Best Team in the NFC?

[PackerLegend]

Its ashame the Packers have been butt raped by injuries with the NFC looking so horrid we probably could have done some damage. I dont see how we could pick the best team. Its more like which team sucks the least in the NFC? It changes weekly and at this point I think they all suck. Things change and teams can get hot but I guess i'll pick the Giants?

[Shiver]

Everything looks horrid, not just the NFC. There hasn't been a season this wide-open that I can remember. It will all come down to who is hot in the last few weeks.

[Jvig43]

Originally Posted by Shiver

Everything looks horrid, not just the NFC. There hasn't been a season this wide-open that I can remember. It will all come down to who is hot in the last few weeks.

Agreed, but I love it. Anything can happen and it makes this season exciting. I mean even Rams fans have can look forward to challenging the divison....maybe. Playoff time is going to be amazing.

[Morton]

Originally Posted by SeanTaylorRIP

The Bears defense is on a whole different level though. Sad thing though is that I don’t really think it’s the Skins personnel. We were top 5 in the NFL last year in total defense with the exact same personnel, this year we are dead last in the NFL. That doesn’t just happen over night.

That's right - you guys have talented personnel - but your idiot DC is putting them in the wrong system. About the only player that hasn't been misused thus far is Laron Landry.

London Fletcher, Albert Haynesworth, Brian Orakpo, and Andre Carter would form the foundation for a great 4-3 defense. They are just being wasted in that stupid 3-4 "amoeba" nonsense that Jim Haslett is trying to run. Carter and Orakpo are much better 4-3 pass rushing ends than they are OLBs. Haynesworth's pass-rushing ability is being wasted as a 3-4. Fletcher is a smaller MLB that needs a big 4 man front to keep him clean, kind of like Ray Lewis. If you expose him to offensive linemen, he'll get sealed out of plays too easily.

[SenorGato]

Originally Posted by Morton

That's right - you guys have talented personnel - but your idiot DC is putting them in the wrong system. About the only player that hasn't been misused thus far is Laron Landry.

London Fletcher, Albert Haynesworth, Brian Orakpo, and Andre Carter would form the foundation for a great 4-3 defense. They are just being wasted in that stupid 3-4 "amoeba" nonsense that Jim Haslett is trying to run. Carter and Orakpo are much better 4-3 pass rushing ends than they are OLBs. Haynesworth's pass-rushing ability is being wasted as a 3-4. Fletcher is a smaller MLB that needs a big 4 man front to keep him clean, kind of like Ray Lewis. If you expose him to offensive linemen, he'll get sealed out of plays too easily.

Ray Lewis has played in a 3-4 for much of his career.

Defensive front is overstated. They're just not playing well as a unit. Orakpo just had 11 sacks as an OLB last year. It's not the system so much as it is Haynesworth being a douche and I'll guess a drop in secondary play besides Landry.

The 'Skins will probably be there at the end of the season. I have no idea how that NFC East will turn out, but I'd be surprised if the winner isn't in the Super Bowl.

[NotRickJames]

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

You guys are 3-3 and do look better than years past but I don't think you can say definitively say that you're better than 5th or 6th in the conference right now. You also don't get the benefit of the doubt because you've been the doormat of the NFC East for the last 2 years.

The thing I find astounding about the Redskins is how they've pulled games out. The defense has been struggling and McNabb hasn't been productive at all. Their running game hasn't been productive, yet they've still won games. If McNabb returns to form and the defense improves a bit, that's a scary team.

[McBain]

I feel like i need to interject on the behalf of the Redskins D.

It's a fact that this years defense is porous and giving up large chunks of yards

It's also a fact that this years D for the 1st time in almost a decade is at the top 10 for take aways.

The 2008 Arizona Cardinals were the 20th ranked D in yards allowed and i'm pretty sure they were number 1 in take aways (don't feel like looking it up, i know they were a very opportunistic D)

Although it isn't a perfect parallel, you can definitely draw similarities.

My point is, despite being porous, this incarnation of the redskins D is actually a better defense than last years - even though there is a tremndous disparity on paper, i would take Haslett's D over Blache's easy.

[Rosebud]

What do you mean by best? Playing the best right now? The Superbowl Favorite? The most talented?

The Giants and Falcons are playing the best right now although I don't think the Falcons have as good of a shot at a superbowl as the giants, saints or even Vikings if Favre gets his **** together and stops playing like someone who doesn't want to be there.

Ultimately though injuries will be the decider. The giants were killed by injuries last year like the Packers are right now, when injuries made Sheridan's vanilla schemes useless the D quit on him, this year we're healthy and the guys believe in Fewell and the result is one of the most dominant defenses in the league. If we get hurt that'll knock us out of the race, if some teams get healthy while some of the top teams get hurt that'll throw those lower teams into the race that they're not in now.

