NFC Preview

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys 12-4

Reasons to hope: Simply put, the Cowboys are loaded from top to bottom. With three good running backs (Felix Jones, Marion Barber III and Tashard Choice) and three very good pass catchers (Jason Witten, Miles Austin and rookie Dez Bryant) Tony Romo could have trouble deciding just which playmaker he wants to give the ball to on each play. Nose tackle Jay Ratliff makes the defense go. He gets such a strong push up front that pass rushers Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware can fly to the quarterback almost untouched at times.

Reasons to mope: The Cowboys do have issues along the offensive line. They’re counting on the unproven Doug Free to play left tackle, and his success, or lack thereof, could be a major factor. The ‘Boys have a ton of weapons, but getting each player enough touches could be challenging. For all the talent Coach Wade Phillips has had, Dallas hasn’t done much damage in the playoffs. This year will make or break his career in Texas.

2. *New York Giants 9-7

Reasons to hope: The Giants made significant additions on the defensive side of the ball in an effort to rectify last year’s biggest problem. Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle, linebacker Keith Bulluck, and safety Deon Grant could pay huge dividends, as will the healthy return of Kenny Phillips and a fast start by top draft picks Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph. Quarterback Eli Manning is steady, if unspectacular, and has an array of weapons at his disposal.

Reasons to mope: The Giants can’t seem to avoid the injury bug in the secondary. There’s really no way of knowing whether the D will be any better. The Giants are aging on the offensive line and the long-time quintet will soon be broken up. Big Blue also must run the ball better, but durability is an issue in the backfield.

3. Philadelphia Eagles 8-8

Reasons to hope: The Eagles are trying to rebuild on the fly, and so far so good. They’ve integrated some very good young talents on both sides of the ball including LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek on offense and Ernie Sims and Brandon Graham on defense. Like the top teams in the division, Philadelphia has plenty of talent at the skill positions.

Reasons to mope: While moving on from Donovan McNabb may turn out to be a wise decision in the long run, it’s an undeniable downgrade right now. Kevin Kolb may turn into a star, but this team had playoff aspirations every year McNabb as in Philly and expectations must now be tempered for an inpatient fan base. The Eagles also lack toughness on defense. Coach Andy Reid finds a way to keep his team in the playoff race every year, but with so many young players this season could be challenging.

4. Washington Redskins 8-8

Reasons to hope: A new and improved coaching staff and quarterback should immediately improve Washington. Donovan McNabb is the best QB the Redskins have had in years. New coach Mike Shanahan brings a winning attitude and plenty of experience and could turn this franchise around in a hurry. The Redskins have an extremely stout defense that gets less credit than it deserves because of the futility of the team as a whole.

Reasons to mope: McNabb has had all kinds of trouble staying healthy throughout his career. If he goes down, Washington is right back where it started. The Redskins need a lot out of Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson at running back, but neither has very much to give. Santana Moss is a proven receiver, but he’s the team’s No 1. guy and that’s a problem.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers 13-3

Reasons to hope: The Packers will have a dynamic offense led by potential MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He has three excellent options in the passing game in veterans Greg Jennings and Donald Driver and the up and coming Jermichael Finley. Running back Ryan Grant enjoyed a very good bounce-back season in 2009. On defense, the Packers have last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Charles Woodson, in addition to a solid group of veterans and talented youngsters B.J. Raji, A.J. Hawk and Clay Matthews.

Reasons to mope: The Packers are a very popular Super Bowl pick, but they can’t hide from last season’s offensive line woes. Aaron Rodgers is among the league’s most talented signal-callers, but constant pressure can disrupt even the greatest QBs. The North is a two-team race between the Vikings and Packers, and Green Bay will have to beat Minnesota in order to win the division, something the Pack couldn’t do last year.

