NFL 2013 season preview: Part 2

The NFC is packed full of talented teams, making it extremely difficult to tread water if you aren’t quite up to the standard. The heat is being cranked up on team coaches already, making an unpredictable season all the more likely.

NFC East

1. Washington Redskins

2. Dallas Cowboys

3. New York Giants

4. Philadelphia Eagles

The Washington Redskins’ season largely depends on the health of one man: quarterback Robert Griffin III. Last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year suffered a serious knee injury during their playoff game against Seattle, and has missed the whole of pre-season. It has been confirmed that he will start in the first game against the Eagles, but whether he will quite be as explosive as last season is the big question.

The Dallas Cowboys would win the NFL every year if it was decided by public vote: it is one of the most lucrative sport franchises in the world. They are America’s Team. However, all is decided on the field, and they have struggled to match the high expectation in recent years: they will certainly look to improve on last year’s disappointing third-place finish. They have also given QB Tony Romo a lucrative new contract. Romo is perhaps slightly underrated due to ridicule for his numerous silly errors under pressure, but it is now four seasons since the Cowboys made the playoffs, and patience is wearing thin.

Chip Kelly’s rapid offense system might work brilliantly; it might be disastrous

The New York Giants’ title defence last year was a major disappointment, as their season tailed off in the second half due to inconsistency and injuries. There have been more of the latter during the off-season. This is a team that, like the Steelers, isn’t getting any younger. Eli Manning will need all of the talent that took him to two Super Bowl MVPs – and a bit of luck on top – if the Giants are to win the division this time.

The Philadelphia Eagles always think they are in with a chance, but last year everything came crashing down around them. With QB Michael Vick suffering a dreadful season behind a non-existent offensive line until he was hurt, the Eagles turned into seagulls as they won just four games all season. All talk of the “Dream Team” has now disappeared along with long-time head coach Andy Reid. Instead, feted college football coach Chip Kelly arrives with what is likely to be a new rapid offensive system similar to that he pioneered at Oregon. It might work brilliantly; it might be disastrous.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers

2. Minnesota Vikings

3. Detroit Lions

4. Chicago Bears

The Green Bay Packers are the best team in arguably the toughest division in the NFL, and yet there is a sense that they are now a step behind a couple of the better teams in their conference. Last year’s season began and ended with defeats by the San Francisco 49ers, and despite ten regular season wins in between, their niggling injury issues to important players and the lack of a decent running game meant they weren’t the force they had been over the previous two seasons. But with the injuries sorted and improvements made in the draft, expect them to improve, although they have a tough schedule.

The Minnesota Vikings last year essentially rode on the back of two men – wide receiver Percy Harvin and running back Adrian Peterson. When Harvin dropped out of contention due to injury, Peterson, who had spent the previous off-season recovering from a serious knee injury, stepped up his game and finished just short of the record of most rushing yards in a season. As a result, the Vikings edged out the collapsing Bears for the wildcard berth. This year, with Harvin gone, their chances will again depend on the 2012 MVP, who is aiming to become the first player to rush for 2,500 yards in a season.

The Detroit Lions could be a surprise package – coach Jim Schwartz needs them to be, otherwise he will lose his job

Last season, the Detroit Lions had one of those years where everything narrowly escaped their grasp. Of their 12 defeats, nine of them were by eight points or fewer. They undoubtedly have considerable talent on their roster: in Andre “Megatron” Johnson, they have the best wide receiver in the NFL, supplied by former number one draft pick Matt Stafford. Meanwhile in the defense, they have one of the most intimidating linemen in Ndamukong Suh. They are looking to get closer to their ten wins of 2011 than their four wins of last year, and could be a surprise package – coach Jim Schwartz needs them to be, otherwise he will lose his job.

The Chicago Bears missed a massive opportunity last year. Until they faced the Texans, they won seven of their first eight, but went on to lose five of their next six and narrowly missed out on the playoffs, resulting in the harsh sacking of long-time coach Lovie Smith. In has come Marc Trestman, who has spent the last few years coaching in the Canadian Football League. He is regarded as an offense-based coach, marking a departure for the Bears, who have relied heavily on their defense in recent years. This is another ageing set of players in a difficult division and conference. They may find it tough to reach ten wins again.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons

2. New Orleans Saints

3. Carolina Panthers

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Atlanta Falcons put together the most impressive regular season in the NFC last year, finishing on a 13-3 record and ending as the number one seeds in the conference. After narrowly edging out the Seahawks in the divisional game to secure their first playoff win for eight years, they were beaten by a resurgent 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Shortly after, they received a boost when experienced tight end Tony Gonzalez announced he would postpone his retirement, maintaining another component of one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL. Veteran running back Steven Jackson has also arrived from St Louis. They will be contenders again.

