Who's the best of the inferior NFC bunch? (Cowboys only)
By Mike Sando
ESPN.com
It's not yet November and the 42nd Super Bowl is all but over for the NFC.
The AFC has won the last four NFL titles, six of the last seven and eight of the last 10. The margin was a field goal in three of the five most recent NFC defeats. But perennial AFC powers New England and Indianapolis are so dramatically superior this season that one of them almost certainly will win it all in Arizona come February.
Less certain, for now, is which NFC team stands the best chance at joining Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and Carolina as the conference's most recent Super Bowl losers.
Any list begins with Dallas and the resurgent New York Giants. We break down the favorites and 10 others -- a faker's dozen if there ever was one.
Note: The teams are listed in the order of how well they might do in the playoffs, independent of current power-ranking status.
Why they can make it: Unlike most teams, the Cowboys have players on each side of the ball who, at their best, can force an opposing team away from its preferred game plan. Terrell Owens and DeMarcus Ware can be that good. And when Tony Romo isn't imploding the way he did in Buffalo, the Cowboys can make even a great team like New England work for a victory.
The Cowboys have as many touchdowns (27) as preseason NFC favorites Chicago (14) and New Orleans (13) combined. Dallas has a physical offensive line, a dominant receiver in Owens, a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end (Jason Witten) and one of the finest young defensive players in the game (Ware). Adding Tank Johnson to the defense should provide needed depth following Jason Ferguson's season-ending injury.
Why they might not: Dallas owns one victory against a team with a winning record, catching the Giants at the right time. The Cowboys can't control their past schedule, of course, but their future schedule isn't as favorable. They have five games remaining in the NFC East, which could be the toughest division. They play three of their final four games on the road against teams with winning records. Romo struggled down the stretch last season. His five-interception performance in Buffalo reminded us that he's still unproven.
ESPN.com
It's not yet November and the 42nd Super Bowl is all but over for the NFC.
The AFC has won the last four NFL titles, six of the last seven and eight of the last 10. The margin was a field goal in three of the five most recent NFC defeats. But perennial AFC powers New England and Indianapolis are so dramatically superior this season that one of them almost certainly will win it all in Arizona come February.
Less certain, for now, is which NFC team stands the best chance at joining Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and Carolina as the conference's most recent Super Bowl losers.
Any list begins with Dallas and the resurgent New York Giants. We break down the favorites and 10 others -- a faker's dozen if there ever was one.
Note: The teams are listed in the order of how well they might do in the playoffs, independent of current power-ranking status.
Why they can make it: Unlike most teams, the Cowboys have players on each side of the ball who, at their best, can force an opposing team away from its preferred game plan. Terrell Owens and DeMarcus Ware can be that good. And when Tony Romo isn't imploding the way he did in Buffalo, the Cowboys can make even a great team like New England work for a victory.
The Cowboys have as many touchdowns (27) as preseason NFC favorites Chicago (14) and New Orleans (13) combined. Dallas has a physical offensive line, a dominant receiver in Owens, a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end (Jason Witten) and one of the finest young defensive players in the game (Ware). Adding Tank Johnson to the defense should provide needed depth following Jason Ferguson's season-ending injury.
Why they might not: Dallas owns one victory against a team with a winning record, catching the Giants at the right time. The Cowboys can't control their past schedule, of course, but their future schedule isn't as favorable. They have five games remaining in the NFC East, which could be the toughest division. They play three of their final four games on the road against teams with winning records. Romo struggled down the stretch last season. His five-interception performance in Buffalo reminded us that he's still unproven.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:58 PM
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