Few contenders in NFC
Whoever wins the NFC East could be an underdog in the playoffs, though a home game comes with winning the division.
The last four teams to play for the NFC championship have the same goal: Super Bowl or bust.
Carolina, Arizona, Seattle and Green Bay are still the class of a conference that has far more pretenders than contenders. It’s a smart bet one of the four teams will be in Houston playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.
Reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton led the Panthers to a 17-1 record before Von Miller and the Broncos stifled them in the Super Bowl. Carolina returns the bulk of its roster except All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman, now in Washington. The offense should be even better because star receiver Kelvin Benjamin is back after a knee injury forced him to miss last season.
“Given the talent we have on the offensive side, it’s about every guy maximizing their role,” Newton said. “We don’t want to look back and say we didn’t maximize our opportunity with all these talents.”
The last eight teams to lose the Super Bowl have won at least 10 games the next season.
But no team has reached the title game a year after losing since the 1993 Bills.
“You can never be satisfied,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “We didn’t win the Super Bowl. So that right there is enough for us to stay motivated and keep moving toward our goal.”
The Cardinals were 133 last year and are 34-14 under Bruce Arians. A
blowout loss at Carolina in the NFC title game was a bitter end to a fine season.
Carson Palmer is coming off his best season, but threw four interceptions against the Panthers. Palmer turns 37 in December, so there’s urgency to win now.
Se a t t l e al s o wa s knocked out of the playoffs by the Panthers. The Seahawks might have even more depth than they did when they almost won consecutive Super Bowls in 2013-14.
Running back Thomas Ra w l s — Ma r s h a w n Lynch’s replacement — and tight end Jimmy Graham are back from significant injuries that ended their 2015 seasons early.
Russell Wilson led the NFL in passer rating and is still improving.
“We know what it takes to win a lot of games,” Wilson said.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are looking to rebound after Minnesota ended their four-year reign in the NFC North. Star receiver Jordy Nelson is back after missing
the season with a knee injury. Running back Eddie Lacy slimmed down. Even Rodgers altered his diet after minor knee surgery in the offseason.
If everyone around him stays healthy, Rodgers should return to MVP form.
He had 3,821 yards passing, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions in a “down” year for him in 2015.
The Vikings round out the top 5 in the NFC. But they need much more production from Teddy Bridgewater to have a chance to win the conference. Bridgewater finished in the bottom third of the NFL in most quarterback categories last season.
Minnesota’s offense still relies on Adrian Peterson, who led the league with 1,485 yards rushing last season. If the 31-yearold Peterson slows down, the Vikings could be in trouble.
Whoever wins the NFC East could be an underdog in the playoffs, though a home game comes with winning the division.