NFC East
1) Dallas Cowboys* - Tony Romo might be a choke artist in the playoffs but he's a masterful play maker during the regular season, not to mention T.O. is in his contract year.
2) Philadelphia Eagles* - Asante Samuel will solidify an already strong
secondary, and DeSean Jackson could be a surprise play maker that Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook have been looking for.
3) New York Giants* - Fresh off a Super Bowl victory the Giants will be looking for a repeat, while they may not win the NFC East crown they'll definitely fi
nd themselves back in the playoff picture.
4) Washington Redskins - The 'Skins made the playoffs without Jason Campbell as their quarterback and it's hard to imagine him leading them there this year. A new offensive coordinator and new head coach will be enough for the fourth year Campbell.
NFC North
1) Minnesota Vikings* - Jared Allen gives Minnesota one of, if not the best defensive lines in the league. Adrian Peterson will continue his dominance on the league; however, the Vikings success is all subject to Tavaris Jackson's play.
2) Chicago Bears - DA BEARS? They were terrible last year but they do have the players and coaches to change things around in the Windy City.
3) Green Bay Packers - The young Packers are left w
ithout Favre and now it's up to the inexperienced Aaron Rodgers to lead this team back to the playoffs, sort of a challenge if you ask me.
4) Detroit Lions - The Lions started off strong last year but fell off the face of the earth in the second half, don't expect much from a team who hasn't been to the playoffs during the Bush Administration.
NFC West
1) Seattle Seahawks* - I don't see Seattle losing it's stronghold on the West anytime soon. Cutting ties with Shaun Alexander was a move long overdue, and never count out Matt Hasselbeck he's worked wonders with a receiving corps made up of #2 receivers.
2) St. Louis Rams - The Rams battled through injuries to Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger and never got their heads above water; however, if Chris Long lives up to his draft status him and Adam Carriker will wreak havoc on the NFC West.
3) Arizona Cardinals - How long can the dual quarterback system work in the desert? A lot of young talent will ever mesh together for a long awaited winning season, or it could be another disappointing year for Cardinals fans everywhere.
4) San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith is looking more like a bust every day and with Mike Nolan on the hot seat it looks as if the Niners are in for a heap of trouble. Any and all success rests on the shoulders of Vernon Davis and Frank Gore who both need to bounce back from disappointing 2007 campaigns.
NFC South
1) New Orleans Saints* - The Saints finally added the missing pieces to their defense and it looks like the 2006 magic could be back this year. However with Will Smith holding out of team activities and Charles Grant in legal trouble the could-be NFC champs might run into trouble.
2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The last four seasons the team that has finished first one season went to the basement the next, that will change this year. The Bucs have the makings of a solid team who could return to the playoffs if they play like they did last season.
3) Carolina Panthers - Jake Delhomme is coming off Tommy John surgery and Julius Peppers is coming off his worst statistical season, if the Panthers want to win they'll need their two perennial pro-bowlers to step up.
4) Atlanta Falcons - Michael Vick blah blah blah Matt Ryan blah blah blah. The Falcons need help from the top to the bottom and its going to be a long long time before they get back on the right path. Michael Turner will be a solid foundation for Matt Ryan and the Falcons future.
*Denotes playoff bound team
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