NFL: NFC Contender/Pretender

By Jared Epstein

As we near the end of the season, 2011 has been a wild rollercoaster ride in the NFC. The Lions and 49ers finally decide to show up this season surprising everyone they can actually have winning records in the 21^st century.  The Giants looking great including a magnificent win against Brady and the Pats and yet losing to the Redskins and Seahawks. Green Bay is turning out to be one of the best teams in history, not losing a game since week 16 of last season. With the “dream team” Eagles choking, it gives teams like Dallas a chance to take advantage of an easy schedule. In the midst of all the controversy in the NFC, it’s time to separate the men from the boys. Lets take a closer look into the NFC and choose who’s a contender and who’s a pretender.

Green Bay Packers (9-0; 1^st place in NFC North):  The defending Super Bowl champs are the best team in the NFL, hands down.  They dominate every game they play whether it’s home or away and have scored a minimum of 24 points in every game.  There are no words to describe them except for perfection, at least so far.  In upcoming weeks, the only games I see them having little trouble with are: the Lions, Bears, and Giants but don’t be surprised if they end up going to the playoffs still unbeaten the way Rodgers is handling the ball.

Verdict: Contender

San Francisco 49ers (8-1; 1^st place in NFC West):  San Fran has come out this year fired up and tired of losing. The last time the Niners have finished a season with a winning record was 2002 going 10-6. With a great running back in Frank Gore, Alex Smith starting to wake up, and a number 1 ranked defense in opponent rushing yards, the question isn’t will they win the division, but how far in the playoffs will they go? With the second place teams in their division, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, at 3-6, there’s no doubt they will be in the post-season this year.

Verdict: Contender

New Orleans Saints (7-3; 1^st place in NFC South):  After a huge overtime win against Atlanta last week, the Saints stand alone in first with a two game lead. With six games left in the regular season and a bye week, the Saints play three struggling teams in Tennessee, Minnesota, and Carolina. Plus, the strong teams they play such as the Lions, Giants, and Falcons are all home games so they can have the “who dat” nation loud and right behind them. The Falcons can look real good at times but I see the Drew Brees and the Saints taking 1^st in the division with ease.

Verdict: Contender

New York Giants (6-3; 1^st place in NFC East):  Big blue has surprised everyone this season with being in 1^st place in the eastern conference after week 10. With both the defense and offense bombarded with injuries at the beginning of the year and the “dream team” Eagles in the same division, the season wasn’t going to be easy. Luckily, the Eagles are starting to look like the Heat by blowing five 4^th quarter leads and with Dallas playing up and down certain weeks, the Giants have taken advantage of the division.  On another note, the G-men have the toughest schedule in football ahead of them by playing the undefeated Packers, Saints, Cowboys twice, Eagles and the Jets.  If they can pull out five wins, they will be safe for making the playoffs but that will be an extremely difficult task to pull off.

Verdict: Contender

Chicago Bears (6-3; tied for 2^nd place in NFC North):  With the perfect Packers in the NFC North, 1^st place is out of the question so it’s wild card or nothing for these Bears. After losing to Detroit in week 5, Chicago has battled back and joined 2^nd place after defeating the Lions last week. With Jay Cutler not getting sacked as much as earlier in the season, teams still kicking to Devin Hester, and Matt Forte playing without an off button, the Bears are a team to be taken seriously, especially with a rather easy schedule for the remainder of the season.

Verdict: Contender

Dallas Cowboys (5-4; 2^nd place in NFC East):  This season there are two different Cowboy teams. One team that comes up short on big plays and the other is a dominant force to be reckoned with. With a fairly easy schedule playing the Redskins, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Buccaneers, the Cowboys look good for being playoff bound.  Now that Dallas is getting Dez Bryant move involved in the offense while Miles Austin is out, people can really see how dangerous Bryant is. As long as the defense can keep their future opponents from getting into the end zone too much, look for the Cowboys to be in the playoff picture and possibly get in as 1^st place from the NFC East.

Verdict: Contender

Detroit Lions (6-3; tied for 2^nd place in NFC North):  Let me start by saying bravo to the Detroit Lions. The Lions haven’t had a winning season since 2000 and only 3 years ago in 2008 they succeeded by being the worst team going 0-16. After a red hot 5-0 start this season with the help of the monstrous Calvin Johnson, the Lions have seemed to cool off by going 1-3 in their last four games. This Lions team has proved they can give a tough fight but with the Packers taking first place in the division and the Bears on a roll going 4-1 in their last five games, the road to the playoffs will not be easy. Also, Detroit still has to play the invincible Packers twice, the Saints in New Orleans, a score happy Charger team, and what can be an explosive Raider team at times. I take my hat off to these ferocious Lions and the season isn’t over yet but I see the Lions coming up short to the Bears for the wild card spot, leaving them watching football in January instead of playing themselves.

