NFL: NFC Contender/Pretender

By Jared Epstein

As we near the end of the season, 2011 has been a wild rollercoaster ride in the NFC. The Lions and 49ers finally decide to show up this season surprising everyone they can actually have winning records in the 21^st century.  The Giants looking great including a magnificent win against Brady and the Pats and yet losing to the Redskins and Seahawks. Green Bay is turning out to be one of the best teams in history, not losing a game since week 16 of last season. With the “dream team” Eagles choking, it gives teams like Dallas a chance to take advantage of an easy schedule. In the midst of all the controversy in the NFC, it’s time to separate the men from the boys. Lets take a closer look into the NFC and choose who’s a contender and who’s a pretender.

Green Bay Packers (9-0; 1^st place in NFC North):  The defending Super Bowl champs are the best team in the NFL, hands down.  They dominate every game they play whether it’s home or away and have scored a minimum of 24 points in every game.  There are no words to describe them except for perfection, at least so far.  In upcoming weeks, the only games I see them having little trouble with are: the Lions, Bears, and Giants but don’t be surprised if they end up going to the playoffs still unbeaten the way Rodgers is handling the ball.

Verdict: Contender

San Francisco 49ers (8-1; 1^st place in NFC West):  San Fran has come out this year fired up and tired of losing. The last time the Niners have finished a season with a winning record was 2002 going 10-6. With a great running back in Frank Gore, Alex Smith starting to wake up, and a number 1 ranked defense in opponent rushing yards, the question isn’t will they win the division, but how far in the playoffs will they go? With the second place teams in their division, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, at 3-6, there’s no doubt they will be in the post-season this year.

Verdict: Contender

New Orleans Saints (7-3; 1^st place in NFC South):  After a huge overtime win against Atlanta last week, the Saints stand alone in first with a two game lead. With six games left in the regular season and a bye week, the Saints play three struggling teams in Tennessee, Minnesota, and Carolina. Plus, the strong teams they play such as the Lions, Giants, and Falcons are all home games so they can have the “who dat” nation loud and right behind them. The Falcons can look real good at times but I see the Drew Brees and the Saints taking 1^st in the division with ease.

Verdict: Contender

New York Giants (6-3; 1^st place in NFC East):  Big blue has surprised everyone this season with being in 1^st place in the eastern conference after week 10. With both the defense and offense bombarded with injuries at the beginning of the year and the “dream team” Eagles in the same division, the season wasn’t going to be easy. Luckily, the Eagles are starting to look like the Heat by blowing five 4^th quarter leads and with Dallas playing up and down certain weeks, the Giants have taken advantage of the division.  On another note, the G-men have the toughest schedule in football ahead of them by playing the undefeated Packers, Saints, Cowboys twice, Eagles and the Jets.  If they can pull out five wins, they will be safe for making the playoffs but that will be an extremely difficult task to pull off.

Verdict: Contender

Chicago Bears (6-3; tied for 2^nd place in NFC North):  With the perfect Packers in the NFC North, 1^st place is out of the question so it’s wild card or nothing for these Bears. After losing to Detroit in week 5, Chicago has battled back and joined 2^nd place after defeating the Lions last week. With Jay Cutler not getting sacked as much as earlier in the season, teams still kicking to Devin Hester, and Matt Forte playing without an off button, the Bears are a team to be taken seriously, especially with a rather easy schedule for the remainder of the season.

Verdict: Contender

Dallas Cowboys (5-4; 2^nd place in NFC East):  This season there are two different Cowboy teams. One team that comes up short on big plays and the other is a dominant force to be reckoned with. With a fairly easy schedule playing the Redskins, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Buccaneers, the Cowboys look good for being playoff bound.  Now that Dallas is getting Dez Bryant move involved in the offense while Miles Austin is out, people can really see how dangerous Bryant is. As long as the defense can keep their future opponents from getting into the end zone too much, look for the Cowboys to be in the playoff picture and possibly get in as 1^st place from the NFC East.

