NFC Contenders & Pretenders
The Guru breaks down the NFC's top teams
Sports Illustrated For Kids
Man, time flies fast. Believe it or not, we're already at the halfway point of the NFL season. It might be too early for the players and coaches to start thinking about the playoffs, but not for the Guru. I'm going to break down the "Pretenders" and the "Contenders" in the race to win Super Bowl XLII. In the AFC, it's easy. There are only two contenders, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. The 14 other teams in the conference are all pretenders. That being the case, I've decided to focus on the NFC. Let's start with the contenders.
CONTENDERS
Dallas Cowboys (6-1, First Place NFC East)
The Cowboys got off to a blistering start, going 5-0 and outscoring their opponents by 16 points per game. But those five opponents have a combined record of 10-25, including the NFL's only two winless teams, the Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams.
When a team with a winning record finally tested the Cowboys, they were blown out by 21 points. Okay, the team the blew them out was the Patriots, but still. The Cowboys do have the NFC's best offense though, led by quarterback Tony Romo. But their very bad secondary could stop them from reaching the Super Bowl.
Green Bay Packers (5-1, First Place NFC North)
The Pack is back thanks to a stingy defense that is third in the NFC in scoring (17.8 points allowed per game). Quarterback Brett Favre has limited those "D'oh" interceptions that doomed the Packers the last few seasons. He's currently fourth in the NFL in passing yards and is completing 64.8 percent of his passes, the second-highest percentage of his 17-season career. Green Bay also has a favorable schedule the rest of the season, including games against the lowly Rams, Raiders, and Vikings. If Favre keeps his interception total down, they Packers will be all right.
New York Giants (5-2, Second Place NFC East)
It looked like another lost season for the Jints after their defense allowed 80 total points in their first two games. But since being embarrassed at home by Green Bay on September 16, New York has won five straight games. The defense, led by defensive end Osi Umenyiora (8 sacks), has stiffened up and is allowing just 13.8 points per game. On offense, Plaxico Burress (8 TDs) is the best wide receiver in the NFC. Eli Manning is completing 60 percent of his passes for the first time in his 4-season career and finally seems to be turning into a franchise quarterback. But the Giants will be judged on what they do in the second half of the season. Since Tom Coughlin became New York's head coach in 2004, the Giants have gone 17-7 in the season's first eight games, and 8-16 in the second half of the season. If they can prevent a second-half slide, the Giants could contend deep in the playoffs.
Washington Redskins (4-2, Third Place NFC East)
A strong defense will keep Washington in the hunt.
PRETENDERS
Carolina Panthers (4-2, First Place NFC South)
It's amazing that the Panthers even have a winning record. Starting quarterback Jake Delhomme is lost for the season with an elbow injury. Backup David Carr has missed playing time due to back and knee injuries. And fossilized 43-year-old Vinny Testaverde actually led Carolina them to a victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
So how are the Panthers 4-2? Their defense is ranked 19th overall, 18th against the run, and 21st against the pass. But it has clamped down when it counts, allowing just 18.3 points per game. A soft early season schedule is the main reason for Carolina's winning record, but the schedule gets tougher from here on out. The Panthers play the Colts, Packers, Cowboys, Titans, and Buccaneers in their next 10 games.
Detroit Lions (4-2, Second Place NFC South)
The Lions have only beaten one team with a winning record.
Seattle Seahawks (4-3, First Place NFC West)
Seattle is average at best on both offense and defense, and Shaun Alexander has been too inconsistent.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3, Second Place NFC South)
It's the same old story in Tampa Bay: a solid defense and an offense that can't score.
Sports Illustrated For Kids
Man, time flies fast. Believe it or not, we're already at the halfway point of the NFL season. It might be too early for the players and coaches to start thinking about the playoffs, but not for the Guru. I'm going to break down the "Pretenders" and the "Contenders" in the race to win Super Bowl XLII. In the AFC, it's easy. There are only two contenders, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. The 14 other teams in the conference are all pretenders. That being the case, I've decided to focus on the NFC. Let's start with the contenders.
CONTENDERS
Dallas Cowboys (6-1, First Place NFC East)
The Cowboys got off to a blistering start, going 5-0 and outscoring their opponents by 16 points per game. But those five opponents have a combined record of 10-25, including the NFL's only two winless teams, the Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams.
When a team with a winning record finally tested the Cowboys, they were blown out by 21 points. Okay, the team the blew them out was the Patriots, but still. The Cowboys do have the NFC's best offense though, led by quarterback Tony Romo. But their very bad secondary could stop them from reaching the Super Bowl.
Green Bay Packers (5-1, First Place NFC North)
The Pack is back thanks to a stingy defense that is third in the NFC in scoring (17.8 points allowed per game). Quarterback Brett Favre has limited those "D'oh" interceptions that doomed the Packers the last few seasons. He's currently fourth in the NFL in passing yards and is completing 64.8 percent of his passes, the second-highest percentage of his 17-season career. Green Bay also has a favorable schedule the rest of the season, including games against the lowly Rams, Raiders, and Vikings. If Favre keeps his interception total down, they Packers will be all right.
New York Giants (5-2, Second Place NFC East)
It looked like another lost season for the Jints after their defense allowed 80 total points in their first two games. But since being embarrassed at home by Green Bay on September 16, New York has won five straight games. The defense, led by defensive end Osi Umenyiora (8 sacks), has stiffened up and is allowing just 13.8 points per game. On offense, Plaxico Burress (8 TDs) is the best wide receiver in the NFC. Eli Manning is completing 60 percent of his passes for the first time in his 4-season career and finally seems to be turning into a franchise quarterback. But the Giants will be judged on what they do in the second half of the season. Since Tom Coughlin became New York's head coach in 2004, the Giants have gone 17-7 in the season's first eight games, and 8-16 in the second half of the season. If they can prevent a second-half slide, the Giants could contend deep in the playoffs.
Washington Redskins (4-2, Third Place NFC East)
A strong defense will keep Washington in the hunt.
PRETENDERS
Carolina Panthers (4-2, First Place NFC South)
It's amazing that the Panthers even have a winning record. Starting quarterback Jake Delhomme is lost for the season with an elbow injury. Backup David Carr has missed playing time due to back and knee injuries. And fossilized 43-year-old Vinny Testaverde actually led Carolina them to a victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
So how are the Panthers 4-2? Their defense is ranked 19th overall, 18th against the run, and 21st against the pass. But it has clamped down when it counts, allowing just 18.3 points per game. A soft early season schedule is the main reason for Carolina's winning record, but the schedule gets tougher from here on out. The Panthers play the Colts, Packers, Cowboys, Titans, and Buccaneers in their next 10 games.
Detroit Lions (4-2, Second Place NFC South)
The Lions have only beaten one team with a winning record.
Seattle Seahawks (4-3, First Place NFC West)
Seattle is average at best on both offense and defense, and Shaun Alexander has been too inconsistent.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3, Second Place NFC South)
It's the same old story in Tampa Bay: a solid defense and an offense that can't score.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:44 PM
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