The NFC touted the last two super bowl champions until last February. Philadelphia was minutes away from a possible conference three-peat until an obvious pass interference call sealed Kansas City’s victory. Fortunately the NFC has a lot of rising franchises that will be hard for future AFC opponents to shake off. Some haven’t been to the postseason or even won a division title in decades. Some are looking to win a championship before a roster teardown. Then there are those who are just doing what they can to make the playoffs and nothing else.
It’s time to break down which seven teams in the conference have the best chance to reach the playoffs this season. There more quality teams this year than last, so expect a brutal finish to the end of the season and some surprises based off of this years draft and last years film.
NFC South: New Orleans Saints
The easiest division to start with and the most obvious pick. New Orleans’ signing of quarterback Derek Carr was the final piece to general manager Mickey Loomis’ product. The Saints have depth and prime players in almost every position since franchise star Drew Brees retired except for a quality passer. Carr has gone almost a decade without a postseason win due to terrible defenses and injuries from inconsistent offensive lines. The Saints don’t have to worry about a quarterback competition where the winner averages 17 points per game. Since Carr, the fitting offense and top five defense solve each others’ issues, the team can have its best years and play comfortably without having to think of the turnover ratio every week.
While Carolina will be a fun team to watch as Frank Reich coaches up Bryce Young, Tampa Bay will have a horrible descent and Atlanta is filled with questions ranging from depth to quality starters. New Orleans should win this division by Thanksgiving.
NFC West: San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks
Another easy choice from a polar division. Arizona is self-sabotaging and the Rams are showing signs of giving up with previous offseason trades and little roster depth. Since Seattle isn’t where they want to be yet the 49ers become the clear choice to win the division. However the Seahawks will push them like they did last season and San Francisco will have to play hard every week. Many opposing defenses (especially Seattle’s) have yet to figure out rising star Brock Purdy. Fortunately for coach Kyle Shanahan that may not happen for a while with a healthy Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuels, Brandon Aiyuk and a prime George Kittle.
Unlike many, I’m not sure Seattle makes it back to the postseason or improves off of last year’s Cinderella run. However, head coach Pete Carroll is more focused and having more fun than in previous years. This means better development for new and determined players. Many in Washington believe this year’s secondary is the best the Seahawks have built, even surpassing the early 2010s units. Like every season before games start, Seattle’s schedule does them no favors. An early bye week, two games in three weeks against San Francisco, and matchups against the NFC East and AFC North might leave them as a lower postseason seed.
NFC East: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles
The main reason Seattle makes the postseason is because there isn’t enough in Dallas for one to feel they make the playoffs with only two reliable receivers on offense and a murky running game. Washington could be the seventh team that gets in but it depends on consistent quarterback play once autumn starts. Regardless, the east will have two teams make the postseason.
There’s no one more confident outside of Wayne County, Michigan on who will excel this year than those in New York. Brian Daboll did wonders in one year with Daniel Jones and the Giants offense, leading them to the second round of the playoffs. Then general manager Joe Schoen made the right moves trading for Darren Waller, added depth to the offensive line by drafting center John Michael Schmitz and signed Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Bobby Okereke and A’Shawn Robinson to bolster the front seven on defense. As Daboll continues to elevate Jones, the team is better on the offensive and defensive lines, better equipped in the secondary and as they proved last winter, can play postseason football the more the season progresses.
Couple this with Philadelphia falling back to earth and it makes sense this is the top duo in the east. The Eagles still have the talent, depth and coaching to go deep in the postseason but the team played close to perfect most of 2022. The fact Nick Sirianni’s team didn’t have any key players out most of the season from injuries is a utopia most teams desire. It won’t happen again and more importantly Philadelphia has to worry about a division rival or two, a conference and a league that has gotten better and stronger. It’s very hard being runner-up in a championship game and having to replicate the process especially when opposing teams have their sights set on taking the top spot.
NFC North: Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears
I’ll admit it, this one I believe my fellow analysts and fans on. It’s not because of peer pressure or it’s what most want but because the NFC North won’t have a runner-up who can settle the argument of Detroit winning the north.
Like Philadelphia, Minnesota will not have a repeat of last year’s season. Winning eight one-score games is more luck than skill (just ask the Las Vegas Raiders on their nine one score losses). While the defense may get better, losing Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook will hurt the offense the closer winter approaches. Green Bay will have growing pains with Jordan Love for various reasons, but it’s also clear a re-tooling of the roster is the bigger storyline than most want to admit.
Detroit makes the most sense although it won’t be the domination many believe. They’ll probably lose their first two games due to the opponents they face. After week two, the Lions should be one of the most consistent and fun watches. They’ve had slow starts in both prior seasons with Dan Campbell coaching but a lot of the players entering their second to fourth years should have a rhythm of when to play better and expect when to start fast in September. Finally, it helps they play a mostly weak NFC South and questionable AFC West schedule.
Detroit dominating the north also won’t happen because Chicago will be a much better team than what many saw in 2022. The duo of Ryan Poles-Matt Eberflus will be one of the best things to happen to Bears football. From trading the number one pick in the draft for additional picks and D.J. Moore, to signing Tremaine Edmunds, Trevis Gibson and Yannick Ngakoue, the franchise is making the right moves that don’t point to short-term wins. The offensive line is better and Marcedes Lewis is a great veteran presence who can help the receivers work and understand critical possessions better. As long as Justin Fields stays healthy, a good part of the season will have both the Bears and the Lions competing for the division title.
2022 Regular Season NFC Playoff Predictions Record: 3-4
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