The New Orleans Saints suffered last year as a result of the suspension of head coach Sean Payton for his role in the “Bountygate” scandal. They also finished with statistically the worst defense in the NFL. But record-breaking QB Drew Brees continued to star and the Saints still managed to force seven wins. This year, Payton is back and the Saints will inevitably improve. With Brees leading the offense, they will always be a threat, especially at home in the Superdome.

Not helping matters at Tampa Bay is a recent MRSA scare that has sidelined two players, including experienced Scottish-born placekicker Lawrence Tynes

The Carolina Panthers started the 2012 season very slowly, winning just two of their first ten matches. But after winning their last four, they were able to finish on the same wins total as the Saints and Bucs. Another slow start will not be acceptable this time, with coach Ron Rivera’s future depending on it. In Cam Newton, they have a franchise QB for the future, and in Luke Kuechly they have one of the most exciting defensive prospects of recent years. But that may not be enough in a fiercely-competitive NFC this year.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were another team who had a season of two distinct halves. Six wins in their first ten games suggested they were potentially on course for a first playoff appearance for five years, but they promptly lost their next five matches and finished bottom of the division. QB Josh Freeman has come under fire for his inconsistent performances and will be under serious pressure to deliver: in wide receiver Vincent Jackson and running back Doug Martin, he has the tools. Not helping matters is a recent MRSA scare that has sidelined two players, including experienced Scottish-born placekicker Lawrence Tynes.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers

2. Seattle Seahawks

3. St Louis Rams

4. Arizona Cardinals

If the NFL was decided in a full season like the Premier League, the San Francisco 49ers would probably win it, because they have the best team overall. They have the most talented defense and one of the brightest QB prospects in Colin Kaepernick. But the NFL is much more about delivering in one-off games rather than consistently, and in the Super Bowl, they struggled under the pressure of the occasion in the first half, which ultimately cost them the title. This year, they will have learned from that. The only question hangs over the lack of offensive options Kaepernick has due to injuries for wide receivers Mario Manningham and Michael Crabtree.

The Seattle Seahawks will provide serious competition for the 49ers in this division. Under coach Pete Carroll, the Seahawks have become one of the toughest teams in the NFL and are very difficult to beat at home. Young QB Russell Wilson was a revelation in his rookie year, and they have added wide receiver Percy Harvin as a further weapon – at least when he’s fit anyway, which he won’t be for several weeks. They are no longer just an outside bet – they are legitimate contenders, and a division title could set them up for the franchise’s second run to the Super Bowl.

If the NFL was decided in a full season like the Premier League, the San Francisco 49ers would probably win it, because they have the best team overall

The St Louis Rams are the dark horses for this division, and may decide it. Former Titans coach Jeff Fisher made an immediate impact in his first season as Rams coach as the team jumped from two wins in 2011 to seven in 2012. They held the 49ers to a rare tie at Candlestick Park and beat the Seahawks at home. Expect further improvement this year, and perhaps excitement – little wide receiver Tavon Austin is the early favourite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Arizona Cardinals are the odd one out in this division. Last year, they started very well, winning their first four matches including narrow wins over the Seahawks and Patriots. Then it all fell apart – they lost 11 of their remaining 12 matches. The quarterback position was a real problem, with four starting matches over the course of the year. They hope that the acquisition of the experienced Carson Palmer, formerly of the Raiders, will provide some stability. Him getting the ball to leading wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is the key for this team. But if Palmer struggles, the prospects are bleak.

Super Bowl Prediction

From the AFC, I’m going to predict the Houston Texans. It didn’t quite come together for them in the end last year, but they will have learned from that and improved still further. This may be their big chance to make it to the big game. All will depend on QB Matt Schaub, whose remaining career will be determined by whether or not he is capable of successfully guiding the Texans through this season and the post-season.

Honourable mentions go to:

– the Denver Broncos, largely due to Peyton Manning

– the New England Patriots, largely due to Tom Brady

– and the Cincinnati Bengals, who seem to be coming together well as a team but I’m not convinced have enough extra yet to make the Big Game.

From the NFC, I’m going safe and picking the San Francisco 49ers. They have already shown they are capable of making it to the Super Bowl, with a run that showed plenty of character as well as talent, and came up a fraction short of one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history. Unless other teams find a way of stopping the read-option system, Colin Kaepernick will continue to excite and impress, and the defense is now arguably the best in the NFL.

Honourable mentions go to:

– the Atlanta Falcons, a consistently strong team with one of the best offenses in the league but who have a tough division this year

– the Seattle Seahawks, who keep growing as a team and remain an intimidating force, but may lose out in the seeding if they can’t beat the 49ers in the NFC West

– and the Green Bay Packers, who have the best quarterback in the NFC but may not quite have enough in other areas to reach the Super Bowl this year.

In a Texans-49ers match-up, I would favour San Francisco. In a match where both defenses and offenses are evenly matched, the 49ers’ experience from the previous year would give them an advantage, and in the quarterback department, the dynamic Kaepernick is superior to the game manager Schaub.