It’s never too early to start talking about the playoff race. we’ve already taken a look at the AFC. Now it’s time to look at the NFC.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys 3-3
Dallas started the season with three straight wins. They followed that up with three straight losses. The Cowboys were getting Super Bowl buzz after the first part of their season. Now the old noise about Jason Garrett and his job security have started to bubble up again. The “Pay Dak,” community now are wondering if Dallas should, in fact, pay their current quarterback. Dallas has too deep of a roster and too many good players to be a .500 team. They still have the inside track to the NFC East.
Philadelphia Eagles 3-3
The Eagles have been a disappointment to start the season. Many prognosticators have Philadelphia as one of the best teams in the NFC. It has not played out that way. The Eagles need help in their defensive secondary and they need it now. They were reportedly in the market for Jalen Ramsey, but we know that didn’t happen. Maybe they try and pry away Chris Harris from the Broncos. The Eagles have been up and down. Their offense has been inconsistent. They need to get healthy. They’ll stay in the race.
New York Giants 2-4
Just seeing if you were paying attention. The Giants are one game back in the NFC East but it’s doubtful that they will actually make waves when it comes to the playoffs.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers 5-1
The Packers don’t feel like they have been dominant all year. They’ve been great in the first halves of football games — except against the Lions — and have five wins. That’s all that matters. We can really only expect the Packers to get better as Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur start to understand each other more as the season rolls along. The Packers defense has been very good to start the season. They don’t show any signs of slowing down.
Minnesota Vikings 4-2
Minnesota has to be the most criticized 4-2 team in the NFL. That is not a bad record after the first six games. In fact, it’s pretty good. Minnesota was carried — pun intended — by Dalvin Cook and its defense. They found something of a passing game last week. It’s tough to trust Kirk Cousins, but he’s not as bad as people have made him out to be this season. A lot of quarterbacks look horrible against the Bears defense — and that’s when the Cousins hate got the loudest. Minnesota is a dominant team at home. They have five games there for the rest of the season. Sprinkle in a few road wins and the division title is not out of sight.
Chicago Bears 3-2
The Bears defense is still the Bears defense. The Bears offense hasn’t been very good this season. Their offense is 23rd in DVOA. It wasn’t good with Mitch Trubisky. The same can be said for Chase Daniel. It’s going to be tough for the Bears to make the playoffs if they don’t pick up an offense quickly.
Detroit Lions 2-2-1
The Lions have played better than their record indicates. They should have beaten the Chiefs and the Packers. If they finished those games — or a few penalties weren’t called — they’d be 4-0-1 and be the talk of the league. Now they have to battle to remain in the playoff hunt.
NFC South
New Orleans Saints
The Saints were a Super Bowl contender before the season started. They were playing well with Drew Brees. Then Brees hurt his thumb and it looked by for New Orleans. All Teddy Bridgewater has done is manage games and gone undefeated as a starter. That’s actually thanks to the New Orleans defense and Sean Payton doing an amazing coaching job. Now Brees is about to come back. The NFC South could already be finished.
Carolina Panthers 4-2
The Panthers were out of it. They started out 0-2 and then their former MVP quarterback went down with an injury. Kyle Allen came in and they ran off four straight wins. The Panthers have been better with Allen and now he may not give the job back when Newton returns from injury. It will be interesting to see if Allen can continue winning. The Panthers may not have a shot at a playoff spot if his performance slips.
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers 5-0
The Niners rebuild is officially over. Their defense is dominant. They have young talent up front and they are downright scary when they unleash Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and DeForest Buckner. The patented Shanahan running game is a well-oiled machine. Jimmy Garoppolo hasn’t been great, but he’s been good enough to lead the Niners to an undefeated record. They need to keep winning because the NFC West is one of the best divisions in football.
Seattle Seahawks 5-1
The Seahawks are the cardiac kids of the NFL right now. They aren’t finished until the clock has zeroes showing. Russell Wilson is the odds-leader to win the MVP. Pete Carroll’s defense hasn’t been great — they are 18th in DVOA — but the Seattle offense has been awesome — third in DVOA. Never bet against the Seahawks when it comes to making the playoffs when Wilson and Carroll are in the Pacific Northwest.
Los Angeles Rams 3-3
The Rams haven’t looked great. Jared Goff has been up and down. Todd Gurley has been bad when he has played and is sat out the last game due to injury. The defensive backfield hasn’t been great, but the fix is coming in the form of Jalen Ramsey. Los Angeles has put itself in a precarious position in one of the strongest divisions in football.