I'm gunna throw out the Bears as a darkhorse because their D is nasty again. Peppers is in monster mode and he's making everyone else play better on that D. Add a healthy Urlacher back there and D gives them a chance to win every game no matter how badly Cutler's getting massacred. Plus team's forgot why you don't kick to Devin Hester which could be enough for that D and Cutler to steal some big games for them.

[Saints-Tigers]

The Saints are 4-2 despite a lot of injuries, I'm feeling pretty good about where we are now. All of our games were close until this week with that massacre, and some might take it as a bad thing, but I'm optimistic that we've come out with a shiny record and so many close games.

Our weapons will be coming back soon, our secondary will be coming back together, etc.

I'm not too worried about the Falcons being serious contenders to be honest, I just don't feel it with them. I feel like they overachieve to start the year, and will start to unravel like Mike Smith on a bad call. They are almost too overachieving for their own good, they can really use an infusion of elite talent at some key spots.

Giants look good, they are just always weird to me, whenever I start to believe, they do something that makes me say "wtf?"

[Brent]

I meant to choose the Giants, not the Bears.

[NY+Giants=NYG]

Giants look good, they are just always weird to me, whenever I start to believe, they do something that makes me say "wtf?"

That's part of our allure. If we did things easier, it would actually make me say "WTF?" because that's not the way we operate. But I think last year was a huge anomoly since we had the worse DC on the planet. I think our talent level can match up with any team in the NFL. Do you have any specific moments that made you say wtf?

[21ST]

Originally Posted by SeanTaylorRIP

2-0 in the NFC east, 2 more wins in the division than last year lol. But yeah the Skins are a 7-9 team. Probably end up with the same record as the Cowboys. Skins are a funny team, inferiorly talented than almost every team but we always manage to be in games. We could easily be 6-0 or 0-6 right now. We have a defense that doesn’t fit the personnel, and offensive skill players that would look poor in the CFL. Yet somehow we don’t look like the Panthers.

We knock everybodys key players out of the game to kinda even the playing field.

[Monomach]

I gotta say...the Bears and Michael Vick have been getting way too much love from the football world in general.

[NY+Giants=NYG]

Originally Posted by Monomach

I gotta say...the Bears and Michael Vick have been getting way too much love from the football world in general.

The Bears are a mess. Cutler is going to get killed back there with these sacks.

[Giantsfan1080]

I agree with the Vick thing. I just don't get why everyone is saying he's an MVP contender for the 2 games he was in. He played well but it was also against Detroit and Jacksonville. Kolb has had the best game from an Eagles QB so far this year.

[LizardState]

Originally Posted by Monomach

I gotta say...the Bears and Michael Vick have been getting way too much love from the football world in general.

The Bears are a mess. Cutler is going to get killed back there with these sacks.

Mono & BMB, I agree. The Bears bought a useless commodity, the QB who can't be protected b/c their inept, shortsighted FO tried to plug in retread O-linemen (see Orlando Pace) & extending the mileage of their current bunch instead of drafting & developing some help for the long term. Chris Williams was expected to be a standout in his 3rd yr, how's that been working out? Now the short term is biting Cutler in the butt, or rather in his head with concussions. The pass rushers know about his vulnerability so he is obviously gunshy now & looking to run out of the pocket instead of looking for receiver no. 2 or 3 & it shows in their offense.

But the Bears make good copy & the pundits, while not necessarily loving them, love to talk about them, especially that ignoramus Ditka who is still riding his 85 Bears SB win into eternity, analyzing them to death every Sunday, why ESPN provides him employment IDK.

And Vick is, as always, a headline grabber, the media forgot overnight about his Federal criminal status, his decline in Atlanta before he was indicted & how much of a gamble he is, they act like the Eagles are doing him a favor by giving him a job & forgetting about how 75% of the league rejected him for lots of good reasons when he went back on the mkt. Had Kolb even remotely lived up to expectations he wouldn't be in Philly at all. Vick folded in Atlanta & threw away as many games as he won, if we base the present on the recent past we can assume he will do the same with the Eagles at some point.

[HawkEye30]

Originally Posted by Monomach

I gotta say...the Bears and Michael Vick have been getting way too much love from the football world in general.

This. I know the the nfl is one game at a time but did anyone see that the bears just lost to the seahawks at home. The seahawks have been atrocious on the road, i could give you all the stats from the game but ill give you one that says the bears are not that good. 0-12 on third down against the seahawks 30th? ranked passing defense. Bears definitely got lucky to go 4-1.

