Although it didn’t come without some criticism, the Philadelphia Eagles winning their first four games of the season cemented their position as potential repeat Super Bowl champs, with few pundits willing to give any other team a chance of taking away their NFC crown.
Two weeks — and two losses to the Broncos and Giants — later, and it was a completely different story.
After losing two games they had been expected to win, Philadelphia was suddenly a team that had been found out. They are no longer invincible, and even the Las Vegas football betting sites were considering alternatives. Now that the Eagles have come back to win in Minnesota and avenged their earlier loss to the Giants, they are back to being one of the favorites for Super Bowl LX.
But they are not as all-conquering as previously thought.
There has been enough written about Philadelphia’s resilience to concede that they will still be in with a shout as we near the end of the year. But, almost halfway through the regular season, the NFC, in particular, is wide open.
So, if the Eagles don’t end up winning the conference, which team will?
Green Bay Packers
Many looked at the addition of Micah Parsons to the Packers’ defense as the missing piece of the Super Bowl-winning puzzle.
The former Cowboy may not have set the league alight so far this season, but he was a major reason why his team beat the Cardinals in Week 8. Scraping past Arizona might not seem like conference-winning material, but this is a team that has already tested some of the best this year.
The Packers offense now seems to be fully under Jordan Love’s stewardship, and he has enough weapons on offense to trouble most other teams. Green Bay could go far this season, but a lot depends on whether it can win one of the toughest divisions in the league and earn a top seed.
Detroit Lions
The Lions face the same challenge as the Packers in that battling against some of the stingiest defenses will take a lot out of a team that would otherwise be able to win its division with room to spare. In the NFC North, Detroit can be expected to be tested all the way and still not even end up with a commanding win total, even if they win the division again.
The Lions will enjoy a bye in Week 9 but then return to an incredibly tough schedule, facing the Vikings, Commanders, and Eagles. How they stand after those three games may very well determine their seeding going into the postseason. Making the playoffs should not be a problem, but having to win on the road might hinder their chances of becoming NFC champs.
https://twitter.com/LionsLeadSM/status/1982954421182242825
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have had it their own way in the NFC South for quite a while now.
Four consecutive divisional titles have turned them into perennial winners against some of the weakest teams in the NFL. The division hasn’t really improved dramatically this year, but the Bucs already seem to have taken a leap forward with respect to the NFC.
Baker Mayfield is being talked of as a potential MVP, and his performances have warranted his inclusion in the debate. His interception numbers are well down on a forgettable 2024, with the help of receivers like the rookie Emeka Egbuka pushing his team down the field much more productively. There is a very good chance that Tampa Bay might claim that number one seed in the NFC, and that could have a big say in wrestling the conference crown away from the Eagles.
https://twitter.com/FanDuel/status/1975627182182412642
San Francisco 49ers
It feels as though the San Francisco 49ers are not getting enough praise for the way they have won games this season.
Fred Warner is just the latest big-name player to get injured, with George Kittle also only recently returning to the lineup. Brock Purdy has also been absent for all but two of the Niners’ seven outings. And yet, they still win.
McCaffrey has been great, and Kyle Shanahan deserves commendation for the performances from the players who have stepped in to replace his stars. The loss to the Bucs suggests that the 49ers may struggle when it really matters, but they have done well already and can now enjoy a relatively straightforward rest of the schedule. The big upcoming games are at home against the Rams and Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawks
Speaking of the Seahawks, this was the team expected to claim the NFC West crown this year, but they have found themselves in a three-way battle for supremacy. Seattle has also lost to the Bucs and faces a tougher schedule than the Niners towards the end of the season. But, for now, the plan seems to be working.
Sam Darnold has also proved the critics wrong again. After surprising everyone with the Vikings last year, he has stepped up for the Seahawks and made them one of the under-the-radar Super Bowl contenders this year. More road games after the Week 8 bye might cause some problems, but if they can get through their division ahead of the Niners and Rams, there is no reason why the Seahawks might not beat the Eagles to the NFC title.
Leave a comment