playoffs soon. That leaves us with the Cardinals, and they’re going to take the division with 8 or 9 wins. Bruce Arians is one of the best coaches in the NFL and Carson Palmer can still sling it around. Once the Cardinals can establish a run game in the absence of David Johnson, the offense will open back up. Arizona has a stout defense as well, and once David Johnson comes back, the team will really hit stride as the playoffs approach. Arizona is a darkhorse to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Daulton Sauls: Boy does this division look mediocre right now. The “dominant defense” of Seattle just got physically dominated by the Titans. I won’t even discuss San Francisco. Carson Palmer is down to the final snaps of his long career. That leaves us with the Rams as the team to beat. While they are inconsistent, I believe that they are the best team in that division. Jared Goff is improving every week, as he is beginning to show why he was worthy of the number one pick. The Rams will seize the opportunity presented in this down year and win the division.
Austin Kohls: The first thing I have to address is this sneaky suspicion I’m having that Jared Goff is… actually good. He’s played well against terrible teams like the Colts and 49ers, but it certainly seems like he’s becoming the real deal. The combination of the Rams being respectable on both sides of the ball and the Seahawks inability to block are going to lead to the Rams shocking the West.
Wyatt Harnage: Who wants it more? As it is term overused by coaches, it really accurately depicts who will win this division and head to the playoffs in 2017, as all teams in this division appear to be slightly above average. The question stands: who does want it more? To me, any team who is America’s 2nd big city in their inaugural season, who has already proven they win this year has the best chance of stealing this division’s title for the 1st time since 2003. All the Rams need to do is prove they are contenders by defeating the Cowboys and Seahawks these next 2 consecutive weeks, and the division is theirs.
