Looking into the NFC Crystal Ball

As we embark on the 2018 season, many feel this could be the Minnesota Vikings best roster in several years. The fervor has been building up for the past couple of seasons which has culminated with the arrival of quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Vikings made the potential franchise-altering “all in” move with the belief that Cousins is the missing piece of the puzzle to put them over the top. All eyes are focused North, however, this time Aaron Rodgers and his Packers are the sideshows and not the focus of attention.

Under the tutelage and direction of Mike Zimmer, management of Rick Spielman, and ownership of the Wilf family, this team has shown in many ways they are committed to bringing a Super Bowl Title to the great state of Minnesota once and for all. These next 3 seasons present a window of opportunity for the Vikings to bring home a Super Bowl trophy and will likely be the team’s best opportunity to win it all since 2009-2010. With a young and talented core in place along with some well-seasoned veteran leadership on both sides of the ball, this team is ready to compete for titles over the next 3 seasons at minimum. The missing piece was a legitimate franchise quarterback and man fans and NFL experts believe the team has now had that in place with the signing of Kirk Cousins.
The balance of power may have now shifted from the AFC to the NFC when analyzing player movement around the league and the infusion of talent and youth with some of the NFC contenders.

Looking ahead, the teams in the NFC that seem poised to be playoff contenders are the Vikings, Eagles, Saints, Falcons, and Rams. Those 5 teams seem to be the safest bets to reach the postseason in 2018-19.

Then you have a few teams that should not be completely dismissed in the NFC as potential Wild Card teams such as the Panthers and yes even the Packers. The NFC east is difficult to assess at the moment as it seems the Giants and Cowboys resemble Jeckle and Hyde in recent seasons. However, injuries and/or suspensions definitely played a role in their struggles so one should not be too quick to write them off. Barring any major injuries (which is not likely), the NFC will play out like this.

Eagles:

Carson Wentz will take some time to regain his MVP form we saw last season before the unfortunate ACL tear he suffered late in the regular season. The Eagles will struggle somewhat early on and during the transition back to Wentz. But their balanced team will make up for that and turn it on after week 7 or 8. I see the Eagles winning the NFC East again and entering the playoffs as the Number 3 Seed. The loss of John DeFilippo to the Vikings could help tilt things in the Vikings favor. But Doug Pederson is an excellent play caller so the Eagles will be able to mitigate his departure. Their larger concern will be if Foles can resume the magic he showed in the Super Bowl and NFC title game. In his previous 3 starts prior to the NFC title game, Foles was pretty awful, which is why the Eagles were always underdogs in the playoffs and super bowl despite having the number 1 seed. Prior to that, Carson Wentz relied a lot on his legs as well as his arm so it will be an adjustment for him coming off the ACL injury, which will be a slow and difficult one. Nonetheless, the Eagles are a talented team from top to bottom and very well coached on both sides of the ball. Thus they will weather the storm and win their division as the number 3 seed in the NFC East. They seemed to really embrace their underdog role in the postseason and it definitely helped propel them to their first Super Bowl Title.

 
Saints:

 
Oh, the Saints, where do we begin? The New Orleans Saints are looking to redeem themselves from the Minneapolis Miracle that ruthlessly ended their season after Stefon Diggs shocked the world in the Divisional round. With some teams, that type of stinging defeat could have some carry over into the following season. However, that is likely not the case with this team which has a very experienced and productive duo in Sean Payton and Drew Brees at the helm. This team has already won a Super Bowl as well, which in a sense helps them move on quicker from their painful memory from the Minneapolis Miracle. The Saints scored big in the 2017 NFL Draft with players like Alvin Kamara, Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk and ahem….yes even the infamous Marcus Williams. They’ve got a great blend of young talented players and veterans like Cam Jordan and Sheldon Rankins on defense. They drafted a very talented but raw edge rusher in Marcus Davenport, to help take some attention away from the talented Jordan. Make no mistake, the Saints will be a team to reckon with again in the 2018 postseason as Drew Brees begins to close the last chapter on his hall of fame career.

 
Rams:

 
If NFL fans are looking to see who the next Belichek – Brady coach/quarterback duo is, this could very well be it. Sean McVay and Jared Goff did some amazing things together in 2017 that has Rams fans and southern California eagerly awaiting the 2018 season. With a brand new stadium in the works, an extremely young and talented offensive mind in McVay along with a very promising Jared Goff, Rams fans are confident that their team will be a thorn in the sides of NFC West teams for years to come. Throw in arguably the best running back in the NFL, Todd Gurley, who is entering his 3rd season and coming off a monster year, and the trade for wide Receiver Brandin Cooks, the NFL may have a new dominant trio to watch for years to come. But the area this team really made headlines this offseason was on the Defensive side of the ball. Indeed the Rams made a few huge splashes via free agency and a trade. The team immediately bolstered their secondary with the additions of all pro corner Marcus Peters and Aquib Talib. And they turned heads again when they signed Ndamukong Suh to play alongside the best Defensive Lineman in the NFL, Aaron Donald. On paper, the Rams look flat out scary but as we’ve seen many times in the past, it doesn’t always automatically work out when you add big names to your roster. However, it’s very difficult to see how these additions don’t make the Rams even better going forward. This is definitely a team which will be a contender over the next few years with the potential for dominance on both sides of the ball if their defense can gel quickly under Wade Phillips.