2. Minnesota Vikings 9-7

Reasons to hope: Adrian Peterson has been unseated by Chris Johnson, but he’s still the second-best back in the league. A strong ground game will go a long way to keeping defenders honest instead of teeing off on Brett Favre. The Vikings have a good offensive line, and arguably the best D line in the league. It’s still next to impossible to run on Minnesota with hulking tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams clogging the middle. A good linebacker corps and solid secondary are aided by Jared Allen’s ferocious pass-rushing.

Reasons to mope: Favre came back very late in the summer and his health is always a concern. But Minnesota has more to worry about on offense than just its quarterback; star wide receiver Sidney Rice will miss a huge chunk of the season and second-year pro Percy Harvin is battling migraines. Adrian Peterson’s image has taken a serious hit as his fumbling woes have become a major problem.

3. Chicago Bears 6-10

Reasons to hope: The Bears were looking toward this year before last season was two weeks old, as defensive captain Brian Urlacher was lost to injury. A healthy No. 54 will be far more important to the Bears than the addition of Julius Peppers. Still, Peppers was signed to a massive deal and seems poised for a big year. On offense, the Bears need Matt Forte to carry the load. He can’t be much worse than he was last year.

Reasons to mope: Same story every year. The Bears have stubbornly refused to acquire a legitimate No. 1 receiver, or even a No. 2. Quarterback Jay Cutler is reckless enough on his own; that he doesn’t have good options to throw to just makes it worse. The Bears have a questionable offensive line, so Forte could struggle again.

4. Detroit Lions 6-10

Reasons to hope: The latest Lions rebuild is looking very promising. Rookie running back Jahvid Best is drawing rave reviews and he’ll team up with second-year QB Matt Stafford to form the future of the Detroit offense (which is of course buoyed by superstar receiver Calvin Johnson). On D, the Lions expect big things from rookie DT Ndamukong Suh. They brought in some other nice pieces to help revamp the defense in DT Corey Williams and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Reasons to mope: The Lions have a handful of very good young pieces, but they still have way too many holes. Safety C.C. Brown was awful for the Giants last year and Detroit could use more talent at linebacker. The Lions have a couple playmakers on offense, but could use a bit more talent at the skill positions and along the offensive line.

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints 11-5

Reasons to hope: The defending Super Bowl champs are returning virtually everyone of importance on the offensive side of the ball. Drew Brees and company should have no trouble lighting up scoreboards again. Look for Pierre Thomas to have a monster year. The defense also looks similar to last season. It isn’t a dominant unit, but it doesn’t have to be because of the explosive offense.

Reasons to mope: Many think the Saints will miss Scott Fujita at linebacker, but the reality is that most of the defense is very average. They aren’t expected to shut down offenses, and that’s OK. Still, it will be tough for the Super Bowl champions to be as good this season when one unit is so much better than the other.

2. *Atlanta Falcons 10-6

Reasons to hope: Running back Michael Turner is healthy, Matt Ryan is poised for a breakout year, and the Falcons have an underrated group of receivers in Roddy White, Michael Jenkins and Tony Gonzalez. Atlanta reminds me a bit of Baltimore, sans the killer front-seven. The offense should really take off this year, and the defense made two very good moves by adding rookie linebacker Sean Witherspoon and cornerback Dunta Robinson. The D still isn’t a dominant unit, but it should be pretty good.

Reasons to mope: Turner’s health is becoming a concern. He has the feel of one of those running backs who could break down rather quickly. The Falcons are a good team, but may lack the real star power and identity to surpass some of the NFC’s powerhouses.

3. Carolina Panthers 9-7

Reasons to hope: Jake Delhomme is gone. It’s tough to say whether Matt Moore will be a good quarterback or whether the Panthers just needed anything but Jake. They still have the two-headed monster of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams at running back and the ever-reliable Steve Smith at wideout, but they said goodbye to many other veterans. Younger is probably going to be better, but the Panthers made a pretty dramatic overhaul and could start a little slow.

