While the AFC conference in the NFL has been flashier and higher powered with the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, etc. running the show, the NFC has quietly taken its place as the dominant conference in the NFL. The reining Super Bowl champs hail from the NFC, and after the beat-down the favorite Broncos took from the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVII, the NFC will look to continue being an underdog powerhouse going into the 2014-2015 NFL season. Here is a breakdown of all 16 NFC teams and how the standing will look like when the season is all said and done:

Will Dree Brees lead the Saints to a trip back to the White House in 2015?

NFC West:

Seattle Seahawks: The only thing the Seahawks have to worry about in the 2014-2015 season is not having a Super Bowl hangover as most teams do after winning it all. Look for the Seahawks to be right back where they were last season, atop the NFC West and looking to be the first team to repeat since the Patriots back in 2005.

Record: 11-5, winning tie-breaker for division title

San Francisco 49ers: One of the most talked-about teams in sports, especially after the huge contract that was given to quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers are one of the deeper teams in the NFL and given the way they have played the last few seasons, I look for this to finally be the year the team breaks through and plays to its capability for a full season. The loss to the Seahawks in the NFC title game should motivate them and having Navarro Bowman back should add a spark to the boys from the bay.

Record: 11-5

Arizona Cardinals: One of the more surprising teams from last season, the Cardinals won 10 games and even so, missed the playoffs. Signing veterans Antonio Cromartie and Ted Ginn Jr should add some firepower to this team and they will look to build on a strong season but it will all depend on quarterback, Carson Palmer. Throughout his career he has been very Jekyll and Hyde with his year-by-year performances. Because Palmer can’t be relied-upon, I believe the Cardinals will take a step back this season.

Record: 8-8

St. Louis Rams: The Rams are one of the most underrated teams in the NFL — especially on the defensive side of the ball. They pose a tremendous threat at almost every defensive position and will make it hard for teams to score. The one question I have about the Rams is whether or not Sam Bradford can finally step up and be the leader that when he was drafted first overall, everyone thought he could be. Running back, Zac Stacy, quietly became one of the better backs in football, so look for the Rams to improve on their 7-9 record from last season in a division where no teams finish under .500.

Record: 8-8

NFC East:

Philadelphia Eagles: Coming into the 2013-2014 season, people expected Chip Kelly and the Eagles to excel but maybe not at the pace that they did. Nick Foles took over the reigns at quarterback and led the Eagles to the playoffs. The Eagles are a very good team and will be back to the playoffs again in 2014-2015, looking to make an even longer playoff run.

Record: 11-5, division winner

New York Giants: After going 0-6 to start the season, the Giants stumbled back and finished with a respectable 7-9 record. It seems as if every season, the Giants either win the Super Bowl or miss the playoffs and everyone freaks out. That being said, the Giants won’t be making the playoffs this season again but will play better than they did last season.

Record: 8-8

Washington Redskins: RGIII, RGIII, RGIII. Finally, the Redskins got rid of Mike Shanahan, a move that is loved by many fans. Now maybe the team and the owner will change the name but that’s a story for a different time. Adding DeSean Jackson will make the Redskins’ offense more explosive and having an assumed healthy RGIII will solidify the team but the defense is still bad. That isn’t going to change so the Redskins will still be searching for answers, this time with new coach Jay Gruden who I’m not completely sold on as an NFL coach.

Record: 6-10 

Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo. Jerry Jones. No defense? Need I say more?

Record: 5-11

NFC North:

Green Bay Packers: After an injury-riddled season for Aaron Rodgers, the Packers were still able to make the playoffs and almost beat the 49ers. Adding a fully-healthy Rodgers back into the fold, look for the Packers to be back at full strength and win the division yet again.

Record: 10-6, division winner

Chicago Bears: After missing the playoffs again, the Bears went out and tried to fix their defensive problems. They added veteran Jared Allen from the rival Vikings, which should spark the defense and give them a leader again. On the offensive side of the ball, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte should be enough to carry them. As long as this team stays healthy and plays to the level they should be able to play at they should once again reach the postseason, but only barely.

Record: 9-7

Detroit Lions: The Lions do have Calvin Johnson who has basically become an unstoppable force, but that’s not enough. Matthew Stafford keeps throwing interceptions and although the Lions defense on paper looks good, they actually aren’t as good as advertised. The Lions will probably start hot again and fizzle out like they do almost every season.

