2007 NFC Preview

A division-by-division look at the NFC, including playoff picks and projections of teams rising and falling.

EAST
1 - Dallas - I liked all of the Cowboys' offseason moves: Leonard Davis will be a force at guard, Ken Hamlin solidifies the secondary, and Coach Wade Phillips will reinvigorate an already very good defense with his array of schemes and blitz packages. The Cowboys have a rising quarterback, size and speed at receiver, an excellent tight end and two very solid running backs.
2 - Philadelphia - It all comes down to Donovan McNabb's health and the ability of the defense to stop the run. If those are positives, the Eagles can contend for the division title. If McNabb gets hurt again or the Eagles can't stop the run, they'll struggle to reach the postseason. RB Brian Westbrook is the most versatile back in the NFL.
3 - Washington - Like Dallas, this is another team with two very good running backs, a good tight end and a developing QB (Jason Campbell). I'm not crazy about the Redskins' front seven on defense or their receivers, but the talent is there for those areas to improve. The secondary could be dominant if its members play to their vast potentials. Washington has disappointed the past few seasons, so this might be a make or break year for it.
4 - New York Giants - The Giants will really miss retired RB Tiki Barber. Unless QB Eli Manning takes a big step forward in his development, this will be a very predictable offense, and the defenses in this division are good enough to take advantage of that. A team that appears unsettled under Coach Tom Coghlin might come apart at the seems by midseason.

NORTH
1. Chicago - The Bears appear to have a lot of questions after their Super Bowl appearance: Is Rex Grossman the answer at QB? Can RB Cedric Benson handle the load now that Thomas Jones is gone? Will all the coaching staff changes (five assistants left) affect the on-field play? Chicago still has more talent than any team in this division by a mile.
2. Green Bay - The Packers feature and up-and-coming defense and slowly are building some depth on the offensive line. QB Brett Favre is back, which will aid the development of the young and talented group of receivers. But the Pack has no one, literally, to run the ball, and that will be their undoing. Had they kept Ahman Green or acquired a suitable replacement, they'd be a playoff team.
3. Minnesota -The Vikings have an opportunistic defense, and one that is excellent vs. the run. Rookie RB Adrian Peterson looks like a franchise back, and he and Chester Taylor should complement one another well. They have the opposite problem that the Packers do, no QB and receivers with any significant experience.
4. Detroit - Will the Lions never learn? They again addressed their offense (drafting WR Calvin Johnson and trading for RB Tatum Bell) at the expense of their defense, which outside of DLs Shaun Rodgers and Cory Redding and LB Ernie Sims, will be awful.

SOUTH
1. New Orleans - The Saints, yes the Saints, are Super Bowl contenders if the middle of their defense improves. Adding TE Eric Johnson was brilliant and further diversifies the conference's top offense.
2. Carolina - The Panthers get this spot by default because I think the teams below them are horrible. Two years ago, Carolina looked like a budding dynasty, but now it appears to have a lot of holes. I'm not sure RBs DeShaun Foster or DeAngelo Williams are good fits for the offense, and beyond Steve Smith there is not much at WR. Both lines have had injury problems, and the defense - supposedly elite - could not pressure the QB or stop the run nearly as well as advertised last season.
3. Tampa Bay - Obtaining QB Jeff Garcia will help solidify that position for a season, but it can't mask that this is an aging team at several positions, and one almost completely void of playmakers. The defense will be OK, but the offense really needs to involve RB Carnell Williams more. It's a make-or-break season for Coach Jon Gruden, but this is a franchise that should go into rebuild mode.
4. Atlanta - I might have put the Falcons in this spot BEFORE all the Michael Vick revelations, but that cemented it. The all-around impact of that on a team that had a lot of holes and a new coach with very little NFL experience will be devastating. In terms of personnel, losing DE Patrick Kearney in free agency and trading QB Matt Schaub really hurt. Winning more than three games would be a miracle.

WEST
1. Seattle - The Seahawks have the best all-around talent in this division, a solid coaching staff, an enormous home-field edge and the experience of winning. If they stay healthy and some of their more recent acquisitions play to their potential (WR Deion Branch, DE Patrick Kearney, S Deon Grant), they will be formidable.
2. San Francisco - A fashionable pick as a division winner, the 49ers need three things to happen for that to become a reality: Alex Smith must continue to progress at QB (and do so despite his third coordinator in three seasons), RB Frank Gore must stay healthy (he was nicked in preseason and has a lengthy college injury history), and the Niners need some receivers to emerge (obtaining Darrell Jackson from Seattle was a start). The defense should be even better with the additions of CB Nate Clements, S Michael Lewis and rookie LB Patrick Willis.
3. St. Louis - If only the Rams had a better defense. Their offense will be diversified and explosive. Adding WR Drew Bennett and TE Randy McMichael will enhance their red-zone scoring capabilities. The secret to beating the Rams has been running the ball on them, and I see no reason for that to change. The defense is youthful, and thus could improve.
4. Arizona - See St. Louis. The Cardinals have a lot of talent on offense, but this is a team that is handicapped by its weak line play on both sides of the ball. The Cards also might have the weakest linebacking group in the league. They'll be fun to watch, but unless their line play improves dramatically, it will be more of the same.

Going up: Dallas, San Francisco

Going down: Atlanta, Tampa Bay, New York

Best division: East - Dallas and Philadelphia will be two of the better teams in the conference. If Washington plays up to its potential and stays healthy, it could be in the mix for a playoff spot as well.

Worst division: South - Beyond New Orleans, I don't see a playoff team. What I do see are the conference's two worst teams, hands down, in Tampa Bay and Atlanta.

Playoff teams: Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Seattle, San Francisco

Conference champion: Dallas (over New Orleans)