{"id":78628,"date":"2016-09-07T17:30:20","date_gmt":"2016-09-07T17:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sandbox.web.rcn.net\/rcntv\/?p=78628"},"modified":"2023-03-01T21:55:09","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T21:55:09","slug":"behind-mic-nfl-nfc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/behind-mic-nfl-nfc\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Mic: The NFL-NFC"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first weekend of the 2016 NFL season begins Thursday night, September 8, when the Broncos host the Panthers and it ends on Monday night with the 49\u2019ers welcoming the Rams.\u00a0 The other teams all play on Sunday.\u00a0 So that can only mean one thing \u2013 it is time for my season outlook.\u00a0 Last week, I looked at the AFC and this week it\u2019s the NFC.\u00a0 Remember everyone is 0-0 at the moment and the aspirations of the fans are running high.\u00a0 If I dampen your spirit with my thoughts, just remember I don\u2019t know any more than you do and, quite possibly, even less.<\/p>\n

NFC EAST<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Washington Redskins<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 <\/strong>They won the division last year so I will go with them again. Their offense can be explosive and the defense might just be good enough.\u00a0 This division is wide open, but the Tony Romo injury helped everybody but the Cowboys.<\/li>\n
  2. New York Giants <\/strong><\/a>\u2013 <\/strong>They had to shore up their defense and they did with money and draft picks. The offense should be problematic for opponents under new head coach Bob McAdoo.\u00a0 It would be no surprise if they win the East.<\/li>\n
  3. Dallas <\/strong><\/a>\u2013<\/strong> All they needed to be favored in the East was to get their offense healthy again. Well, forget that with the injury to Romo and a defense that does not impress.\u00a0 They needed to outscore opponents and now that will not happen.\u00a0 But even with rookie Dak Prescott, they should win more games than the Eagles.<\/li>\n
  4. Philadelphia <\/strong><\/a>\u2013<\/strong> I would have picked them third, with the injury to Romo. Then they went and traded Bradford. Their schedule includes some of the best of the AFC and the NFC North so there are no easy wins.\u00a0 The offensive line is a real concern.\u00a0 And now, they start a rookie quarterback.\u00a0 So, back to last place.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    NFC NORTH<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Green Bay <\/strong><\/a>\u2013 <\/strong>Who else could be favored here? Aaron Rodgers has his receivers back and the defense looks strong again.\u00a0 They have a tough opener at Jacksonville, so don\u2019t panic if they lose that one.<\/li>\n
    2. Minnesota<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 Does this team EVER catch a break? They won the division last year and looked to be really good this season.\u00a0 Then their starting quarterback goes down with a freak non-contact serious knee injury and is likely out for the year.\u00a0 But they went out and got Sam Bradford.\u00a0 Their defense is solid, and the offense if Bradford stays healthy should be pretty good now.<\/li>\n
    3. Chicago<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 <\/strong>If only their offense was better. The Bears will be as fierce as ever on defense and John Fox\u2019s teams improve with him at the helm.\u00a0 They may surprise.<\/li>\n
    4. Detroit<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013They played exceptionally well after their horrendous start last year (1-7). Calvin Johnson has retired and that hurts.\u00a0 With a tough division, they are still picked last.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      NFC SOUTH<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Carolina<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 This could be the NFL\u2019s best offensive team with some added weapons. The defense is certainly good enough to compete for a Super Bowl.<\/li>\n
      2. New Orleans<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Drew Brees always makes them dangerous and Mark Ingram is back at running back. If defense wins games as they say, the Saints will fall short in that department.<\/li>\n
      3. Atlanta <\/strong><\/a>\u2013 They have a very tough road schedule (Oakland, Denver, and Seattle) which could keep them from the playoffs. If Matt Ryan has an exceptional year, they could be a wild card.<\/li>\n
      4. Tampa Bay <\/strong><\/a>\u2013 How good is Jameis Winston at quarterback after a year under his belt. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s good enough to overcome their other deficiencies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        NFC WEST<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Arizona <\/strong><\/a>\u2013 This will be one of the very best teams in the NFL \u2013 the defense is strong and the offense is ridiculous. Could be a good Super Bowl pick.<\/li>\n
        2. Seattle<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 The best defense and a solid offense. They will make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year and are always a contender for the title.<\/li>\n
        3. Los Angeles <\/strong><\/a>\u2013 They will probably start #1 draft pick, Jared Goff, at QB; travel to London for a game; and await a new stadium. Lots of distractions, not to mention their HBO Hard Knocks show.<\/li>\n
        4. San Francisco <\/strong><\/a>\u2013 Chip Kelly tries his system in a MUCH tougher division than the NFC East where the Eagles sat. He will struggle this year, but gets to spend four weeks back on the East Coast.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)<\/strong>
          \nNFC Playoffs<\/strong>
          \nChampionship Game \u2013 Cardinals vs Carolina<\/strong>
          \nNFC Champions \u2013 Arizona Cardinals<\/strong>
          \nSuper Bowl Champions \u2013 Arizona Cardinals<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \"Gary's<\/a><\/p>\n

          NFL Picks – Week One<\/strong>
          \nCarolina<\/strong>
          \nHouston<\/strong>
          \nAtlanta<\/strong>
          \nTennessee<\/strong>
          \nPhiladelphia<\/strong>
          \nCincinnati<\/strong>
          \nOakland<\/strong>
          \nKansas City<\/strong>
          \nBaltimore<\/strong>
          \nGreen Bay<\/strong>
          \nSeattle<\/strong>
          \nGiants<\/strong>
          \nIndianapolis<\/strong>
          \nArizona<\/strong>
          \nPittsburgh<\/strong>
          \nLos Angeles<\/strong>
          \n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          The first weekend of the 2016 NFL season begins Thursday night, September 8, when the Broncos host the Panthers and it ends on Monday night with the 49\u2019ers welcoming the Rams.\u00a0 The other teams all play on Sunday.\u00a0 So that can only mean one thing \u2013 it is time for my season outlook.\u00a0 Last week,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"Yoast SEO Relevanssi index exclude","inline_featured_image":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,4],"tags":[30,36,84,98,137,153,209,720,353,369,371,716,717,718,719,417,479,486,510,548],"class_list":["post-78628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behind-the-mic","category-featured","category-sports","tag-arizona-cardinals","tag-atlanta-falcons","tag-carolina-panthers","tag-chicago-bears","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-detroit-lions","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-new-orleans-saints","tag-new-york-giants","tag-nfc-east","tag-nfc-north","tag-nfc-south","tag-nfc-west","tag-philadelphia-eagles","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-seattle-seahawks","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-washington-redskins"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBehind the Mic: The NFL-NFC - 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