Verdict: Contender

Detroit Lions (6-3; tied for 2^nd place in NFC North):  Let me start by saying bravo to the Detroit Lions. The Lions haven’t had a winning season since 2000 and only 3 years ago in 2008 they succeeded by being the worst team going 0-16. After a red hot 5-0 start this season with the help of the monstrous Calvin Johnson, the Lions have seemed to cool off by going 1-3 in their last four games. This Lions team has proved they can give a tough fight but with the Packers taking first place in the division and the Bears on a roll going 4-1 in their last five games, the road to the playoffs will not be easy. Also, Detroit still has to play the invincible Packers twice, the Saints in New Orleans, a score happy Charger team, and what can be an explosive Raider team at times. I take my hat off to these ferocious Lions and the season isn’t over yet but I see the Lions coming up short to the Bears for the wild card spot, leaving them watching football in January instead of playing themselves.

Verdict: Pretender

Atlanta Falcons (5-4; 2^nd place in NFC South):  Atlanta has had a mediocre start compared to last season finishing first in the division with a 13-3 record. Also, the Matt Ryan and Roddy White connection hasn’t been as strong as usual but fortunately for Atlanta, Michael Turner is still contributing big numbers. Despite getting big plays from rookie Julio Jones, look for the Falcons to perform like Turner on the 4^th and short run against the Saints in overtime- just short.  First place isn’t going to happen in the division at this point due to the Saints fairly easy record so the only hope they have is the wildcard.  Having said that, they will have to compete for that spot with a strong looking Cowboy team and possibly a solid 4^th quarter comeback Giants team depending on how the NFC East turns out.  Don’t get me wrong, the Falcons have a good chance with 6 games left in the season but I pick Atlanta to come up one or two games short of a wild card spot.

Verdict: Pretender

Predictions:

NFC North- Green Bay Packers (1 seed)

NFC West- San Francisco 49ers (2 seed)

NFC South- New Orleans Saints (3 seed)

NFC East- New York Giants (4 seed)

Wild Card- Dallas Cowboys (5 seed)

Wild Card- Chicago Bears (6 seed)

Wild Card Round- New Orleans over Chicago; New York over Dallas

Divisional Round- Green Bay over New York; New Orleans over San Francisco

Championship Round- Green Bay over New Orleans 

NFL: Ranking the Quarterbacks Under the Age of 26

I made this list after realizing that in the past 4 seasons, the NFL season has seen a wave of young quarterbacks taking over the league. This list was originally supposed to be a 30-and-under group, but with established quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, and Ben Roethlisberger all in their 20s, it seemed better to rank the 11 starting quarterbacks under the age of 26. This list is not compiled based on skill today, but rather potential. An inside look at who will be the best quarterbacks 7-8 years from now, only on The Jockstrap. 

11. Curtis Painter- Indianapolis Colts (Age 26)

     Painter likely wouldn’t have been on this list if it weren’t for the neck injury of Peyton Manning and the concussion of Kerry Collins. Painter finds himself in the starting role for the 0-4 Colts. Although Painter has shown that he can throw a decent enough ball to Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon, his ceiling is the lowest of this list. Painter will likely finish this season as the Indy starter and then remain a career backup for the remainder of his NFL days. 

In Ten Years: Backing up Andrew Luck for the Indianapolis Colts

10. Blaine Gabbert- Jacksonville Jaguars (Age 21)

     So far Gabbert only has two starts under his NFL belt. It was a shock to all when the Jaguars cut longtime starter David Garrard before the season, only to name journey-man Luke McCown the opening day starter. Gabbert took over in week 3 after McCown threw four interceptions in New York against the Jets in week 2. Gabbert has all the skills to be a solid NFL quarterback; strong arm, good pocket presence, and mobile enough to get away from tacklers. The sample size for Gabbert isn’t nearly as large as some of the other names on this list, but as of right now I don’t see Gabbert as the “savior” of the franchise that Jacksonville was looking for when they drafted him 10th overall in last years draft. 

In Ten Years: Gabbert will be a solid NFL quarterback, but nothing to get crazy over. Starting somewhere, but maybe not Jacksonville. 

9. Colt McCoy- Cleveland Browns (Age 25)

     McCoy is a winner, anyone whose ever watched him play in college knows that. He has a really, really weak arm by all NFL standards, but his mobility when the pocket collapses is really something. McCoy reminds me of someone who will never throw for 25+ touchdowns or make a Pro Bowl, but someone who will keep his team in games and maybe make a few playoff appearances. I would really like to see what McCoy could do with a receiving core where the #1 wasn’t named Mohamed Massaquoi. 

In Ten Years: If he’s still in Cleveland, a fan favorite for a franchise that has been heartbroken at the quarterback position over and over again. If it doesn’t last in Cleveland, he’ll be a great backup or solid starter somewhere. 