 
Falcons:

 
The Atlanta Falcons can be a tough team to pin down and predict in recent years. We witnessed the most epic collapse in Super Bowl history 2 years ago when they blew a 28-3 lead versus the Patriots late in the 3rd quarter of Super Bowl 51. And in 2017, the departure of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was definitely felt as the Falcons offense was nowhere near the offensive juggernaut we saw the previous season. The Falcons offense struggled mightily at times but managed to sneak into the playoffs as a Wildcard. The experience they gained from the previous season helped them beat the Rams on the road in the playoffs behind Matt Ryan. They came one Julio Jones end zone contested drop away from winning again on the road the following week in Philadelphia. Based on their returning personnel, and the fact that they finally added another weapon to pair with Julio Jones via the 2018 Draft, it’s reasonable to expect the Falcons back as a playoff contender in 2018. However, the NFC South is extremely difficult to predict with the Falcons, Saints and Panthers all having a good shot at taking that division. I envision two teams once again from the NFC South returning to the playoffs in 2018 with the Saints definitely being one of them and the Panthers battling it out for a Wildcard spot with the Falcons.

 
Giants:

 
I think we will see the Giants bounce back in 2018 with them edging out the Cowboys for 2nd place in the NFC East. Will that be enough to get them to the postseason?

I doubt it simply because the NFC is getting better as a whole the Eagles will have this division wrapped up again, while the 2 wild cards likely to come from other divisions.
The primary reasons for the Giants optimism centers around two players. Odell Beckam Jr. and rookie running back Saquon Barkley. I envision Barkley having a similar impact that Todd Gurley had with the Rams in his rookie season. The Giants were decimated by injuries last season and having Odell Beckham back at full strength with what should be a much more balanced offense with the running game of Barkley, could be just what this team needs to bounce back in 2018. With those two dynamic and talented players, Eli Manning has enough left in him to help this team win the NFC East. The Defense has some excellent young talent on several fronts as well to complement what should be a well-rounded offense. New head coach Pat Shurmur was a great play caller in Minnesota and knew how to implement an offense that revolved around players’ strengths. I believe the Giants offense with a healthy Beckham under the guidance of Shurmer and veteran Eli Manning along with a balanced offense predicated on the running game of Saquon Barkley, will help them bounce back but ultimately fall short of the playoffs.

 
Cowboys:

 
We’ve all heard the cliché, “addition by subtraction.” However, in the case of the 2018 Cowboys, I’m afraid that will not hold true. Jason Whitten, long time Cowboy stalwart tight end, was highly respected by fans, teammates, and coaches. He retired this Spring and the Cowboys will miss his presence on and off the field. Dez Bryant, despite all the baggage that came with him, was their only true number one wide receiver. The Cowboys passed on promising wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Cortland Sutton in the draft, so the wide receiver group remains a big question mark for Dallas going into 2018. Dak Prescott definitely experienced a sophomore slump in 2017 but much of that could be attributed to the ongoing saga we saw play out over suspended running back Ezekiel Elliot. The back and forth between Jerry Jones and the NFL over Elliot’s suspension definitely hampered the Cowboys offense and Dak Prescott. Elliot is poised to return in 2018, however, the loss of Bryant without a legitimate replacement for him and the loss of Jason Whitten’s leadership and consistency will be too much for the Cowboys to overcome in 2018. I see them finishing tied or behind the Giants in the Division.

 
Packers:

 
In Green Bay, everything starts and ends with Aaron Rodgers. So, I’m going to start right there. We saw how important Rodgers truly is to the Packers franchise in 2018 after Anthony Barr inadvertently ended his season with a broken collarbone. To put it bluntly, the team is not the same without him. He is the most valuable player to his team in the entire league and it’s not even close. However, this is a double-edged sword and indicative of the poor job Packers management has done to surround Rodgers with a roster on both sides of the ball that can withstand an injury to him. We saw the Vikings win 13 games with essentially their third-string quarterback Case Keenum. And that was in large part due to the excellent overall roster Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer have assembled in Minnesota. The Packers also lost some very familiar faces this offseason, none bigger than A-Rod’s buddy Jordy Nelson. The team showed little if any interest at all in re-signing Rodgers favorite target. However, they did make one interesting addition by signing tight end Jimmy Graham.

