Which Under .500 team will make the playoffs in the NFC?
Like the Eastern Conference of the NBA, the NFC stands as a league with 2 very good teams, followed by a lot of nothing. Right now in the NFC, 6 teams sit at a wonderful 5-6 mark: Eagles, Redskins, Vikings, Bears, Saints and Cardinals. The sad part? One of these teams is going to make the playoffs; maybe even two at best (or worst) case. With all of that being the case, let’s break down who is most likely to pull off this feat. We’ll start with the Eagles. After ALMOST beating the team of the century, only for AJ Feeley to throw a ball he didn’t have to throw, they sit in a question mark position. a lot of questions Is AJ Feeley good enough to lead this team in McNabb’s absence? Is his defense really that good or did they just prepare like crazy for the Pats? Do they deserve to get to that wild card spot? I would have to say that only one of those answers is yes. I don’t think his defense is as good as it seemed against the Pats. While he was definitely formidable enough to hold his own, what we saw was very good preparation and nothing more. Is AJ Feeley good enough to lead them without Mcnabb?: YES. He has shown it in the past. He will continue to show it now. But that ultimately leads to the last of the three. Do they deserve that wild card spot? NO. They won’t be the team to do it.
Next in this beautiful group are the Redskins. It would be great to see them dedicate the rest of their season to their fallen teammate and do great things. Unfortunately that won’t happen either. With a remaining schedule that includes the Bears, Giants, Vikings and Cowboys, the prospects aren’t great, and the loss of Sean Taylor will weigh them down in every possible way.
Against all logic, Adrian Peterson will return this week. I say counterintuitively because you have a guy who potentially can and could be the best running back in the league coming back from injury when he should be taking it easy to be 100% for next season. Peterson’s talent is disgusting. But he has shown in college that he is injury prone. Why risk his future this season? With all of this being the case, the Vikings don’t have enough support around Peterson to make a playoff run. Period.
The wheel continues. Next up in our little game: The Chicago Bears. Impressive, solid defense. Where have you gone?? They’ve given up some HUGE games and are completely losing that defensive intimidation. There’s a tough schedule ahead and as long as they don’t have a real quarterback there, they’re not going anywhere. Not to mention the loss of Cedric Benson. If you stick a fork in them, they’re finished. The Arizona Cardinals. One of the deadliest offensive teams in the NFC. Warner, James, Fitzgerald, Boldin. wow. Defensively they have looked good, then they have looked HORRIBLE. This is where things get a bit iffy. Personally, I don’t think they have the determination to go through with it. Do they have the talent? Of course. Although something tells me they will fall short.
Which brings us to our winner. The New Orleans Saints. Throw in a very good quarterback, a very talented running back, and the easiest schedule of the 6 teams, and you have an easy winner. Remaining Saints schedule: Bucs (possibly without Garcia), Falcons, Cardinals, Eagles, Bears. Before the season, finishing against the Cards, Eagles and Bears would have been a bad thing. Not this season. Look for the Saints to make the playoffs at the end of the season and make some noise once you get there.
However, it’s safe to say that regardless of which of these 6 teams make it, it’s a no-brainer that the Cowboys or Packers will represent this pathetic conference.