[NY+Giants=NYG]

Originally Posted by LizardState

Mono & BMB, I agree. The Bears bought a useless commodity, the QB who can't be protected b/c their inept, shortsighted FO tried to plug in retread O-linemen (see Orlando Pace) & extending the mileage of their current bunch instead of drafting & developing some help for the long term. Chris Williams was expected to be a standout in his 3rd yr, how's that been working out? Now the short term is biting Cutler in the butt, or rather in his head with concussions. The pass rushers know about his vulnerability so he is obviously gunshy now & looking to run out of the pocket instead of looking for receiver no. 2 or 3 & it shows in their offense.

But the Bears make good copy & the pundits, while not necessarily loving them, love to talk about them, especially that ignoramus Ditka who is still riding his 85 Bears SB win into eternity, analyzing them to death every Sunday, why ESPN provides him employment IDK.

I just don't think they are a talented team specifically on offense. Forte is avg even if that, and Hester and Knox are very fast but ok WRs. Their OL stinks, and their QB is getting killed. Offensively they are not a talented team. They have a good record, but I wouldn't put them ahead of teams because of that. I think as the season goes they will drop back down to reality.

[Morton]

Originally Posted by SenorGato

Ray Lewis has played in a 3-4 for much of his career.

And don't you remember that time prior to 2006 when Lewis was begging the Ravens to draft a big DT to protect him from offensive linemen? And then the Ravens drafted 6'4" 350lb Haloti Ngata? The only reason Lewis is productive now is because the Ravens plugged that man-beast into their 3-4 front. Otherwise, they would have had to revert back to a 4-3 to keep Ray productive.

Defensive front is overstated. They're just not playing well as a unit. Orakpo just had 11 sacks as an OLB last year. It's not the system so much as it is Haynesworth being a douche and I'll guess a drop in secondary play besides Landry.

It *is* the system, however. There is a huge difference in playing 3-4 OLB and playing 4-3 DE for guys like Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo. And similarly, there is a huge difference for undersized linebackers like London Fletcher in playing behind a 4-man front and playing behind a 3-man front.

[SeanTaylorRIP]

It's true all London Fletcher has done his entire career is tackle anything in sight, this year however it's so sad to see him engulfed by double team guards. I have never prior to this year seen him struggle with shedding off blocks but this year he is being taken out of plays. I am actually shocke at how well Rocky McIntosh is coping with being an ILB when he's a natural 43 WLB. Orakpo is the only linebacker who is not affected because he basically rushes on every play. Andre Carter has already been removed from linebacking duties as we all knew it would happen. If he couldn't cut it as an OLB in San Fran like 6 years ago why would he now that he's lost explosiveness. I admire him but our starting OLB now opposite of Brian Orakpo is Lorenzo Alexander. He made the conversion from being a DT/OT hybrid from years past. He should be playing inside but sadly is our best option outside. We'd like to have HB Blades inside and kick out Rocky outside, but having Fletcher and Blades as your ILB's is asking for a Jamal Lewis rushing day every week. As far as our D-line Kemo is ok but doesn't command double teams. Carriker is just there. I guess he's solid although he loses contain a lot. The only positive in our D-line is on pass rush downs when Andre Carter can get in there. As far as Haynesworth when he has been in there half of the time he's useless because he will do his usual thing and shoot a gap. Great for him he gets penetration but when you are shooting gaps in a 34 you are leaving a gap as wide as a 16 wheeler. As far as the secondary Deangelo is ok, makes plays but has mental lapses. Carlos Rogers I just want to cut that guys hands off because he has no other use for the. FS is our biggest problem. Doughty blows and Kareem Moore should just be a backup. Thank God for Landry, he has saved this team way too many times, and this is coming from a guy who was ready to move on from Landry before the season. The move to SS where I always felt he belonged has finally put him at a level which can be considered in the upper echeleon of the NFL. As the deep FS the past few years he had been horrific.

[Shiver]

You all look completely foolish now: the Saints are better than the Falcons huh?

[NY+Giants=NYG]

Originally Posted by Shiver

You all look completely foolish now: the Saints are better than the Falcons huh?

Football is a game of match ups. I would certainly like to see what happens when they play again. Seems like injuries and superbowl hang over is an issue this year. Now they have the bullseye on their back so interesting to see how they rebound. I still don't think the Falcons are a good team. I wouldn't be surprised if the Saints are a better team who are just not playing well. The talent is still there though.

[Go_Eagles77]

Um yeah... the NFC blows pretty bad.

[Shiver]

Originally Posted by Boss+Manning=Banning

Football is a game of match ups. I would certainly like to see what happens when they play again. Seems like injuries and superbowl hang over is an issue this year. Now they have the bullseye on their back so interesting to see how they rebound. I still don't think the Falcons are a good team. I wouldn't be surprised if the Saints are a better team who are just not playing well. The talent is still there though.

They got their asses handed to them by the BROWNS, in the SUPERDOME.

[Jvig43]

Brees isnt going to throw 4 picks every game. But yeah they dont look good, and the Falcons did this week. Theres a long way to go here.