While the AFC is a top-heavy conference where there is a clear separation between the playoff contenders and the teams fishing for a .500 record, the NFC is a parity ridden conference. Aside from the NFC West, led by Seattle (the defending NFC Champions), there are no definitive favorites to capture the divisions. In the NFC East, any one of the four teams (Washington, Philadelphia, Dallas and New York) has the talent to win the crown.
The key question is can any of the elite NFC teams finally knock off an AFC team in the Super Bowl?
Challenging the AFC will be a difficult task. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the AFC playoff teams bested their NFC counterparts, compiling a 5-3 record during the regular season. If the Super Bowl match-up is included in the evaluation, a game in which Pittsburgh was able to outlast the gritty Seahawks, the record is 6-3.
Out of the pack, it appears as though Carolina and Seattle have the most complete ball-clubs capable of standing up toe-to-toe against the playoff contenders in the other conference. The Panthers and the Seahawks followed up strong postseason runs by making quality off-season additions through free-agency and the draft. In addition, the teams were able to retain most of their key free-agents. When the Panthers and the Seahawks met in the NFC championship a year ago, the Seahawks trumped the wildcard Panthers, so it will be interesting to see how these teams fare in any potential rematch in the postseason.
Here is a run down of the other prospective NFC playoff teams in 2006:
1) Carolina: The Panthers were the chic pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl last season. After giving New England all they could handle in Super Bowl 38, Carolina crashed to a 6-10 record in 2005, but lived up to the pundits’ expectations by ripping off 11 wins and getting back to the NFC title game last season. Ultimately, Carolina’s inconsistencies on defense caught up with them, as Seattle was able to carve up the Panthers on the ground and through the air. The Panthers will count on two major additions to improve their run defense: the signing of Maake Kemoeatu and the return of Kris Jenkins. The two defensive tackles could come together to form the second best tag-team duo in the league next to Jacksonville’s duo of Stroud and Henderson. Jenkins simply has not been able to stay healthy the last two seasons, but when he is on the field, he is a force who can disrupt plays in the backfield and collapse the pocket. Kemoeatu is a plug who will be counted on to free up Jenkins and the rest of the Carolina line. On offense, Carolina desperately needed a No.2 wideout to take the pressure off of the “do-everything” 5’9 dynamo Steve Smith. The signing of Keyshawn Johnson should help solve that problem. Johnson is not the player he was in his prime, but he has the size and toughness to work the underneath game while Smith remains the Panthers’ go-to deep threat. In addition, Johnson is a proficient run blocker.
2) Seattle: After being tagged as postseason disappointments, the Seahawks finally came together as a team in 2005 and made a trip to the Super Bowl. Seattle was able to overcome their past mental breakdowns to win games in clutch fashion. Now that Seattle has been able to achieve mental and
emotional strength as a team, they should be up to the task of dealing with challengers from their own division and the rest of the NFC. Overall, Seattle had a solid off-season. They were able to retain key starters like Shaun Alexander, Mack Strong, Rocky Bernard and Josh Brown. In addition, the signing of Julian Peterson will bring added versatility, speed and athleticism to a linebacker unit that already featured those attributes. Seattle is taking a chance that Peterson can fully rebound from a foot injury and regain his form as one of the top defenders at his position. The loss of Steve Hutchinson to Minnesota will hurt Seattle, no matter who replaces him. Hutchinson is the best run-blocker at the guard position, and was a key to spearheading Shaun Alexander’s record-breaking season as a rusher last year. Without Hutchinson, look for Alexander’s production to fall off a bit and the overall offense to lose some of its toughness up front.
emotional strength as a team, they should be up to the task of dealing with challengers from their own division and the rest of the NFC. Overall, Seattle had a solid off-season. They were able to retain key starters like Shaun Alexander, Mack Strong, Rocky Bernard and Josh Brown. In addition, the signing of Julian Peterson will bring added versatility, speed and athleticism to a linebacker unit that already featured those attributes. Seattle is taking a chance that Peterson can fully rebound from a foot injury and regain his form as one of the top defenders at his position. The loss of Steve Hutchinson to Minnesota will hurt Seattle, no matter who replaces him. Hutchinson is the best run-blocker at the guard position, and was a key to spearheading Shaun Alexander’s record-breaking season as a rusher last year. Without Hutchinson, look for Alexander’s production to fall off a bit and the overall offense to lose some of its toughness up front. 3) Dallas: The Cowboys made headlines with their acquisition of Terrell Owens, perhaps the most controversial figure in all of sports. However, the Cowboys made other moves in the off-season worth noting. The addition of Akin Ayodele and Bobby Carpenter adds depth and speed to a linebacker core which seemed out –of-sync and mismanaged last season. Along with second-year players Demarcus Ware and Kevin Burnett, the Cowboys now have four starter caliber backers who can play in the 3-4 scheme. Each player has the size and pass-rushing skills to make plays. Ware is the focus of the group, as he has the tools to become a great 3-4 edge rusher in the mold of a Joey Porter or Terrell Suggs. On offense, the key to Dallas’ success will be whether Julius Jones can finally remain healthy for an entire season. After playing at a dominant level in the second-half of his rookie year, Jones was not able to stay on the field last season. When Jones is going strong, the Cowboys are a dangerous team. Owens, Terry Glenn and Jason Whitten form an exciting three-pronged attack in the passing game. They have the potential to make explosive plays as long as Drew Bledsoe has enough time protection up-front to get them the ball. However, pass-protection is a major question mark for the Cowboys, especially at both tackle positions.