Verdict: Pretender

Atlanta Falcons (5-4; 2^nd place in NFC South):  Atlanta has had a mediocre start compared to last season finishing first in the division with a 13-3 record. Also, the Matt Ryan and Roddy White connection hasn’t been as strong as usual but fortunately for Atlanta, Michael Turner is still contributing big numbers. Despite getting big plays from rookie Julio Jones, look for the Falcons to perform like Turner on the 4^th and short run against the Saints in overtime- just short.  First place isn’t going to happen in the division at this point due to the Saints fairly easy record so the only hope they have is the wildcard.  Having said that, they will have to compete for that spot with a strong looking Cowboy team and possibly a solid 4^th quarter comeback Giants team depending on how the NFC East turns out.  Don’t get me wrong, the Falcons have a good chance with 6 games left in the season but I pick Atlanta to come up one or two games short of a wild card spot.

Verdict: Pretender

Predictions:

NFC North- Green Bay Packers (1 seed)

NFC West- San Francisco 49ers (2 seed)

NFC South- New Orleans Saints (3 seed)

NFC East- New York Giants (4 seed)

Wild Card- Dallas Cowboys (5 seed)

Wild Card- Chicago Bears (6 seed)

Wild Card Round- New Orleans over Chicago; New York over Dallas

Divisional Round- Green Bay over New York; New Orleans over San Francisco

Championship Round- Green Bay over New Orleans 

NFL: Week 11 Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (9-0): Another victory for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The Packers find themselves one win away from their regular season total of 2010. The Packers should continue to win handily, at least until facing off against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and the New York Giants after that. 

Last Week: #1

2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1): The 49ers victory over the Giants on Sunday was probably the biggest test they’ve had all season. San Francisco’s defense held Eli Manning in check throughout the game, and Alex Smith did enough to help the offense as Frank Gore was unable to do nothing against the Giants defense. Sunday proved it, the 49ers are the second best team in the NFC.

Last Week: #2

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3): The Steelers managed to jump back into first place of the AFC North after defeating the Bengals on Sunday. The Steelers were helped by the Jekyll & Hyde Ravens losing to the Seahawks. As of right now, the Steelers look like the best team in the AFC, but the way the conference has worked out this year, there’s no telling how they’ll look next week. 

Last Week: #5

4. New England Patriots (6-3): The Patriots do what they always do when the division is on the line, they win. Tom Brady and the New England no-huddle offense proved to be too much for the Jets defense. Looking at the Patriots schedule, they could run the table and be in the hunt for the #1 seed going into the playoffs. 

Last Week: #6

5. New Orleans Saints (7-3): Who knows what would have happened if Mike Smith had just decided to punt on fourth down in OT on their own 30-yard-line. We all know what transpired, Michael Turner got stuffed behind the line and the Saints kicked a field goal to take the victory. Now, the Saints are in the drivers seat in the NFC South. 

Last Week: #7

6. Baltimore Ravens (6-3): Who are the Ravens? I mean seriously, they look dominant against the Steelers one week, then on Sunday Baltimore loses to Seattle. It’s been the story of the Ravens season, inconsistent and a wishy-washy identity. The Ravens should make the playoffs, but who knows how Baltimore will play against the Bengals twice in the next seven weeks. 

Last Week: #3

7. New York Giants (6-3): The Giants had a chance to tie the game up on Sunday in San Francisco, but an Eli Manning batted-down pass at the line of scrimmage halted all of that. Now, the Giants are still in the division lead, but they have two December match-ups against the Cowboys and a Christmas Eve game with the Jets that could decide their playoff hopes. 

Last Week: #4

8. Houston Texans (7-3): This morning I had the Texans much higher than #8, but with the injury to Matt Schaub, the Texans are in a lot of trouble. Houston will have to turn to Matt Leinart for the foreseeable future, and with the Titans still in the thick of things in the AFC South, the Texans playoff hopes are now questionable. 

Last Week: #10

9. New York Jets (5-4): The Jets had a chance to control their own destiny and finally knock the Patriots off of the Division lead. Instead, the Jets came out totally soft and unprepared and lost to New England. The Jets will once again have to fight their way into the playoffs. The schedule is soft, with games against the Giants and Philadelphia as the only tough match-ups. 

Last Week: #8

10. Dallas Cowboys (5-4): Dallas and Tony Romo looked like a playoff team on Sunday against Buffalo. December will make or break the Cowboys playoff hopes, with two crucial games against the Giants. If DaMarco Murray continues to run like a wild-man, the Cowboys could end up being a very, very scary playoff team. 

Last Week: Not Ranked

NFL: Its Time for Tony Romo to Move On

I think, at long last, that it is time for Tony Romo to move on from the Dallas Cowboys. This comes off the heels of the 34-7 spanking that the Cowboys suffered last night at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the blame for that game is not on Romo; it was one of the worst performances from a defense that I had ever seen. The Cowboys defense made Mike Vick look like the Vick of old, not the one who had seen consistent pressure and arid passes this season. But the focus, as always, will be on Romo. The Dallas media has been more brutal to Romo then the New York media has been on Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez in the past. Ever since becoming the Cowboys starter, Romo has seen showers upon showers of criticism for his play. Not all of it is unwarranted, like the playoff gaffe against the Seahawks in 2006, but Romo has been unfairly blamed for the failures of the Cowboys in the last five years. 

