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Who Is the Best Team in the NFC?

The Eagles are number one in the NFC, but will they make it to the Super Bowl?

By Logan KelleherPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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The NFC is filled with teams who all have a legitimate shot of making the playoffs, but only one can be the NFC champion. The Philadelphia Eagles are the only team so far to clinch their playoff spot, and in the case of the NFC South and West, the division may not be decided until the final game of the season. So, lets take a look at how each team will be able to get to the playoffs.

NFC East

The Eagles, as mentioned previously, will finish out the season with the NFC East title, and their schedule will help them out tremendously. Their next game is on the road against the New York Giants, then they play at home against Oakland and Dallas. Even though Carson Wentz is injured for the rest of the season, I have no doubt that Nick Foles will be able to guide this team to wins in all these games, because in ten games he started in 2013, he was 8-2, so he is used to winning in this culture. He struggled with the Rams, but his return to Philadelphia will be a good one. I expect them to finish 14-2, which will easily give them the title of NFC champion.

NFC North

The NFC Nouth has become one of the divisions that seems to always have two or three teams that have good chances to get in the playoffs. The Vikings are in the top spot of the division, with a 10-3 record, and then Detroit and Green Bay are each at 7-6. With these records, the only way for Detroit or Green Bay to win the division would be to win out, and have Minnesota lose their remaining three games. Minnesota does not have the toughest schedule remaining though, with games against Cincinnati at home, then traveling to Green Bay, and back home against Chicago. Minnesota should beat the Bengals and the Bears, but I think the Packers will get the best of them, with Minnesota finishing 12-4, second in the NFC. Green Bay will be second at 9-7, followed by Detroit at 8-8.

NFC South

This is by far the most competitive division in football right now. The Saints, Panthers and Falcons are all neck-and-neck trying to get into the playoffs. As of now, the Saints and the Panthers have the same record of 9-4, while Atlanta is following closely at 8-5. Drew Brees is continuing to throw the ball well, as he has 3,569 passing yards, which is fifth best in the league, but then also has Mark Ingram closing in on an 1,000-yard season, the second of his career. The Saints then feature Alvin Kamara, who is adding 608 yards on the ground, and averaging seven yards a carry. With an already established passing game led by Drew Brees, the running back duo will be what propels New Orleans into the playoffs, and winning the division. The Saints will win out, with games against the New York Jets, who now start Bryce Petty, and then home against Atlanta and on the road against Tampa Bay. New Orleans wins all three of these matchups, while Carolina and Atlanta lose a game a piece, finishing 11-5 and 10-6, respectively. Carolina will get in the playoffs as the first wild card team, while Atlanta misses the playoffs, a year after losing in the Super Bowl.

NFC West

The final division is another one that has two teams that can each get in. The Rams are at the top right now, with a 9-4 record, while the Seahawks are a game behind, at 8-5. These two teams play each other this weekend, and I give that game to the Seahawks, and that gives them the tiebreaker with two wins over the Rams. Each team will then win the remaining two games, with the Rams playing at Tennessee, and then home against San Francisco, while the Seahawks play at Dallas, who is struggling, along with Arizona. With similar 11-5 records, the Seahawks win the division, and the Rams get in as a wild card. With each of these divisions set, and the full playoff decided, let's get into how these teams will fare in the playoffs.

If my predictions are correct, the Eagles and Vikings will have a first-round bye, with the Eagles getting home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the first wild-card matchup, it will be the Saints and the Rams, which will be a high-scoring affair. I give that game to the Saints, based on the experience of Drew Brees, and that Jared Goff has not seen action in a playoff game yet. That puts the Saints on the road, against the Eagles and Nick Foles. The last time Nick Foles played the Drew Brees and the Saints, the game went in favor of the latter team, with the Saints winning 26-24. Nick Foles has been 11-9 in games he has started since then, but I do not believe he will be able to lead a victory over the Saints, and the Saints will play in the NFC Championship. On the other side of things, the Seahawks and Panthers will play in the other wild card game, and I believe that game will go in favor of the Seahawks. This is due in large part that Russell Wilson has won a playoff game every year he has been in the league, and this will add to his streak. They will then play the Vikings, who have been successful with Case Keenum filling in as the starting quarterback. He is having the best season of his career, but he is a player that has never started a playoff game, and that is what will make them flounder, letting the Seahawks make a trip to the NFC Championship for the first time since 2014. This will matchup the Seahawks and the Saints, who played in the 2013 Divisional round, with Seattle taking that game, 23-15. In this game, Seattle has one of the best quarterbacks in the game currently, but he is in a position where he is getting no help from his teammates, as he has 32 out of 36 touchdowns for his team, and the only other player with an offensive touchdown is J.D. McKissic. Russell Wilson is the team's leading rusher, with 482 yards, which is over 200 more than the second player on the team, which is Chris Carson with 208. This will be what hurts the Seahawks, and I believe they will lose to the Saints, and Drew Brees will make it to his second super bowl, his first one being a 31-17 victory over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

That is my prediction of how the NFC will play out the rest of the season, if you disagree, that is the beauty of it. This is my opinion, based on the games I have watched and the statistics of each team and their players. Stay tuned for my next article, which will be my prediction of the AFC, and who I think will join the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl this February.

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About the Creator

Logan Kelleher

I have been a football fan all my life, watching the games on television, following the season on my computer or phone, and keeping record of almost any statistic imaginable. I have decided to share my views with the world, so enjoy!

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