This is my 2006 NFC preview. Teams will be listed under several categories with varying lengths of explanation for that placement. Now without further ado, lets get to the rankings.

 

Playoff Bound

Carolina Panthers- The trendy pick to win the Superbowl, the Panthers have no glaring weaknesses. The loss of Will Witherspoon is worthy of note, but with the addition of Keyshawn Johnson, the Panthers have to be considered a playoff team.

 

Seattle Seahawks- While I have pure hatred of the Seahawks, they are going to make the playoffs. I expect the divisional race to be much closer this season. The losses of Steve Hutchinson and Joe Jurevicious will hurt the Seahawks, but the addition of Julian Peterson should help to improve the defense. The Seahawks are headed to the postseason in some way, shape, or form.

 

Probable Playoff Contenders

Dallas Cowboys- The addition of TO will almost certainly blow up in their faces at some point, but the Cowboys must be considered a playoff contender with a veteran QB, solid run game, formidable WR duo, and a solid defense.

 

New York Giants- The Giants are another team that must be considered a playoff favorite. Eli Manning is expected to continue in his maturation process, Tiki Barber continues to defy the doubters, and the receivers are solid. The defense remains mostly in tact with the addition of Lavar Arrington. The Giants and Cowboys will battle for NFC East supremacy.

 

Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings are one of the least flashy teams in the NFL. Go ahead and try to name a star player they have. They do however play in the weakest division in the NFL, and someone has to win the division. The Vikings are a safe pick to win the North because one can expect a decent offense and defense from the Vikings, which just might be enough to win the North.

 

Chicago Bears- The Bears are the defending North champions, but they are going to have to get better offensive production if they have plans of repeating that performance. The Bears really didn't do anything to improve themselves in the offseason, outside of the Brian Griese signing which may end up being huge. The Bears will need an improved offense and a ridiculous defense, but that is certainly possible. 

 

The Playoff Door Is Open

Tampa Bay- I am weary of the Buccaneers. They are relying heavily on the continued maturity of Chris Simms. If Simms does continue to develop at the QB position the Buccaneers should be in the playoff hunt until the end, but if he struggles the Buccaneers are in some serious trouble.

 

Atlanta Falcons- The Falcons are a very difficult team to get a read on. I could just as easily see them going 4-12 as 12-4. The Falcons should be in the playoff hunt though as long as Michael Vick can remain healthy and somewhat effective, the run game continues to be effective, and the defense plays well. If Vick struggles the Falcons are in trouble. While Matt Schaub may be a reliable back-up, Vick is still the hardest player in the league to gameplan for.

 

St. Louis Rams- The Rams had a very active offseason in signing Will Witherspoon, La'Roi Glover, and Corey Chavous, as well as the hiring of Scott Linehan as Head Coach and Jim Haslett as Defensive Coordinator. Addition by substraction may be the most important move the Rams made in the firing of the Mike "Madman" Martz. The offense figures to be more balanced which will help keep Marc Bulger on the field and Steven Jackson with the ball. The WR's are still among the leagues best and the defense figures to be improved with the veteran additions, rookie Tye Hill, and Jim Haslett.....and the fact that it can't really go anywhere but up.

 

Arizona Cardinals- The Cardinals have quite possibly the best collection of skill positions on offense, but a huge question mark is the offensive line. They must keep Warner on the field and open up some running lanes if they hope to make the playoffs. The defense figures to be middle of the pack, but if they slip it could spell doom for the Cardinals season.

 

Time to Burst Some Bubbles

Washington Redskins- The Redskins are a semi-trendy pick for the NFC East or a wildcard spot, but they are headed nowhere fast. Their QB is Mark Brunell, need I say more? Well I don't really need to, but I will continue. Their biggest offseason moves consisted of overpaying for Adam Archuleta, Antwaan Randle El, and Brandon Lloyd. The best signing of these three was Lloyd, a legitimate second receiver. Randle El and Archuleta were bad signings, mostly due to the dollar figures. They are counting on far to much from simply above average players. Archuleta signed the richest Safety contract in NFL history, he might not even be a top ten Strong Saftety. Randle El has scored 7 career TD's, that's right, 7. His best season was 2004's 43 catch, 601 yard, 3 touchdown performance. He is barely a number 3 WR. The Redskins have a tough draw being a mediocre team in a stacked division. If they were in the NFC North they would probably be the favorites.

 

Philadelphia Eagles- The Eagles are a team that is headed in the right direction, and by that I mean they have parted ways with TO. The recent addition of Donte Stallworth should prove to be a good move along with the offseason addition of Darren Howard, but the Eagles defense has lost a step and the run game is non-existent. They are in the same boat as the Redskins, a tough break being a mediocre team in a stacked division. NFC North rules apply for the Eagles as well.

 

Start Praying to Your Deity of Choice, It's Going to Take a Miracle

Green Bay Packers- The Packers are in some serious trouble. Brett Favre should not have come back, the run game is full of question marks, and the WR's consist of Donald Driver and a bunch of other guys. The defense should be a little bit better with the additions of AJ Hawk and Charles Woodson, but they needed so much help that a one year turn around is not happening.

 

Detroit Lions- The offense could be a surprise this season with Mike Martz getting a chance to work with talented Kevin Jones and Roy Williams. The offense will rely on improved offensive line play and consistency from the QB position. The defense seems to be in for a long season having made no considerable additions. The Lions appear to be at least a year away, if they ever get around to firing Millen.

 

New Orleans Saints- The Saints will be a very exciting team to watch this season with the additions of Drew Brees and Reggie Bush on the offensive side. The offense should be one of the better units in the league with those two key additions and the likes of Deuce McAllister and Joe Horn. The trouble with the Saints is the their defense, or lack thereof. The Saints defense is going to be a finely tuned touchdown-giving-up machine.

 

San Francisco 49ers- The 49ers appear to be making the right moves in the rebuilding process, but a 6-10 season for the Niners would be considered a huge success. The offense appears to have some skill position players in Alex Smith, Frank Gore, and Vernon Davis, but the WR core is a bunch of "who's?" The defense is in the same boat as the Saints, they did nothing to improve themselves and actually may have gotten worse with the loss of Julian Peterson. Expect the high powered offense in the NFC to have some field days against the Niners.

 

Note: The Bears and Vikings are in the "Probable Playoff Contenders" category strictly because of the division they play in. I personally consider every team in the NFC outside of the Packers, Lions, Saints, and Niners to be better than the Bears and Vikings.