have four starter caliber backers who can play in the 3-4 scheme. Each player has the size and pass-rushing skills to make plays. Ware is the focus of the group, as he has the tools to become a great 3-4 edge rusher in the mold of a Joey Porter or Terrell Suggs. On offense, the key to Dallas’ success will be whether Julius Jones can finally remain healthy for an entire season. After playing at a dominant level in the second-half of his rookie year, Jones was not able to stay on the field last season. When Jones is going strong, the Cowboys are a dangerous team. Owens, Terry Glenn and Jason Whitten form an exciting three-pronged attack in the passing game. They have the potential to make explosive plays as long as Drew Bledsoe has enough time protection up-front to get them the ball. However, pass-protection is a major question mark for the Cowboys, especially at both tackle positions.4) Washington: As he is prone to do, Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder went on a spending spree in the off-season, opening up his check book to ink free-agents Antwaan Randle-El, Adam Archuleta and Andre Carter in March. All three fill what appear to be the only holes on a solid Redskin team from the 2005 season. Washington returns all of its starters. For the first time in a long time, the Redskins have continuity and unity at both the coaching and player positions heading into the season. While the Redskins appear poised to make a legitimate Super Bowl run in Joe Gibbs’ third renaissance year as the head-coach, questions remain at quarterback, the team’s most pivotal position. Mark Brunell had an up-and-down season. From a statistical standpoint, Brunell had a solid year, throwing 23 touchdowns and compiling a quarterback rating over 85. However, Brunell led offenses often stalled, and he was unable to lead timely touchdown drives. In fact, the Redskins’ offense was virtually a non-factor in a game against Seattle in the postseason. The hope is that the addition of offensive coordinator Al Saunders will add creativity and imagination to the offensive attack, and Brunell will benefit the most from the installation of this new offense. Randle-El will be given the opportunity to make plays from different positions on the field, much like he did in Pittsburgh, and he along with wideout Brandon Lloyd should be good complementary pieces to Santana Moss. However, if Brunell falters or breaks down physically, the Redskins will be in trouble, as Jason Campbell lacks experience as the backup signal caller.
a quarterback rating over 85. However, Brunell led offenses often stalled, and he was unable to lead timely touchdown drives. In fact, the Redskins’ offense was virtually a non-factor in a game against Seattle in the postseason. The hope is that the addition of offensive coordinator Al Saunders will add creativity and imagination to the offensive attack, and Brunell will benefit the most from the installation of this new offense. Randle-El will be given the opportunity to make plays from different positions on the field, much like he did in Pittsburgh, and he along with wideout Brandon Lloyd should be good complementary pieces to Santana Moss. However, if Brunell falters or breaks down physically, the Redskins will be in trouble, as Jason Campbell lacks experience as the backup signal caller.5) Minnesota: Like Carolina, Minnesota was among analysts’ and writers’ favorite picks to go to the big show. However, the Vikings ended up being the most disappointing team of the 2005 season, even though they made a respectable last-season surge to the postseason which ultimately fell short. It appears that on the heels of that run – a run that Minnesota made after starting the season 2-5 – the Vikings are poised to return to the playoffs. Minnesota’s emphasis in the off-season was to fortify its running game. They added halfback Chester Taylor, fullback Tony Richardson and All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson. The addition of Hutchinson gives Minnesota perhaps the best left side of the line in the NFL, as he teams with left tackle Bryant McKinnie. If Matt Birk is able to return to the lineup, the Vikings will have a big, powerful line which should be able to create holes for Taylor. After showing glimpses of promise as a starting runner in Baltimore, Taylor will now have the chance to prove he can be the main man at the position. Given Minnesota’s renewed commitment to the running game, he should put together a productive season. The improvement of the line and running game will also help Brad Johnson, who is being counted on to play the same level that he played at in relief of Daunte Culpepper last season. It was when Johnson entered the lineup that the Vikings began playing more cohesively on the offensive side of the ball. Look for an improving, young Minnesota defense to be a solid unit this year.
6) Tampa Bay: For the most part, the Buccaneers kept their roster intact and will count on the development of young players like Chris Simms, Michael Clayton and Cadillac Williams to carry the load. The Bucs relied on the draft to improve its weaknesses on the offensive line, selecting Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood in the first and second-rounds. While Joseph was a terrific selection in the first-round, Trueblood seemed like a serious reach in the second-round. Joseph has the tools and pedigree to become a Pro-Bowl caliber guard at the next level. It remains to be seen how these two high draft picks will figure into Tampa’s starting lineup in the fall, but they do add a needed infusion of talent and depth to a line that surprisingly played well last year. Tampa’s strength remains its defense, even though key players like Simeon Rice, Derrick Brooks, Brian Kelly and Ronde Barber are getting long in the tooth. That said, all four players showed no signs of slowing down last season. The stealth and game-changing skill of Tampa Bay’s front-seven remains a key driving force to the defense’s success, while the secondary handles its cover-two responsibilities to perfection. If Simms can take the next step in the evolution process at the quarterback spot, the Buccaneers could emerge as a strong playoff contender in January.
terrific selection in the first-round, Trueblood seemed like a serious reach in the second-round. Joseph has the tools and pedigree to become a Pro-Bowl caliber guard at the next level. It remains to be seen how these two high draft picks will figure into Tampa’s starting lineup in the fall, but they do add a needed infusion of talent and depth to a line that surprisingly played well last year. Tampa’s strength remains its defense, even though key players like Simeon Rice, Derrick Brooks, Brian Kelly and Ronde Barber are getting long in the tooth. That said, all four players showed no signs of slowing down last season. The stealth and game-changing skill of Tampa Bay’s front-seven remains a key driving force to the defense’s success, while the secondary handles its cover-two responsibilities to perfection. If Simms can take the next step in the evolution process at the quarterback spot, the Buccaneers could emerge as a strong playoff contender in January. Other teams to watch: Chicago, New Orleans, Arizona
The Odds to Miami ~ The Early AFC Outlook for ’06