When I look at Romo, I see a quarterback that can and has succeed in the NFL. He’s an accurate passer whose mobility allows him to make plays outside of the pocket. Thus far, Jerry Jones has shown loyalty to Romo, but I see an end on the horizon. A parting of the ways between Romo and the Cowboys will be beneficial to both parties. For Romo, the most important thing for him is a fresh start. The constant bashing and roller coaster ride relationship Romo has been on with the fans of the Cowboys cannot have been a positive factor in his mental ability to perform on the football field. Romo has the skills and the young age to move on to a different team and help them compete. In a less vocal market, Romo could relax and play quarterback at the level that we all know his potential can take him. Imagine Romo on teams like the Seahawks or Dolphins, I truly believe he can thrive and become an even better quarterback than he is right now. 

For the Cowboys, the move would help them as well. Romo is currently under contract until 2014, so he would have to be traded. With the right trading partner, the Cowboys could yield a 1st or 2nd round pick in exchange for the quarterback. With this, the Cowboys could draft a new franchise quarterback, or use the picks to trade for another QB in the league. New England’s backup Brian Hoyer is considered to be among the best unknown talents in the league, for instance. With the “distraction” that Romo’s on the field and off the field actions off the Cowboys, they could focus on the youth and talent that they have on both sides of the ball. Dez Bryant is an athletic freak, while Demarcus Ware is just hitting his prime years as a pass rusher. They have the pieces to succeed, and it could just be that a change at quarterback is just what the team needs to take it to the next level. Looking at the other pieces of the team, coach Jason Garrett is Jones’ golden boy with a high job security. Bryant and Miles Austin aren’t going anywhere. Jason Witten is the teams unquestioned leader, while running back Demarco Murray is starting to emerge as a premier back. 

Romo is without question the best quarterback to play for the Cowboys since Troy Aikman retired. But, the long, conflicting relationship that he’s had with the Cowboys hasn’t helped either side. As we saw with the Carson Palmer-Bengals fiasco, NFL break up’s can be messy. With this situation, it doesn’t have to be. This is the rare case in which both parties will benefit from a change, and all that is left is for the Cowboys and Romo to both see the light. 

NFL: Week Four Storylines

5.) Buffalo Bills v Cincinnati Bengals- The Buffalo Bills are in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. Don’t believe it? Yeah, me neither. The Bills are 3-0, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is making himself look like the best quarterback to come through Buffalo since Jim Kelly (Sorry, Doug Flutie). If the Bills play as well in this week as they have all season, it will be a blowout. However, the Bengals defense is no pushover, and Andy Dalton is starting to look like a solid NFL quarterback. If the Bills win in Cincy, they will go 4-0 for the first time since 2008. 

4.) Pittsburgh Steelers v Houston Texans- At the start of the season, many people were predicting that this be the year that the Houston Texans make the leap from good team to playoff team. So far the Texans are 2-1 after losing a shootout to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. This week, the Texans face another test in the Steelers. It is said if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and last year the Steelers were the best in the AFC. If the Texans can knock a potential playoff team down a peg and beat Pittsburgh, it will send a message throughout the league that this year is the year for the Texans. 

3.) New England Patriots v Oakland Raiders- Last week gave us a four interception performance from Tom Brady and a 200+ rushing day for Darren McFadden. This week, the Patriots look to bounce back from a devastating loss to the Bills as the Raiders are riding high after beating the New York Jets and their “unstoppable” defense. Its never a good sign when a team flies across the country after a bad loss, so the Raiders are in prime position to capitalize and send a statement throughout the league that the silver and black is back. 

2.) Detroit Lions v Dallas Cowboys- The Lions are 3-0 for the first time in my lifetime. The Cowboys are coming off a tight win against Washington on Monday Night Football. Detroit has been the comeback kids of this young season, but their wins have come against Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Kansas City. The Cowboys represent the best team that Detroit has seen in the first four weeks, and a win in Dallas would be huge for the young Detroit team. 

1.) New York Jets v Baltimore Ravens- Rex Ryan makes his triumphant return to Baltimore, the place he was passed over for head coach three years ago. The Ravens went with John Harbaugh, and since then they’ve been in the playoffs every year. This season the Ravens and Jets have both had games where they look like Super Bowl contenders, and also games where they look like they won’t even sniff the playoffs. The Ravens demolished the Steelers in week one, only to lose a game to the below-average Tennessee Titans in week two. The Jets started off 2-0 before being run into the ground by the Raiders last week. Forecasts for Sunday night show 40 degrees and rain, and you know what that means; alot of defense, and alot of running the ball. Winner of this game will take a huge step forward towards the playoffs, while the loser will be left at .500 entering week five.