With Week 10 in the books, things are about to start to get a little silly in the NFL. Experts have a great time dividing the league into contenders, pretenders, and all sorts of other categories as they begin to make their playoff picks, but anyone who follows the league all year has come to the realization that the whole exercise is pretty futile.
Nonetheless, it's getting on that time where experts and fans alike are going to have to man up and take a stand, and Inside the NFL is no different. There's no point in even trying to predict the AFC, where there are just way too many good teams to even bother.
But who will end up trying not to embarrass the NFC come February 6th? Let's just start out by saying that the NFC stands about as much chance of winning the Super Bowl this year as George W. Bush coming out of the closet.
It ain't happening. There are currently two legitimate playoff locks in the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles would be more impressive if their run defense wasn't so poor (the main reason why they have little chance of even making it to the Super Bowl, no less winning it), but they are still a playoff lock based on the fact that the New York Giants look to have lost their winning ways along with their two starting defensive ends to injury. The Eagles can basically coast to an NFC East crown. They should clinch by Week 14.
The Atlanta Falcons are the other NFC team that benefits from playing in a joke of a conference. It's doubtful that any other team in the South will finish over .500, and the Falcons are playing great defense to complement Michael Vick's superhuman abilities. The problem is, as much as he can disguise it with his incredible athleticism, Vick still seems uncomfortable with Jim Mora's West Coast offense. The only weapon he's really been able to utilize is tight end Alge Crumpler.
The Falcons have looked great as of late and are a trendy Super Bowl pick right now, but if Vick can't bring some more consistency to the offense soon, they'll fall to a good defensive unit- that is if one still exists in the NFC. If they do make it to the big game playing the kind of offense they're playing right now they'll get shut down by the Pittsburgh Steelers or New England Patriots. Still, Atlanta's playing great defense and ... well we're all sick of the clich?© but try to find a Super Bowl winner that can't play defense.
The NFC North is turning into its annual mess. The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are now tied at 5-4 after the Pack won a great one against the Vikes this week. Even the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears are in the mix at 4-5. In a repeat of last year's events, Green Bay is hitting stride at the perfect time and Minny as falling to pieces. The Pack will continue to play well as the weather gets colder and win the division, but this time Minnesota should be able to recover once it gets Randy Moss back and earn a wild card spot. The Vikes still can't play defense, and have little chance of winning a playoff game, but with Moss healthy they can shoot it out with anyone.
As for the West, there's no telling what will happen. The St. Louis Rams continue to win games, especially in the division, despite the fact that Mike Martz seems to coach based on coin flips. As much as his judgment has been questionable, he did get his team stoked this week by calling for a live scrimmage in practice on Wednesday. The Rams responded by making a strong statement against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Seattle's just a mystery.
The Seahawks have incredible talent but just don't seem to be as pumped as their opponents. They should be able to pick up the slack and win the division, but if they don't start playing with some urgency they could miss the playoffs altogether in what was supposed to be the team's big Super Bowl run. Whichever team comes in second should have a good shot at the last wild card spot with a 9-7 record.
In the end it doesn't matter. None of them will be able to play with whoever comes out of the AFC, whether that is Pittsburgh, who is playing near flawless football, or the Pats, who just seem destined to win another. As for Inside the NFL's futile pick for the NFC: The Falcons will beat the Eagles in Philly as the NFC Championship curse continues for the poor city of brotherly love. Well, at least the Flyers will have a shot at the Cup ... sorry, sore subject.
