Countdown to Kickoff - Part II

Okay shoot me! I am really taking my time getting used to the 11 hour time difference from my recent travels. Either way, Sunday games kickoff in less than 24 hours so I am going to go ahead and give you my rundown for the NFC. There are definitely some surprises in this conference and my bias may be a little evident as I say that the Philadelphia Ealges should once again clinch the NFC for the regular season.

NFC EAST

Donovan McNabb has flourished under coach Andy Reid and up until last year he did not have a legitimate receiver to throwto. Enter the most dynamic wide receiver in the game today, Terrell Owens. These two had phenomenal seasons in their own right but with Owens' aggressive personality there were some very public riffs amongst the WR , QB and the coach. All this drama still exists in the forefront as we head into the season but it has not put a doubt in my mind... The Philadelphia Eagles should clinch the NFC east this year. On their tails the Dallas Cowboys under Bill Parcels should be vying for a wildcard spot in this years playoffs. With a healthy Julius Jones and an experienced but aging Drew Bledsoe they have a great chance at seeing some action in this years post season. The Washington Redskins looked great on paper last year and somewhat this year as well but will probably disappoint missing the playoffs all together this year. The Giants should finish last in this division barring some miracles from their young quarterback.

Standings

NFC NORTH

Daunte Culpepper is probably in the top 3 QB's currently playing in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings may have lost a great Wide receiver in Randy Moss but they still have one of the most dominating quarterbacks in the game and a solid pair of corner backs on defence that will be their strength in clinching the #1 spot in this division over the Green Bay Packers. Bret Favre may be one of the best players to ever play the quarterback position but I think this year will be his last as the age factor will kick in. As the season unfolds my prediction is Green Bay and the Dallas Cowboys will be fighting for the wildcard spot along with Atlanta and possibly a team like the Seahawks in the West. In this division the Detroit Lions who will be hosting the superbowl will struggle and many have picked them as sleepers to squeak in to the playoffs but I look at them as having a losing record and looking forward to the future. Chicago was one team that messed with the Vegas odds last year. They almost always went in the game as underdogs and the other team rarely covered the spread but as last year they are just not playoff contenders this year and will probably end up with one of the worst records in the NFC.

Standings

NFC SOUTH

Defence over Offence? One may think Atlanta is the team to beat in this division but last year the Carolina Panthers played injured and they still had some great games and I believe they will be the victors in the NFC South. With Jake Delhomme running their offence this years Panthers should be able to grab the division barring any major injuries like last year. The Atlanta Falcons have definitely got something to be happy about. They have one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the game manning their offence but Vick needs to evolve his game. Sure he can run and displays spurts of brilliance but his passing game has yet to be really refined and this is something that comes with experience but I think the Falcons should nab one of the wildcard spots in the NFC. Tampa Bay a team who walked away champions not to long ago are still finding their place again after a miserable season last year they hope to bounce back but I don't see them holding a winning record this year. As for the New Orleans Saints... They are in a tough spot. They have some bright spots but just are not there yet. This year with the hurricane disaster it may be even harder to get an audience and a winning record. Their quarterback has shown to be promising but their core is still weak and needs some key pieces before they become legitimate contenders.

Standings

NFC WEST

The St.Louis Rams are definitely the team to beat in this division and their only real competition should be from the Seattle Seahawks who should have a decent season. Mark Bulger may not be the best quarterback in the league but with a running back like Marshall Faulk on your side you need not worry so much and in one of the least competitive divisions in my opinion, this should be more than enough to make sure the Rams clinch the division and their spot in the playoffs. The Seahawks have toyed with consistency but they are my "you never know" team. Sure they have some great players in Sean Alexander and last year the quarterback Matt Hasselback showed some great signs but I don't think this team is ready yet and might be a sleeper to squeak into the post season. As for the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49'ers .... check back next year! These two teams have a ways to go and lets hope their rookies start to develop.

Standings