Reasons to mope: The revamped roster could pay long-term dividends, but the Panthers may suffer some serious growing pains. Moore may not be a significant enough upgrade. The Panthers defense was dominant in the preseason, but will suffer without Thomas Davis over the course of a 16-game schedule.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-12

Reasons to hope: Second-year quarterback Josh Freeman has shown brief glimpses of his potential. The Buccaneers have a couple decent offensive players in Cadillac Williams and Kellen Winslow Jr. Rookie Gerald McCoy is a star in the making at DT. The Bucs secondary should be pretty good.

Reasons to mope: The Buccaneers are very thin on talent on offense. Their two good players, Williams and Winslow Jr., are extremely injury prone. There’s not much behind them as rookie wide receiver Mike Williams was quite the head case at Syracuse. The defense will be better, but not good enough.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers 12-4

Reasons to hope: The 49ers will literally have to try to not win this awful division. The defense, led by linebacker Patrick Willis, is getting better and better and will be among the league’s best. On offense, Michael Crabtree should be huge in his first full season. Last year proved what tight end Vernon Davis is capable of. Quarterback Alex Smith is a question mark, but with those two receivers and running back Frank Gore, he could quietly have a nice year.

Reasons to mope: Smith seems like he’s finally settling in at QB, but until he puts together a full season the 49ers have to be worried about him. Frank Gore had a very nice season, but the 49ers were hurt by the loss of backup RB Glen Coffee. Gore’s new backup, ex-Eagle Brian Westbrook, was once a game-breaker, but is now a shell of himself. The offensive line could start two talented rookies, but rookies nevertheless.

2. St. Louis Rams 6-10

Reasons to hope: I love what I’m hearing out of St. Louis. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford seems to have brought in a new positive attitude that is rubbing off on everyone in the organization. A new, talented, and healthy quarterback will give RB Steven Jackson a shot in the arm. On defense the Rams have a few nice young pieces. The keepers are young, but stop-gap acquisitions Fred Robbins and Na’il Diggs are decent players.

Reasons to mope: The Rams may have worse targets for Bradford than the Bears have for Jay Cutler. He has the talent, but without the weapons it will be hard for him to produce (unless the Rams get Vincent Jackson). The Rams have a few good players on D, but are held together at a few spots by shoestrings.

3. Seattle Seahawks 5-11

Reasons to hope: The ‘Hawks have the only quarterback in the division that has enjoyed success at the professional level in Matt Hasselbeck. They also have productive veteran players in Julius Jones and Deion Branch. A lot will ride on RB Justin Forsett and TE John Carlson’s progress. The defense has four good players in Lofa Tatupu, Aaron Curry, Marcus Trufant and Jordan Babineaux. If rookie safety Earl Thomas makes an immediate impact, the D could surprise.

Reasons to mope: The Seahawks front four combined for just 4.5 sacks last season. The back-end is good, but if they can’t get pressure on the quarterback and struggle to stop the run it will be a long season. Seattle had major issues with T.J. Houshmanzadeh, but letting him go makes the wide receiver corps awfully thin. New coach Pete Carroll has not been successful in the NFL. The Seahawks really need to start over.

4. Arizona Cardinals 5-11

Reasons to hope: The Cardinals did make it to the NFC Championship game last year. They lose key guys but there has to be some talent left, right? Larry Fitzgerald is among the game’s best talents, and the other receiver, Steve Breaston, seemed to be held back by Anquan Boldin. If Derek Anderson can get them the ball, the Cardinals may still be able to move the ball through the air effectively. The Cardinals replaced Karlos Dansby with Joey Porter and Antrel Rolle with Kerry Rhodes, both downgrades to be sure, but still effective players.

Reasons to mope: Kurt Warner’s retirement left the team in shambles. They don’t have another viable option at quarterback and won’t be able to overcome the loss. The Cardinals strengths have been throwing the ball and a bend-but-don’t-break defense, but they won’t be able to match that formula this year. If they can control the clock a bit, the Cardinals could tread water. But Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower haven’t shown the ability to do that just yet.