This duo would seem poised to put up some big numbers for the Packers, unless teams now are able to blanket Graham more often since Nelson is no longer there.
Yes, the Packers have Davante Adams, but he is more of a big physical contested catch type of receiver as opposed to Nelson who could really stretch the field and make big plays for Rodgers in addition to being a reliable chain mover for years. I’m not a believer in Geronimo Allison being able to step up and fill the void either. More importantly, the Packers outside of Clay Matthews really don’t have any great players on defense. They’ve done a poor job at drafting on defense in recent seasons and let some talented players walk in free agency such as Micah Hyde. And for that reason, along with the additions their cross-border rivals have made (Vikings), I see them missing really fighting for the last wildcard spot. I’d give them a 50/50 chance at it only because of Aaron Rodgers. The quarterback would be wise to steer clear of Anthony Barr in 2018 and take cover when he plays the ferocious Vikings defense which has gotten even better.

 
The Minnesota Vikings:

 
You know what they say, you’ve got to save the best for last. Indeed, the 2018 Minnesota Vikings have fans in a frenzy, and for good reason. This team overachieved last season PERIOD. They lost their hall of fame running back in free agency prior to the season, lost Bridgewater the previous season, lost Sam Bradford after week 1 in bizarre fashion, and then lost rookie sensation Dalvin Cook in week 4 versus the Lions. Tell me how many teams could endure that, and proceed to go on to win 14 total games and advance to the NFC Title game after handing the offense over to a journeyman quarterback Case Keenum? I’ll tell you how many. NONE. Keenum was brought in as an insurance policy to be essentially a 3rd string quarterback until Bridgewater returned. But we all know what happened after week 1. It was a wild and fun ride that essentially culminated with probably the most unforgettable play in Vikings history, and perhaps NFL history. But Keenum came back down to earth versus the Eagles in the title game and the number one ranked defense in the NFL looked like another team’s defense that day in Philadelphia. Credit to the Eagles, they were the better team that day and they proved that by ultimately going on to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl two weeks later.

 
Fast forward to Free agency this past March. The Vikings decided not to re-sign any of their 3 quarterbacks and instead invest heavily in Kirk Cousins. I’ve lauded this move for quite some time now and believe Cousins while not being a top 5 Quarterback, is in the top 10 echelon in this league. And that is more than enough to bring a long-awaited Super Bowl title to Minnesota within the next 3 years. But the Vikings weren’t finished in free agency. Oh no. Mike Zimmer brought in even more talent and reinforcements along the front 4 with the addition of Pro-Bowler Sheldon Richardson. If there was a slight weakness in the Vikings front four, it was the Defensive tackle position formerly held by Sharif Floyd. With Richardson placed next to dominant force Linval Joseph, flanked by top-notch edge rushers Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, this defensive front just got scarier.

But wait, the Vikings still weren’t done. After opting not to re-sign Jarius Wright, the team signed veteran and dependable slot wide receiver Kendall Wright to replace him who is a slight upgrade to Jarius by most accounts. The secondary also got better and deeper with the 1st round draft choice of cornerback Mike Hughes. Hughes has looked very impressive during OTA’s and could end up starting at the slot corner spot and be featured in nickel packages. He will provide some insurance in the event of an injury to Trae Waynes or Xavier Rhodes as well. There’s been some talk during recent OTA’s of Hughes even playing safety in various sub-packages for Andrew Sendejo. And with the return of Dalvin Cook who is on schedule to return for training camp and his tandem backfield partner Latavius Murray, the backfield is extremely versatile and talented.

 
The Vikings also stole the Eagles’ Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo, who understands how to run a balanced offense. This team’s only question mark in some eyes is the offensive line. To the surprise of many people, the Vikings witnessed a run on guards ahead of them in the 1st round of the 2018 Draft, and they felt it would be a reach to take a guard or tackle at that point. They did, however, draft Right Tack Brian O’Neill in the 2nd round who possesses excellent athleticism but will need to improve his core strength. Nonetheless, I expect the team to give him a shot at competing with Rashod Hill for the Right Tackle Spot and perhaps move Mike Remmers inside to right guard. This unit finished ranked 6th overall in the NFL in 2017. They are by no means a mauling group who can take over games at the point of attack. But then again, that’s not the type of offense that DeFilippo runs anyways. He will run a balanced attack and utilize his Tight ends and running backs in the passing game similar to what we saw from the Eagles offense last season. The Vikings are the team to beat in the NFC North and seem primed for potential super bowl runs over the next 3 seasons. Just sit tight Vikings faithful. The long-awaited Super Bowl drought will be coming to an end soon. If not this season, it will happen within the next 3 seasons and you can write that down. It’s our time to shine and it’s our turn to bask in purple glory!

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