The Conference has also experienced a lot of turnover: The Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, the Conference’s two highest seeds two seasons ago, failed to qualify for the playoffs this past season. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys and the Falcons, who missed out on the playoffs two years ago, captured the two highest seeds this season.
The Green Bay Packers and the Seahawks have been the exceptions to the NFC’s hierarchical volatility. The Packers and the Seahawks have reached the playoffs every year since 2008 and 2011, respectively. They are also the only two NFC teams to reach the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
Other teams, such as the New York Giants, Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins, have bounced in and out of contention from year to year but were unable to develop any sort of consistency in the long term.
Due to the uncertainty in the NFC, predicting the six teams that will reach the playoffs during any given season is essentially a crapshoot. Nevertheless, let’s look ahead to the 2017 season.
To start, this season’s Conference champions, the Atlanta Falcons faced a stunning, devastating and demoralizing loss in the Super Bowl. Following the greatest collapse in Super Bowl history, the Falcons will not only have to restore and strengthen themselves physically, but they will also need to overcome the mental pain that is inevitably tormenting each and every member of the organization.
The Falcons will also have to deal with the turnover that comes with being both a highly successful team and a team that suffered a catastrophic meltdown.
Former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is taking his offensive acumen to San Francisco, where he will serve as the 49ers’ head coach. Former defensive coordinator, Richard Smith, will settle for a job in Los Angeles with the Rams.
The coordinators’ replacements will need time to adjust to their new roles, an inescapable reality that could potentially pose challenges for the Falcons going forward. This, in combination with the general Super Bowl hangover from which teams commonly suffer, will serve as a detriment to the Falcons in the coming season.
However, they should still have enough to talent, led by MVP Matt Ryan and impressive wide receiver Julio Jones, to secure a playoff spot.
Beyond Atlanta in the south, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a chance to make some noise and possibly make the playoffs for the first time since 2007. The Buccaneers demonstrated significant improvement this past season, with their prized second-year quarterback Jameis Winston leading the way. Winston appeared much more comfortable in the offense this season in large part due to the sensational play of wide receiver Mike Evans.
The Winston-Evans tandem should continue to flourish going forward; However, if the Buccaneers are to make a legitimate playoff push, the offense needs to add additional weapons. This will be especially true if running back Doug Martin does not return to the team.
The Buccaneers are right on the cusp, but until they make several roster improvements, they should be expected to be on the outside looking in.
Elsewhere in the division, the New Orleans Saints and the Panthers are both talented teams with high ceilings and a lot of potential; However, they also each have major flaws that they must correct for next season.
The Saints, led by future Hall-of-Famer Drew Brees, are a force to be reckoned with offensively. Their defense is an absolute disgrace. The team must aim to rebuild the defense before 38-year-old Brees hangs up his cleats. Until New Orleans displays some semblance of a defense, do not expect to see them vying for a playoff spot.
Carolina needs to surround quarterback Cam Newton with more talent and protection on offense and find more playmakers on defense. However, with the Panthers’ core still mostly intact from the its Super Bowl team, expect Carolina, who is much better than its 6-10 record would indicate, to rebound from a disappointing, injury-filled 2016 season and win the Division in 2017.
In both the North and the West, expect the standings to look very similar to how they did this past season. Up north, the Packers are the cream of the crop. Green Bay should be considered the odds-on favorite. Year in and year out, Aaron Rodgers is lined up behind center and playing at the superstar caliber that he has performed at for nearly a decade.
Behind Green Bay, expect satisfactory but unspectacular seasons from the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions benefited from a relatively weak schedule in 2016, a luxury that they will not have in 2017.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford will do all that he can to position Detroit for a playoff push, but he simply does not have enough weapons around him to guide his team to a wild card spot.
The Vikings’ 2016 season was a tale of two parts: After winning their first five games, they proceeded to lose eight of their final eleven contests. Expect the Vikings to find a middle ground somewhere in between these two extremes and to end up right around .500 again.
The Bears are in full-on rebuilding mode and should be happy with a six or seven wins next season. Chicago is likely moving on from Jay Cutler, which means they need to find their starting quarterback of the future.
In addition, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, the most talented player on the Bears’ roster, is hitting free agency and could very well have a new home for next season. The Bears are capable of avoiding another 3-13 debacle, but their chances of finishing with a winning record are slim to none.
Out west, the Seattle Seahawks, led by the likes of Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman, will be the Division champion by default, since the Arizoa Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams do not fit the mold of legitimate contenders. The Cardinals will go will as far as Carson Palmer takes them.
Unfortunately for Arizona, if last year is any indicator, the 37 year old’s durability is major question mark going forward. The 49ers and Rams are also unlikely to improve from last year. San Francisco is devoid of offensive and defensive talent, which will make Kyle Shanahan’s job very difficult.
Los Angeles has some solid young pieces, but with unproven coach Sean McVay, who will be the youngest coach in history, at the helm the Rams will require some time to develop.
Last but not least, it is in the East Division that I think the NFC champion will emerge. And, no, I am not talking about the Dallas Cowboys.
Yes, I think they will snag a wild card spot, but I expect them to struggle. Dallas will have a difficult schedule in 2017, which will result in a slight regression from its impressive 2016 campaign. Additionally, the Cowboys are betting against history, as there has not been a repeat champion in the NFC East since the 2001-2004 Eagles.
So which team do I have coming out on top this season?
The Washington Redskins are out because have too many questions surrounding Kirk Cousins’ future with the team, and they disappointed in some pivotal games late last season. The Philadelphia Eagles also do not fit the bill of a Super Bowl contender, as the overall strength of their roster is mediocre at best.
That leaves the New York Giants, who, with a plethora of offensive weapons, including Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, and the promising, young running back Paul Perkins, to complement Eli Manning and a sound defense, should be in position to reach their third Super Bowl since 2007.
Some teams simply know how to win when it matters most, and Eli and the Giants will once again prove that they fit that mold. As always, though, their road past their Conference foes in the coming season will be an arduous one.