8. Andy Dalton- Cincinnati Bengals (Age 23)

     Picking between Dalton and McCoy was tough for who was higher on the list. They are very much the same, Dalton was just as much of a winner in college as McCoy was. The only reason Dalton is higher on the list is because of his makeup. Dalton looks and plays like someone who will succeed in the NFL. The only problem is, he plays for the Bengals. The combo of Dalton to AJ Green will be one that will have Bengals fans salivating over for years to come. 

In Ten Years: A few 25+ touchdown seasons, maybe a playoff appearance or two. 

7. Joe Flacco- Baltimore Ravens (Age 26)

     This is the part of the list where fairly established quarterbacks are ranked pretty low. Flacco was anointed as the long awaited “elite” quarterback the Ravens have lacked since their inception in 1996. Since he was drafted, I really haven’t seen Flacco progress dramatically. He’ll have his 3 touchdown days every now and again, but most of the time you’ll be seeing a game manager, and nothing more. Flacco possesses and arm that rivals that of any other quarterback in the league, but that means nothing if your not accurate and clutch in big moments. 

In Ten Years: I could see Flacco leading the Ravens deep into the playoffs, maybe even a Super Bowl birth down the line. The window is closing, however, with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis getting up there in age. 

6. Matt Ryan- Atlanta Falcons (Age 26)

     Coming out of Boston College in 2007, Ryan was easily the best and most NFL ready quarterback in the draft. Since then, he’s led his team to two playoff appearances,  three winning seasons, and an NFL best 14-2 record in 2010. However, I don’t believe that Ryan will be able to elevate his game high enough to get into the discussion of the Manning-Brees-Brady-Rodgers status. Ryan will throw for a lot of touchdowns and win a lot of games, but so far he has yet to win a playoff game, and that is a big red flag for his potential. 

In Ten Years: A fan favorite for the Falcons, taking them to several playoffs and even winning a few postseason games. Will make the Pro Bowls and have the stats, maybe even an MVP. But I don’t see a Lombardi Trophy in his future. 

5. Josh Freeman- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Age 23)

     Freeman is the type of quarterback that scouts salivate over. He’s big, he’s fast, and he’s clutch. Last Sunday Freeman notched his 7th career come from behind victory in only 3 seasons as a starter. He wins, and he’s doing it will a pretty lackluster supporting cast. The only problem I have with Freeman is that I feel he has been overhyped, and that is hard to do when you play in Tampa. Freeman’s style of play is also an injury waiting to happen. Looking at it now, his career can go two ways: the next Ben Roethlisberger or the next Daunte Culpepper. 

In Ten Years: He’ll have his fair share of injury-prone seasons, but I’m confident that he’ll lead the Bucs to the playoffs one day. The only problem is playing in a division with Drew Brees, Cam Newton, and Matt Ryan quarterbacking the other teams. 

4. Mark Sanchez- New York Jets (Age 24)

     Its probably not the best idea to rank Sanchez #4 after putting up the worst ever total quarterback ranking last week against the Ravens (0.6), but I have high hopes for Mark...and its not because I’m a Jets fan. Sanchez possesses the tools that you look for in a quarterback. He may be small by some measures, but the guy is a flat out winner. 4-2 in the playoffs in his first two seasons is a stat that not even Tom Brady can boast about. Sanchez will make a whole bunch of people scream with his poor decisions and average arm strength, but looking at this list if my team was down in the fourth quarter, I would want the Sanchize behind center. 

In Ten Years: Will have a successful career in New York. Will not be shocked if he leads them to more AFC Championship games, and a Super Bowl appearance is not out of the question. A solid offensive line would boost Sanchez’ turnover rate and completion percentage dramatically.

3. Matt Stafford- Detroit Lions (Age 23)

     Its great that this season were finally seeing what a healthy Matt Stafford can do. He has all the skill in the world, and it doesn’t hurt to have the most physically dominant wide receiver in the game on his side. The one thing that will forever hinder Stafford is his injuries. A china doll behind center is not a good sign, even with a good offensive line like they have in Detroit. The Lions, like Stafford, are young and ready to win both now and in the future. 

In Ten Years: Stafford will be a god in Detroit. Won’t be shocked if they make the playoffs this year or in the future. Will make Pro Bowl’s and garner MVP votes, but will miss at least another full season due to injuries. 

