We’re approaching the midway point of the season and the NFC is wide open. Philadelphia is the best at 6-1. Close behind are the Vikings and Rams at 5-2, followed by the 4-2 Saints and Seahawks.
The preseason hype train was all over Atlanta, Dallas, Green Bay and New York, but Atlanta is deep in a Super Bowl hangover, Dallas’ No. 2 rushing attack still might lose Ezekiel Elliott, the Packers are without Aaron Rodgers and the Giants are already six feet under.
Other teams like Detroit (3-3), Washington (3-3) and Carolina (4-3) are in the mix, but they’ve been inconsistent compared to these teams.
Eagles (6-1)Carson Wentz is leading the MVP race, but how long can Philly keep rolling after losing Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters (torn ACL, MCL) and starting middle linebacker Jordan Hicks (Achilles tear) on Monday night?
What’s more is that while their 6-1 record looks great, they had to eek out wins over the Giants, Cardinals and Chargers – three bad teams.
And while they own the No. 1 rush defense in the NFL, they’re 29th against the pass, which never bodes well in the long run.
Vikings (5-2)
One of the best defenses in the NFL coupled with an offensive line doing well both run blocking and pass blocking. Overall, the Vikings boast the NFL’s eighth-best ground game and 14th-best passing attack.
Minnesota is about as complete as they come, but the fact that Case Keenum appears willing and ready to throw a pick-six at a moment’s notice isn’t exactly comforting. The biggest questions down the stretch are the health of Sam Bradford (knee) and Stefon Diggs (groin) and whether Teddy Bridgewater will resemble his old self if he plays again.
Rams (5-2)
Jared Goff and Todd Gurley have the new-look Rams rolling on offense to the tune of 30 points a game. There’s no doubt that they can light it up, but they’re also turning the ball over at an alarming rate. Their 12 turnovers are tied for the sixth-most in the NFL.
Really, they have two impressive wins (Dallas, Jacksonville) and three wins over bad teams (49ers, Colts, Cardinals).
Saints (4-2)
For the first time in a long time the Saints aren’t relying solely on Drew Brees. This version of the Saints started 0-2 (losses to Minnesota and New England) and is now 4-2 thanks to a balanced attack. Brees (1,658 passing yards, 11 TD) can still light it up, but Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara are part of the NFL’s 10th-ranked ground game.
In addition, Brees has been sacked just five times and they’re not turning the ball over.
Defensively, their eight interceptions are one fewer than they had in 2015 and 2016, but how long can a secondary that gives major playing time to three rookies keep it up?
Seahawks (4-2)
A nice victory over the Rams isn’t enough to convince us, or ESPN that they’re for real.
“The other three of their wins are against the 49ers, Colts and Giants, who are a combined 3-18. The Seahawks are 13th in yards per game, 14th in points per game, and while you trust them to get it together because they’ve posted double-digit win totals and made the playoffs five years in a row, they’ve beaten only one non-terrible team so far and still don’t seem to have any kind of offensive rhythm.”
