A team-by-team look at the NFC.
NFC EAST
1. DALLAS COWBOYS
COACH: Jason Garrett
2013 PROJECTION: 9-7
2012 RECORD: 8-8
OVER/UNDER WINS: 8 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 25-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 1,564
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Wide receiver Dez Bryant is primed to be Jerry Jones’ Megatron. Offensive coordinator Bill Callahan replaces head coach Jason Garrett as the play-caller, but QB Tony Romo will have more input than usual, and that will help him. If Bill Parcells thinks Romo can win a Super Bowl, if Troy Aikman is a supporter, I’ll scuttle the “he can’t win the Big One” talk. Tight end Jason Witten might not catch 110 passes again, but he’ll still be Romo’s best friend. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin replaces The Ryan With the Flowing Silver Hair and the Stomach. Defensive ends DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, assuming his knee permits, represent danger to quarterbacks in the new 4-3 defense. Middle linebacker Sean Lee is mobile enough to cope with RBs David Wilson and LeSean McCoy, and OLB Bruce Carter can come flying off the edge. Cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne won’t be scared by Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.
ROADBLOCKS: Nose tackle Jay Ratliff will miss at least the first six games. Running back DeMarco Murray can’t seem to stay on the field. Romo has been sacked 36 times each of the last two seasons, so surprise No. 1 draft pick center Travis Frederick tries to help LT Tyron Smith keep him in one piece.
2. NEW YORK GIANTS
COACH: Tom Coughlin
2013 PROJECTION: 9-7
2012 RECORD: 9-7
OVER/UNDER WINS: 9
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 25-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 0
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Lots of ifs, but if WR Hakeem Nicks can stay healthy opposite Victor Cruz, if David Wilson can be the home-run-hitting back, if TE Brandon Myers is an upgrade in the passing game over Martellus Bennett, if WR Rueben Randle becomes a red-zone threat, then Eli Manning will have arguably the most explosive offense in NYTD Blue history. The biggest if is whether DE Jason Pierre-Paul can be a Monster of the Meadowlands again following back surgery now that Osi Umenyiora is gone. Prince Amukamara Island, anyone? Where’s the beef? On the interior of the defensive line, where giant dinosaurs roam. Tom Coughlin, forever young.
ROADBLOCKS: Everybody is on notice — except the damn injury bug. No. 1 draft pick RT Justin Pugh takes over on the right side because there’s thumb-thing wrong with David Diehl. Safety Ryan Mundy replaces ballhawk Stevie Brown. This isn’t The Cradle of Linebackers anymore, in case you haven’t noticed. Can Big Blue recapture that dog mentality Antrel Rolle always talks about? Can captain Justin Tuck have a bounce-back season? Can Mathias Kiwanuka, back at defensive end, make an impact? Will punter Steve Weatherford ever carry more than three percent body fat? It’s 151 days until Super Bowl XLVIII.
3. WASHINGTON REDSKINS
COACH: Mike Shanahan
2013 PROJECTION: 9-7
2012 RECORD: 10-6
OVER/UNDER WINS: 8 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 33
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 224
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Quarterback Robert Griffin III will still be electric, even if he is ordered to run less. Running back Alfred Morris is no one-hit wonder, especially behind an offensive line that returns all five starters, and may be more involved in the passing game. Wide receiver Pierre Garcon, as long as his foot holds up, can be a force of nature, and TE Fred Davis (Achilles) is back. Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo returns as Ryan Kerrigan’s predatory bookend.
ROADBLOCKS: The defensive line mustered no pass rush last season, which rendered CB DeAngelo Hall vulnerable on occasion. Injury (DE Adam Carriker is on PUP and NT Barry Cofield will play with a broken right hand) and error (DE Jarvis Jenkins’ four-game substance abuse suspension) won’t help. The hope is rookie CB David Amerson can upgrade the league’s 30th-ranked pass defense. Aside from Garcon, the receiving corps is pedestrian, unless Leonard Hankerson can break through. You wonder how much MLB London Fletcher has left in his 37-year-old tank. The safety position is muddled, with Brandon Meriweather (knee) trying to rush back to join rookie Baccari Rambo — or Sly Stallone, I forget which. General manager Bruce Allen called the NFC East the SEC of the NFL. His team ain’t Alabama.
4. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
COACH: Chip Kellly
2013 PROJECTION: 5-11
2012 RECORD: 4-12
OVER/UNDER WINS: 7 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 50-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 96
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: New coach Chip Kelly and his manic offense tries to take the league by storm. Owner Jeffrey Lurie looks at him and sees Jimmy Johnson. Kelly maintains the number of snaps is more important than the time of possession, and the more he gets the ball in RB LeSean McCoy’s hands, the better off he and QB Michael Vick will be. Vick, who might want to look over his shoulder at Nick Foles and even rookie Matt Barkley, needs to get the ball out faster than he usually does without making mistakes, and has bulked up to better absorb the big hits that will be coming his way. The good news is the offensive line, fortified by the return of LT Jason Peters and bolstered by athletic No. 1 draft pick RT Lane Johnson, is formidable.
ROADBLOCKS: The loss of WR Jeremy Maclin is devastating. Slur-uttering Riley Cooper is likely to be a marked man by more than a few opposing defensive backs. The secondary was a wasteland a year ago, and CBs Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher and safety Patrick Chung can’t possibly be worse. Defensive coordinator Billy Davis’ new 3-4 looks vulnerable.
NFC NORTH
1. GREEN BAY PACKERS
COACH: Mike McCarthy
2013 PROJECTION: 10-6
2012 RECORD: 11-5
OVER/UNDER WINS: 10 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 12-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 992
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Aaron Rodgers plays quarterback better than he picks friends (Ryan Braun). Wide receiver Greg Jennings won’t be missed as long as Randall Cobb, who has more moves than Miley Cyrus at the VMAs, and Jordy Nelson stay healthy. And James Jones and Jermichael Finley are big targets who haven’t gotten any shorter. Rookie RB Eddie Lacy should provide the kind of balance Green Bay’s A-Rod has lacked. Outside linebacker Clay Matthews will be that much more dangerous if he gets a pass-rush sidekick, someone like 2012 No. 1 draft pick OLB Nick Perry or No. 1 draft pick DE Datone Jones. Cornerbacks Sam Shields, Tramon Williams and Casey Hayward are sorely needed when you play Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall — and now Jennings — twice a year.
ROADBLOCKS: Rodgers was sacked a league-high 51 times last season, and now rookie LT David Bakhtiari attempts to replace Bryan Bulaga (ACL) and keep Julius Peppers and Jared Allen from ruining the game — and Rodgers. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers must still have nightmares from trying (and failing) to defend 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and the read option in the playoffs. Safety Morgan Burnett will miss Charles Woodson’s savvy and leadership. Kicker Mason Crosby had to take a pay cut to stay. The schedule is problematic, with road games at San Francisco, Cincinnati, Baltimore and the Giants.
2. CHICAGO BEARS
COACH: Marc Trestman
2013 PROJECTION: 8-8
2012 RECORD: 10-6
OVER/UNDER WINS: 8 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 25-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 784
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: It’s Put Up or Shut Up for QB Jay Cutler, and new head coach Marc Trestman is the offensive guru who might be able to bring out the best in him. It isn’t as if Cutler, in a contract year, is lacking for weapons: second-year WR Alshon Jeffery is a big target ready to blossom opposite Go-To Guy Brandon Marshall, and RB Matt Forte should catch 60 balls. Tight end Martellus Bennett is another tree. Defensive end Julius Peppers and DT Henry Melton bring the heat, while CBs Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman prevent the torching. Hybrid DE/OLB Shea McClellin and DE Corey Wootton can wreak havoc too. Devin Hester is concentrating solely on being a dangerous returner again. Special teams, where Joe DeCamillis replaces Dave Toub as coach, and the kicking game have been traditional strengths.
