When the 2013 NFL season kicks off, there will be plenty of expectations from teams who made the playoffs last year. But as we see each Fall, there will be some teams who return to the postseason and others who will not. With many coaching changes, draft/free-agent additions and players becoming more experienced you can expect an exciting season this year. My favorite team is the Detroit Lions and I believe that we will not make the playoffs this year, so whatever bias you might think I have...get rid of it. Here is how I think the NFC will play out after the regular season:
NFC South
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| Jimmy Graham is the most versatile TE in the NFC |
Most Dominant Player - Drew Brees
1. New Orleans Saints 11-5
2. Atlanta Falcons 10-6
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-9
4. Carolina Panthers 5-11
Everyone expects the Falcons to pickup where they left off but I don't see that happening. As far as the playoffs are concerned, I think they will be in a better position being the Wild Card team. When you win a division and host a playoff game, there is a lot of pressure on your organization to get it done. Last year it was the Broncos and Bengals who were ousted in their opening playoff game and it ALMOST happened to the Falcons. This should make Atlanta more dangerous in January but the regular season will belong to the Saints. With the reunion of Sean Payton and Drew Bress you can expect New Orleans to have the most potent and balanced offense in the NFC South. And on the defensive side of the ball things couldn't get worse, literally, as the Saints finished dead last in the NFL. Rob Ryan will come in and help the defense be sustainable enough to get wins in Louisiana this year. I like the off-season addition that Tampa Bay made but I don't think it will be enough to get them into the playoffs, nonetheless beat Drew Brees and Matt Ryan twice a year. Josh Freeman isn't the answer at QB and the Bucs pass rush is non-existent. Carolina is stuck with a lackluster group of receivers and tight ends so you can expect another down season in Charlotte/Ron Rivera losing his job. Did I miss anything? Oh yea, Tony Gonzalez will not get the ring he came back for but I do expect the Falcons to make the NFC championship again this year.
NFC NorthDivision Winner - Green Bay Packers
Most Dominant Player - Aaron Rodgers
1. Green Bay Packers 12-4
2. Detroit Lions 10-6
3. Minnesota Vikings 8-8
4. Chicago Bears 6-10
The Green Bay Packers have dominated the division in the past 10 years, winning 5 NFC North titles in that span. How ironic is it that the NFC North has the two most valuable players in the entire NFL with Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson. If only they could be on the same team not named All-Pro or the NFC Pro Bowl...long sigh. However, in a QB driven league the advantage has to go to A-Rod. He stays more healthy than A.P.(by default), and he actually had the most rushing TDs on his team last year. AND he is a Super Bowl MVP!!! Simply put, you can't deny Aaron Rodgers the best player in the NFL title until someone else proves otherwise. As he has the past two years, expect Rodgers to lead the Pack to another division title. Clay Matthews will have another huge year, BJ Raji will play his way into a $50 million contract, and Sam Shields will prove that he is a very underrated talent in the NFL at CB. Expect the Vikings to get some wow plays from Cordarelle Patterson this Fall but at the WR position don't get your hopes up. Adrian Peterson will once again carry the team but he won't put up the same MONSTROUS stats he did in 2012. In all honesty, Peterson deserves credit for being the 2012 NFL MVP but I don't see him having a better year than Aaron Rodgers.
The Detroit Lions bolster a nice group of young talent on the defensive line, but none have proven to be effective other than Ndamokung Suh. Nick Fairley and Ezekial Ansah will have to make a lot of plays in 2013 if the Lions want to make the playoffs, along with Suh stepping up his game as a mentor. On the Lion's offensive side of the ball, I really like the direction Detroit is going with the O-Line. Adding depth along the line and trusting Riley Reiff at LT will only indent a positive future for the Lions going forward. Matthew Stafford will continue to be one of the most prolific passers in the NFL and Calvin Johnson will again be the best WR in the NFL. The running game is much improved by having Reggie Bush in the backfield. If he stays healthy, expect to see the Lions to finish 2nd in the division. However, Bush has an extensive injury history that is hard to ignore and one that shouldn't be overlooked. Mikel Leshoure never really looked like himself one year removed from an Achilles injury but should be much better as a compliment back. The only problem is that Joique Bell is still on the roster, and he has a bruising 5 YPC average. Bell is an excellent pass blocker and might develop into a premier complimentary back this Fall. The Lions have a small problem with 3 very talented backs on the depth chart, but one of them is certain to get hit with injury before the season finishes. And what about the Chicago Bears? With Brian Urlacher and Lovie smith gone? No disrespect to Bam Bam Briggs, Tim Jennings and Peanut Tilman, but things won't go too well this year on defense with a QB coach coming to town. Matt Forte has been exposed as a RB, Michael Bush is an OK backup (although he did recently admit to playing with a fractured right shoulder for part of the season), Brandon Marshall is on the verge of missing some games again, and Jay Cutler is an average QB who makes average decisions at best. The Bears don't stand a chance in the NFC North this year...forget about it
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