2. Sam Bradford- St. Louis Rams (Age 23)

     Bradford, like Stafford, is a site to see when healthy. One of the most accurate quarterbacks in the game right now to go along with a good deep ball. The only problem with Bradford is that his team is awful. The offensive line, receiving core, and defense all stink. Bradford is the face of the franchise, and will be for years to come. If he can stay healthy (he has so far in the NFL), and the Rams get him someone to pass to, he’ll turn a whole bunch of heads. 

In Ten Years: Will be a top-5 quarterback in the league. Pro Bowl’s, awards, there all coming his way. Will win the NFC West plenty of times, especially if it remains anemic. 30+ touchdown thrower for sure. 

1. Cam Newton- Carolina Panthers (Age 22)

     All spring and summer everyone talked about how big of a bust Newton was going to be. We all saw the “Gruden QB Camp” video where he couldn’t even draw a play from the Auburn playbook. We all knew that the kid was going to be the smartest quarterback of all time, that he may have a flash here or there of being a force...but did anybody see this coming? Newton came out of the gate with back-to-back 400 yard passing games, and through the first quarter of the season has racked up 1,386 yards passing, an 84.5 quarterback rating, and 9(!) total touchdowns; 4 on the ground and 5 in the air. Newton is a physical specimen the likes the NFL has never seen. a 6 foot 5 quarterback who runs like a wideout and barrels over defenders like a fullback. Who knows if the Panthers will be any good this season or the next, but one thing that is for sure is that Cam Newton is going to continue to drop jaws. 

In Ten Years: A Pro Bowler, fan favorite, media favorite, will be called a locker room cancer, will set records on the ground and in the air, one of the most dynamic players in the NFL without a doubt. A playoff here and there, maybe even taking the Panthers deep into the winter. One thing that will be clear, Newton will be a must-watch every week that he plays in. 

NFL: Week Two Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers- Survived a scare by the man, the myth, the legend Cam Newton. Aaron Rodgers started off slow, but that offense appears to be unstoppable. The defense is shaky, and will suffer due to the season ending neck injury of Nick Collins (safety). Will remain in the top spot until they lose.

2. New England Patriots- Another week, another 400+ yards passing for golden boy Tom Brady. Brady utilized the greatest two headed tight end monster in recent years, throwing three touchdowns between Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Like the Packers, the Patriots defense is getting shaky. If teams can throw on the Patriots, then they have a chance to beat them in a shootout. 

3. New York Jets- The Jets may have been able to move up five spots in this weeks rankings, but there is without a doubt a huge drop off between #2 and #3. New York’s defense completely demolished the passing game of the Jacksonville Jaguars, forcing four interceptions from Luke McCown. However, if the Jets want to make the leap to the next level and join the Patriots and Packers in the upper echelon, then the offense needs to improve in all phases. Mark Sanchez threw two poor interceptions in the first half, but looked good overall other than that. The real problem lies with the offensive line. Wayne Hunter (RT) looks like he is going to get Sanchez killed this season. If the offensive line gels and give Sanchez time in the pocket while opening up the running game for Shonn Greene, the unit will improve as a whole. However, losing All-Pro center Nick Mangold for the foreseeable future to a high ankle sprain is going to hurt, alot. 

4. Philadelphia Eagles- Sunday nights game against the Atlanta Falcons was the Eagles game to lose, and thats exactly what they did. There should not have been much hope once Tyler Palko entered the contest at quarterback, but it isn’t a stretch to say that the Eagles win that game if Mike Vick stayed healthy. However, now Philadelphia must deal with a concussed Vick as they enter an important early season divisional game against the New York Giants. 

5. New Orleans Saints- New Orleans bounced back after a tough loss to the Packers in week one by defeating the Chicago Bears 30-13 at home. Prior to an 80-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson, Drew Brees and the Saints offense looked anemic. The defense was shaky too, but due to a solid performance and losses by other teams, the Saints stand pat at the number five spot this week. 

6. Baltimore Ravens- It can be said about every team in the NFL these days, but teams play just as well as their quarterback. Week one the Ravens demolished the Steelers and Joe Flacco looked like Joe Montana. This past week, Flacco and the Ravens lost an awful game to the resurgent Tennessee Titans. Flacco went 15-32 with one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss, only racking up 197 yards passing. The Ravens need to find out if they are the team that beat the Steelers in all phases week one, or the squad that played like a Division-II college team against the Titans. 

7. Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers actually stand pat at the number seven spot this week, despite shutting down the Seattle Seahawks 24-0 at home. This is due to the fact that I still think the Ravens are better than the Steelers, and because the Seahawks are the worst team in football. However, the Steelers played exactly how good teams should play against bad ones. 

8. Chicago Bears- Chicago drops two spots this week after losing to the Saints for the first time in the last three meetings between the two teams. I hope Jay Cutler has good health insurance, because that Bears offensive line looks to be among the worst in the league this year. Matt Forte continued his strong play this week, but it will take better performances on offense and defense for the Bears to leapfrog the Packers in the NFC North. 

9. Atlanta Falcons- I don’t give much credit to the Flacons for beating the Eagles Sunday night at home. Matt Ryan’s numbers are deceiving, if it weren’t for Tony Gonzalez continuing to defy logic and Mike Vick getting hurt, the Falcons would have lost that game. Better play from Ryan at the quarterback position could allow the Falcons to outlast the Saints in the NFC South, but the jury is still out as to if this Atlanta team is as good as the one that went 14-2 last year. 

10. Detroit Lions- No, that is not a typo. The Lions of Detroit are for real, and this is 2011 not 1995. Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson are showing exactly why the Lions used top 5 picks to select both of them in past drafts. If Stafford can remain healthy (talk about beating a dead horse by saying that), then the Lions could be in contention for a playoff spot. The Lions have a slight test this week against the Vikings, but its safe to say that football in Detroit might be back for the long term. 

Honorable Mentions: San Diego Chargers (lost to New England 35-21), Houston Texans(defeated the Dolphins 23-13), Buffalo Bills (defeated the Raiders 38-35)

NFL: Week 2 Storylines

5.) Detroit v Kansas City- This is the battle of the perceived underrated and the overrated. Kansas City lost handily to the Bills last weekend, 41-7. The two headed monster of Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles was nowhere to be found, while Matt Cassel only averaged 3.31 yards per attempt passing. Critics have been quick to write the Chiefs off after making the playoffs last season, but a win against the rejuvinated Lions could quickly get them back on track. While the score of last weeks Tampa Bay-Detroit game looked close, 27-20, the Lions won that game easily, even while not playing well. A 4th-and-2 late in the game touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson showed the rest of the league that the Lions are not messing around this season. The winner of this game should be discussed among potential playoff teams for the rest of the season. 

4.) Buffalo v Oakland- Wait, did I just read that right? A week two Bills-Raiders game is actually interesting? What year is this? The Raiders have a chance to start 2-0 for the first time since 2002, the last time they reached the Super Bowl, also known as the last year Al Davis was actually alive. Buffalo might have been the most impressive team from last week, and a 2-0 start against a solid Oakland defense could be a convincing message to the rest of the league that the Bills are making a return to relevance. 

3.) San Diego v New England- These two teams have been among the elite in the AFC for the past decade, and this early season game already has huge playoff implications. San Diego has always been a strong team, but they have never been able to take it to that next level, usually because the Patriots have always been standing in the way. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense looked unstoppable again last week against Miami, a game where Brady threw for 500+ yards, including a 99-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker. If the Chargers can get pressure on Brady and rattle him early, they have a chance to start off 2-0 and beat New England for only the second time in the last 11 meetings. 

2.) Chicago v New Orleans- For all the success Drew Brees has had since joining the Saints in 2006, he has always had trouble against the Chicago Bears. People still remember when Brees and the Saints lost at Soldier Field in the snow during the NFC Championship Game of 2006, and since then the Saints have lost to the Bears three times. Critics everywhere believed that the Bears would be among this years underachievers, after an improbable 13-3 season that ended with a NFC Championship lost to the hated Packers. However, Brian Urlacher and the Bears looked phenomenal against the Falcons last week. Urlacher is dealing with the loss of his mother this week, but expects to play on Sunday. Emotions will be running high in Chicago, and a loss for the Saints would put them at 0-2 right out of the game. 

1.) Eagles v Falcons- Michael Vick makes his triumphant(?) return to Atlanta, his first time returning to the ATL as a starter for an NFL team. The Falcons lost horribly to the Bears last week, and this game is a must win for Matt Ryan and Atlanta. This game has primetime written all over it, and look for Vick to have a highlight reel performance against the team that drafted him in 2001.