ROADBLOCKS: Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher’s leadership will be missed — unless you watch Fox Sports 1 — even though he was a shell of his former self, and OLB Lance Briggs hasn’t gone anywhere. The offensive line (38 sacks of Cutler last season) has been an Achilles’ heel for too long, and there is no telling whether new LT Jermon Bushrod is the answer or rookie RG Kyle Long is ready. Or whether free safety Chris Conte can win over Bears fans. Or whether Cutler will continue to pout. Or whether Marshall’s hip and head will be in the right place. Or whether the oldest defense in the league can hold up.
3. MINNESOTA VIKINGS
COACH: Leslie Frazier
2013 PROJECTION: 7-9
2012 RECORD: 10-6
OVER/UNDER WINS: 7 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 40-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 1,191
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Adrian Peterson probably won’t rush for 2,000 yards this season — but he might, and he thinks 2,500 yards is possible. All Day, it’s not, but remember he’ll be running behind an elite offensive line (Matt Kalil, John Sullivan, Phil Loadholt). If WR Greg Jennings isn’t the leading receiver, TE Kyle Rudolph will be. Rookie WR-KR Cordarrelle Patterson won’t start ahead of Jerome Simpson, but he’ll be more of a factor as the season progresses. Defensive ends Jared Allen and Brian Robison are Purple People Eaters. Outside linebacker Chad Greenway was their Defensive MVP last year, and the secondary (CBs Chris Cook, Josh Robinson and No. 1 draft pick CB Xavier Rhodes) is ubertalented. Kicker Blair Walsh was automatic from outside 50 yards in his rookie 2012 season.
ROADBLOCKS: The problem is QB Christian Ponder. This is his third year. It’s time. If he doesn’t beat the clock, coach Leslie Frazier won’t hesitate turning to Matt Cassel. AP needs better than the 31st-ranked passing attack alongside him. Can MLB Erin Henderson make the transition from the outside? The second half-schedule features road games in Seattle, Green Bay, Baltimore and Cincinnati.
4. DETROIT LIONS
COACH: Jim Schwartz
2013 PROJECTION: 6-10
2012 RECORD: 4-12
OVER/UNDER WINS: 8
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 40-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 611
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: There are clearly no Matthew Rules — QB Stafford threw 727 times last season, but saw his TD totals dwindle from 41 to 20. He’ll welcome Reggie Bush, a shifty check-down back who will take some heat off WR Calvin Johnson. Defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley are intimidators, and No. 1 draft pick DE Ziggy Ansah hopes to mitigate the departure of Cliff Avril.
ROADBLOCKS: Jim Schwartz (22-42) is on the hot seat. His teams have been sorely lacking in discipline. And if you Harbaugh him — smack him dismissively on his back — he is, too. It’s anyone’s guess as to whether LT Riley Reiff can be Stafford’s blind-side protector. Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham is hopeful rookie CB Darius Slay solves a problem area opposite Chris Houston. If safety Louis Delmas can’t stay on the field, perhaps imported safety Glover Quin will. Kicker David Akers, coming off an off year, has to replace Jason Hanson. The less said about the special teams the better. Woetown.
NFC SOUTH
1. ATLANTA FALCONS
COACH: Mike Smith
2013: PROJECTION: 10-6
2012 RECORD: 13-3
OVER/UNDER WINS: 10
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 12-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 861
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: It’s Super Bowl or Bust for head coach Mike Smith and QB Matt Ryan. No one was happier than Matty Ice that TE Tony Gonzalez unretired. Wide receiver Julio Jones is the Go-To Guy now, but Roddy White remains dangerous. Running back Steven Jackson will be rejuvenated and will be much more of a factor in the passing game than Michael Turner ever was. Inside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon brings the swagger. Safeties Thomas DeCoud and William Moore are nothing for Jimmy Graham to sneeze at. Kicker Matt Bryant is Matt Ice.
ROADBLOCKS: Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is highly respected, but he needs former Giant Osi Umenyiora to fill the pass-rush void left by the departure of former Jet John Abraham. The offensive line has been reshuffled. If No. 1 draft pick CB Desmond Trufant can’t bolster the 23rd-ranked pass defense opposite Asante Samuel, Smith’s hair is liable to turn white.
2. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
COACH: Sean Payton
2013: PROJECTION: 9-7
2012 RECORD: 7-9
OVER/UNDER WINS: 9
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 18-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 1,303
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: The best head coach-quarterback tandem — Sean Payton and Drew Brees — is back in business. Payton makes Brees better and Brees makes TE Jimmy Graham, WR Marques Colston and RB Darren Sproles better. The dynamic, diminuitive Sproles serves as the lightning to Mark Ingram’s thunder, with Pierre Thomas the third member of the RB committee, all of whom need to find daylight behind Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans. Brees gets the ball out quick, so that helps LT Charles Brown, who is replacing Jermon Bushrod. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s 3-4 won’t be sabotaged by the secondary, where CBs Jabari Greer, Keenan Lewis and Patrick Robinson and safeties Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins and No. 1 draft pick Kenny Vaccaro roam. Defensive end Cameron Jordan (eight sacks) is the best pass rusher, and ILB Curtis Lofton the best run-stuffer. Punter Thomas Morstead is a Pro Bowler.
ROADBLOCKS: Ryan needs better than the 30 sacks the Saints recorded last year, and now OLB Will Smith is lost for the season to a torn ACL. Ryan will look to OLBs Junior Galette and Martez Wilson for help. Here’s what he inherited: last in rushing yards allowed (147.6) and total yards allowed (440.1) and 31st against the pass (292.6) and points allowed (28.4). Who Dat ready for Superdome shootouts?
3. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
COACH: Greg Schiano
2013: PROJECTION: 7-9
2012 RECORD: 7-9
OVER/UNDER WINS: 7 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 50-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 1,129
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Can Darrelle Revis be great again and stick it to Woody Johnson? Safeties Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron are gifted enough to have a chance against the likes of TEs Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzalez. The Giants are hoping David Wilson can have the kind of breakout year Bucs RB Doug Martin enjoyed as a 1,454-yard rookie. Wide receivers Vincent Jackson, a big-play “chunk” receiver, and Mike Williams, are sizable targets. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy anchors the league’s top run defense. Outside linebacker Lavonte David is a tackling machine.
ROADBLOCKS: Quarterback Josh Freeman — 39 total interceptions the last two seasons — is on the spot in a contract year with big-armed rookie Mike Glennon the heir apparent. Defensive ends Adrian Clayborne and Da’Quan Bowers are needed to rattle the quarterback. There is only one place for the league’s worst pass defense (297.4 ypg) to go. MRSA infections have plagued guard Carl Nicks and kicker Lawrence Tynes, who was supposed to replace Connor Barth (Achilles). It’s Rian Lindell for now. No one had a worse return game last season.
4. CAROLINA PANTHERS
COACH: Ron Rivera
2013: PROJECTION: 4-12
2012 RECORD: 7-9
OVER/UNDER WINS: 7
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 66-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 622
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Quarterback Cam Newton needs no introduction. What he does need is improved accuracy and leadership. Wide receiver Steve Smith still thinks he’s the baddest man on the field. Tight end Greg Olsen is Newton’s second option. Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly has the looks of a 10-time Pro Bowler, and maybe OLBs Jon Beason and Thomas Davis can stay on the field. Defensive ends Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy are double-digit sackers,.
ROADBLOCKS: Wide receiver Brandon LaFell isn’t the bookend Smith needs, and neither is former Giant Domenik Hixon. With RB Jonathan Stewart disabled yet again, DeAngelo Williams tries to go back to the future. The secondary — CB Josh Norman, anyone? — will be shredded by Brees and Ryan. Ron Rivera is on the hot seat.
NFC WEST
1. SAN FRANCISCO 49ers
COACH: Jim Harbaugh
2013 PROJECTION: 10-6
2012 RECORD: 11-4-1
OVER/UNDER WINS: 11
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 6-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 2,922
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s doing commercials now. Running back Frank Gore won’t grow old behind the best offensive line in the land. Tight end Vernon Davis will be the Go-To Guy with Michael Crabtree on the shelf. Defensive end Justin Smith is the tough guy and OLB Aldon Smith is the sack guy. It’s a waste of time trying to run at LBs Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. Who’s got it better than Jim Harbaugh? Nobody!
