NFL 2007 Week 10: NFC Edition

NFC EAST: Unfortunately, the Cowboys clearly established their dominance in the divison with their big win over the Giants. While the beginning of the game was close, Dallas put it out of reach, in play at least, by the beginning of the second half. Tank Johnson looked fantastic in his first effort back and they must have even greater confidence in their front seven now with that kind of depth. The Giants, on the other hand, showed their true colors. They still may look like a playoff team, but it became clear that their defense can't handle an elite level offense, and their offense can't produce against an elite level defense. That may allow them to get into the playoffs, but they won't be able to handle anybody when they get in there. Philadelphia's pursuit to prove that their mediocre instead of terrible continues in their win over the Redskins. The Eagles continue their inconsistent play and, this week, did well. NcNabb was accurate and effective, Westbrook ran consistently and caught well (as he normally does), but their defense is leaving so much to be desired. Washington is bad, and any legitimate defense should hold them under 25 points, which shows the level Philly is playing at. Washington is definitely the most overrated team at the mid-level. If Jason Campbell doesn't completely blow the game, people say he had a good game, and if he does blow the game, everyone seems to blame other factors.

NFC NORTH: I still can't believe how well the Packers are playing, despite all their deficiencies. Even as a Packer hater, I can't deny the power of a 34 point shutout. Even against the Vikings offense, an offense without Adrian Peterson, that's impressive. The next mid-year Super Bowl is coming in three weeks against the Cowboys. It's a highly publicized game thus far, but I don't see much of a chance for them. Their defense is good, and their offense is doing well, but Dallas' tools are too powerful. The Lions of last week are the Lions I know. They are able to put points on the board, but their defense fell apart. We all know Jesus isn't a fan of defensive football, but I can't believe he'd allow the Cardinals to put that many points up. The Rex Grossman era has begun again in Chicago and, as they're accustomed to doing, the fans have put the cart before the horse. Listen Bears fans, just because a quarterback throws a touchdown pass, it doesn't mean that a Super Bowl is nigh. It is funny to see Grossman celebrating after that pass. It juxtaposes well with the tears after he's benched again after this week. Will Minnesota score another point until Peterson comes back? Maybe from their defense, but without him, they have an offense that is legendarily bad.

NFC SOUTH: The South is looking to be the most enjoyable race going down the stretch. Three teams have the opportunity to win, and nobody has risen above the rest. The Buccaneers have fallen away, but had their bye so will come back fresh for what should be an easy game against Atlanta. Carolina has lost three in a row, which isn't a good sign for them going toward the end. Injuries have been a huge problem, and it looks like Steve Smith won't be playing again this week against Green Bay, which is a huge blow in a game that would already have been a very tough game. New Orleans' comeback streak was cut short in giving the Rams their first win, but it shouldn't hinder them too much. The game this week against the Texans will be tough, and a second loss in a row now might signal an end that was thwarted earlier, but I think they'll win big. The Falcons won't be winning much at this point, though. The great Leftwich is back and it should work out just as well as it had before. They have Tampa, who have the ability to lose an easy game like this, but Atlanta is just too pathetic for anyone to have to take them seriously.

NFC WEST: The western divisions still flop and flounder, but it's looking like the NFC's entry is the worse of the two. The Seahawks at the top are probably the worst number one team in the league right now. With injuries and some terrible play from Shaun Alexander, their playoff chances beyond the first round is basically nil, even if the NFC is essentially worthless. The Cardinals will occasionally show signs of strength, as they did in their win over the Lions. It is the Lions, of course, so that is always possible, but they have the tools to be doing so much better. Even through this inconsistency, they are the only team in the division capable of a wild card slot. The rest of the division is so bad, they're hardly worth mentioning. When the Seahawks in this shape are able to put 24 unanswered points on a team, you know they must be bad. This is the 49ers, who I would right now say is worse than St. Louis. Congratulations to the Rams, as that goes, on getting their first win. Now, only the Dolphins are in this ignominious position and the Rams can get on with their season. That may only translate to two or three more wins for the remainder of the season, but that's going to be enough for third in the division. Sorry San Francisco, you plain suck.