NFC playoff picture Saints Eagles pace tough field

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NFC playoff picture: Saints, Eagles pace tough field Published: Nov 15, 2017 at 10:46 PM Around The NFL Podcast Co-Host It's never too early to examine . Actually, not true. This exercise makes sub-zero sense in September and none in October, as godle s injuries turn promising outfits into white-hot disasters (see: , Houston), while other clubs unravel before our eyes (see: , Buffalo). One week before , though, we finally have a grasp of these teams. How they're built, how they bounce back from defeat and how they attack the enemy -- at least, in the NFC. While the AFC is stocked with a soupy mora s of mid-level pretenders, the top-heavy National Football Conference offers a lineup of surging, well-coached rosters built to perform deep into winter. Attempting to paint the playoff picture, we'll dive into the mathematical variables, scheduling tics and January probabilities in the coming weeks. For now, let's play a game of Who's for real in this year's version of the NFC playoff race? Let's dive in: Winter is coming -- and they're fine with that 1) New Orleans Saints: It goes beyond of the , although that contest displayed exactly why New Orleans (7-2) sits atop this list. Winners of seven straight, Sean Payton's band of rowdies has morphed into a mirror opposite of teams past. For years, they hung around with a high-flying Drew Brees-led air attack that angled to mask endle s incarnations of terrible defense. Not this time. and rookie have become the league's most dazzling thunder-and-lightning ground duo, while Brees and Payton have made perfect use of a sets like in the pa sing game. Not unlike the 2014 with Tony Romo, the are blistering teams with the run -- they carried the ball 24 straight times against Buffalo -- and effectively asking Brees to do le s. Add a surging defense to the mix, and the are built for January and beyond. 2) Philadelphia Eagles: Like the , the (8-1) boast the innate ability to control the clock and overpower the enemy with a powerful stable of backs who take over games after Mark Giordano Jersey wunderkind pa ser has filleted teams through the air. Go watch Philly's for an example of how Wentz and friends attack from the first minute and never let go. The quarterback already accomplishes more pre-snap than plenty of experienced veterans will ever dream of, while offering some of the juiciest mobility league-wide. is concerning, but the -- armed with a vicious defensive front -- offer no overt weakne s. It would be fascinating to watch Wentz and Brees, two marvelous pa sers at opposite ends of their careers, square off come January. The stunner 3) Los Angeles Rams: They deserve their own category. For years under Jeff Fisher, the (7-2) -- with many of the same parts -- were an unwatchable, hulking me s on offense. When a franchise tells you it needs half a decade to rebuild, simply point to the , who struck gold with first-year coach Sean McVay and invaluable defensive play-caller Wade Phillips. has blo somed into a franchise anchor under center, is a viable MVP candidate and the defense has morphed into an opportunistic beast. General manager Les Snead took plenty of heat during the Fisher days, but his magnificent offseason -- adding left tackle and evolving wideout -- has paid off in spades. This is the team nobody wants to play. Their fans all want them higher on this list 4) Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota landing fourth explains the powerful nature of the NFC. The (7-2) come armed with a Super Bowl-level defense and an offense littered with playmakers. Wideout has become a bona fide luminary alongside , while and have filled in admirably for . The defense is loaded -- , , and pack a punch -- but the question boils down to quarterback, and it's a nice problem to have: Journeyman has been Brandon Tanev Kids Jersey surprisingly reliable, but will the ultimately choose to hand the offense over to back-from-injury ? Coach Mike Zimmer -- who, as of Wednesday, -- must handle this situation with care. 5) Carolina Panthers: I'm tempted to place them higher after , a statement game that saw Carolina (7-3) run for nearly 300 yards after gashing the for 200-plus . Like the , the have completely transformed themselves on offense, wideout to maximize a band of speedy pa s-catchers who can spread the field and open up the run game. That strategy sounded like hot air when the swap went down, but Carolina deserves credit. Instead of clinging to their boring attack from earlier in the year, the are allowing quarterback to run free and keep the enemy gue sing. So far, so good, and they have the star-studded defense to complement this strategy, making it feel like 2015 all over again. 6) Seattle Seahawks: The 'Hawks (6-3) earn points for their rich playoff experience and the magic-spinning powers of , the most relied-upon quarterback in the entire conference. The defense is a proven, but Seattle just lost All-Pro cover man , and I can't help but recall how just a few weeks ago. The ground game comes and goes, but Seattle always finds a way to figure its i sues out down the stretch. This team can win a playoff game and more if the injury bug flitters away for good. Questions and mysteries abound 7) Dallas Cowboys: Last Sunday's was a ma sive red flag. The (5-4) were a shadow of themselves with , All-Pro left tackle and uber-important linebacker . is that Smith can play this Sunday -- sending bookend-disaster back into the shadows -- but the sit three games behind the eight-win in a conference with four other seven-win teams and a six-win contender. With Lee and Elliott banned until Week 16, adversity is creeping up in Jamie Oleksiak Jersey Big D. A lo s could prove fatal. Something feels off 8) , 9) , 10) , 11) Green Bay Packers: Atlanta (5-4) over the , but only with Dallas mi sing a bushel of stars. Nice win, but the -- in their current form -- lack the DNA to hang with the big boys up top. ... The (5-4) are fun to watch, but they were for nearly three quarters on Sunday. has been sensational, but the are an incomplete bunch. ... One week, Washington (4-5) looks like it could take down anyone in the NFL. Seven days later, you get an entirely different squad. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky has coached a handful of brilliant games this season, but Jay Gruden's team has battled injuries and too much inconsistency to be seen as a legitimate threat. ... from were encouraging, but the sit two games behind Minnesota in the NFC North, with the , , and . Does this feel like a team about to rip off five straight wins with ? All they need is a miracle 12) (4-5), 13) (3-6), 14) (3-6): Let's talk in a month if any one of these teams is more than floating driftwood atop the watery aby s of a lost campaign. For the completists 15) (1-8), 16) (1-9): Consider this box checked off. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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