Heading into Week 11 of the NFL season, the playoff picture has begun to formulate, more or less. In the NFC, the Rams and Saints have clearly separated as two of the leagues’ powerhouses, sitting at 9-1 and 8-1, respectively. Yet, the 2018-19 NFC contenders for the Super Bowl, other than LA and New Orleans, remain a mystery. A competitive division scene seeds what will be a competitive final seven weeks of what’s been a fantastic NFL season. Last week, Luke Wallace took a look at the AFC Super Bowl Contenders. Now, we’re going to break down the NFC.
NFC East
No team from the NFC East finds themselves with much upside to win or make the Super Bowl. The Redskins top the heap that is the NFC East, amazingly, with just a +1 point differential. After giving up a skyward 501 yards to the Buccaneers on Sunday, their defensive effort needs to be stepped up to be able to win and be successful.
On the offensive side of the ball, Alex Smith has been the quarterback that Washington needs, giving up just seven turnovers all season, which ties them for the league lead. The Redskins should be able to win the division ahead of the Cowboys and Eagles, but don’t count out either squad from overtaking Washington for the top spot.
NFC North
A young, talented Bears team gives little to doubt to make the playoffs out of the North, but having the Vikings .5 games behind gives slight question to their ability to hold the lead. You can also never count out Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but based off a healthy Khalil Mack and a stud in Mitch Trubisky, mark down the Bears to at least compete to hold the top spot. The biggest offsetting fact of the Bears holding the division is the extremely tough schedule to come. They play the Vikings, Rams, and Packers at home, and on the road, they get the Lions and Vikings. Chicago fans should hope it snows hard for Todd Gurley and Jared Goff’s visit to the Windy City.
NFC South
I’d love to give the Panthers or Falcons some hope (sorry, Bucs fans…), but after Atlanta lost to the Browns, and the fact that the Panthers play the Saints twice still, I give the NFC South and a trip to the NFC Championship to the New Orleans Saints. It’s simple. The Saints have a +98 point differential, with the Panthers in second in that category with a +9 point differential. They haven’t lost since the anomaly of a matchup vs the Bucs in Week 1. Drew Brees, potentially the MVP, leads the offense to great performances. On defense, they give up just 80.1 rushing yards per game, which gives them the league lead. Will they beat the Rams if they meet in the playoffs??
NFC West
Fun fact: the Rams aren’t the only team in the NFC West, though it sometimes seems like it. Cardinals and 49ers fans, the future is brighter than the present. The Seahawks have overachieved, thanks to Pete Carroll, but the division is all Rams. At 9-1, they lead the entire NFC with their record, as well as point differential and points scored.
The loss of Cooper Kupp for the season is a tough pill to swallow but will allow for Josh Reynolds or Pharoh Cooper to step up into a bigger role from a receiver standpoint. I do worry about Marcus Peters, however, and his ability to be a dependable defensive back down the home stretch of the season.