ROADBLOCKS: Crabtree will be missed, though WR Anquan Boldin will help. The question is whether Jon Baldwin or rookie Quinton Patton will as well. The secondary counts on a diabolical pass rush. No. 1 draft pick safety Eric Reid replaces departed Dashon Goldson.
2. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
COACH: Pete Carroll
2013 PROJECTION: 10-6
2012 RECORD: 11-5
OVER/UNDER WINS: 10 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 17-2
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 2,848
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Quarterback Russell Wilson showed us you can be short and still rise to the occasion. Marshawn Lynch will get his 1,500 rushing yards. Wide receiver Golden Tate is primed for a breakthrough. Cornerback Richard Sherman is certain to resurrect the “Best Cornerback in the NFL” debate with Darrelle Revis. Cornerback Brandon Browner and safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor give Pete Carroll the best secondary in football. Defensive end Chris Clemons, on the PUP list, but mostly recovered from a torn ACL, is a double-digit sacker.
ROADBLOCKS: Outside linebacker Bruce Irvin is suspended four games for a substance-abuse violation. Defensive end Cliff Avril is battling a hamstring injury. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn replaces new Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley. There will be no help coming this season from replacement referee Lance Easley.
3. ST. LOUIS RAMS
COACH: Jeff Fisher
2013 PROJECTION: 10-6
2012 RECORD: 7-8-1
OVER/UNDER WINS: 7 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 40-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 949
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Quarterback Sam Bradford will be expected to take the next step with LT Jake Long protecting his blind side (against OLB Aldon Smith) and game-breaking No. 1 draft pick WR Tavon Austin as a younger Percy Harvin. Wide receiver Chris Givens is underrated, and TE Jared Cook should stretch the field. The pass rush, led by a trio of former No. 1 picks — Chris Long, Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers — is scary. Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is the rock, while No. 1 draft pick OLB Alec Ogletree is a playmaker. Cornerbacks Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins don’t lack for confidence. Jeff Fisher is an elite head coach.
ROADBLOCKS: The departure of RB Steve Jackson means accelerator Daryl Richardson gets first crack, over Isaiah Pead and Zac Stacy. Will Witherspoon starts at OLB while run-stuffer Jo-Lonn Dunbar serves his four-game substance-abuse suspension. It is hoped rookie T.J. McDonald can upgrade one of the suspect safety positions. Special teams need to improve: the average drive a year ago started on the 23.7-yard line, dead last in the NFL.
4. ARIZONA CARDINALS
COACH: Bruce Arians
2013 PROJECTION: 5-11
2012 RECORD: 5-11
OVER/UNDER WINS: 5 1/2
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL: 125-1
MILES TO MEADOWLANDS: 2,454
HOW THEY’LL GET THERE: Bruce Arians probably should have been a head coach years ago. Quarterback Carson Palmer makes WR Larry Fitzgerald an oasis in the desert again, and 2012 No. 1 draft pick WR Michael Floyd is expected to emerge. The defensive line — NT Dan Williams and DEs Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell — is stout. Cornerback/wide receiver/returner Patrick Peterson is the best athlete in the NFL. Kick to him at your own peril. Safety Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu could be a difference-maker if Peterson keeps him on the straight and narrow. Tight end Rob Housler could catch 50 balls.
ROADBLOCKS: Running back Rashard Mendenhall must prove he can stay healthy. Inside linebacker Daryl Washington is serving a four-game substance-abuse suspension and will be replaced by Karlos Dansby. Guard Jonathan Cooper, the team’s No. 1 draft pick, is on injured reserve for a line that a year ago yielded 58 sacks. Left tackle Levi Brown (triceps) will return after missing the 2012 season. Either Antoine Cason or Jerraud Powers will start opposite Peterson. Arians will think this is the toughest division in football.