Record: 8-8

Minnesota Vikings: The is the one team with a new first time head coach that I am excited about. Mike Zimmer is a genius and will get his players to perform at levels they never thought possible. Even with Zimmer’s leadership, the Vikings will be at the bottom of the standings again. Adrian Peterson isn’t enough and I didn’t like the pickup of Teddy Bridgewater, but I hope he proves me wrong. The future is bright in Minnesota, just not this upcoming season.

Record: 5-11

NFC South:

New Orleans Saints: Ahh the Saints. They are the team who almost went into Seattle and beat the Seahawks in the playoffs and if fate had changed, the Broncos might be the champs. The Saints are going to be the Saints — very good at home and pretty good on the road. Until Drew Brees declines or retires, the Saints will contend.

Record: 12-4, division winner

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It might be a surprise to some people but I like the Bucs in 2014. I love the signing of Lovie Smith as coach. Smith was fired unfairly in Chicago and has another chance now in Tampa. I also loved the drafting of Mike Evans to pair with Vincent Jackson to make for the tallest wide receiver duo in the NFL. Adding Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner on defense creates potential for a great defense. Quarterback, Josh McCown, will look to continue his surge from Chicago and transfer it over to Tampa.

Record: 9-7

Carolina Panthers: After winning the division last season, the Panthers are poised to gain from their success but much like the Cardinals, I am not fully-sold on them. Don’t get me wrong, I was on the Carolina train last season but that was until they lost all their receivers and didn’t do much to replace them. They added Jerrico Cotchery from the Steelers and drafted Kelvin Benjamin from Florida State but will that be enough for Cam Newton. The defense is still strong but it remains to be seen if they were a one-year wonder. It happens all the time in the NFL.

Record: 8-8

Atlanta Falcons: A Super Bowl favorite prior to last season, the Falcons completely collapsed last year. Injuries and lack of experience on defense led to this so the Falcons will look to regain some of that winning form. A Super Bowl isn’t for them this season but they might have a shot at the playoffs might be if they can stay healthy.

Record: 7-9

Playoff Standings:

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Green Bay Packers
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Chicago Bears (week 12 meeting will determine this)

In contention: Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions

The year is 2013.

But some things still haven’t changed and I had hoped it would have by now. I am talking about gay rights, racism and equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation, skin color, or race. While I will admit that there has been obvious progress made in these areas, it isn’t enough.

Discrimination because of race or sexual orientation is stupid. My motto is judge a person by their personality and that’s all. Many people will ask where I am going with this since this is supposed to be a sports article but this is much more than just sports.

Recently Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper was caught on tape at a Kenny Chesney concert using a racist phrase and it has brought up much anger and sadness within the sports world and just society as a whole. Like many others, I was disgusted at what Cooper said and the aftermath, but for different reasons then people might think. In no way shape or form do I support Cooper’s comments because they were completely inappropriate and uncalled-for — I want to make that clear before I proceed.

Riley Cooper said some stupid things. He’s not the only one. By By Matthew Straubmuller (Flickr: Eagles vs Redskins), via Wikimedia Commons

In the aftermath of the comments, the Eagles have excused Cooper from team activities so that he could go to counseling for his actions and get help. While I have no problem with his counseling, my question and whole point is this: Why is he going to counseling for a racial slur but in the past when players use a gay slur all they do is get fined?

To me, and I think many others, using a gay slur is just as bad as a racist one so why is it that we as a society is making such a huge deal out of this situation but the same can’t be said when a gay slur is used? I wonder if Cooper had used a gay slur instead of a racial one, would it have been seen and dealt with differently? There have been many occurrences of gay slurs being used in recent years by other athletes but all that I’ve seen happen is a quick fine and people move on. Some notable slurs and insensitive comments include but are not limited to:

Roy Hibbert of the Indiana Pacers earlier in 2013

Amar’e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks in 2012

Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons in 2012

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011

James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011

Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls in 2011

Above are just six different occurrences of athletes using a gay slur but I don’t remember anybody making as a big deal about it as they are currently with Cooper’s situation. Isn’t using a gay slur is just as inappropriate and disgusting as using a racial one? Recently NBA center Jason Collins came out as a professional athlete and was greeted to much love and support which was very nice to see but then that goes back to my point.

Why isn’t the use of gay slurs made into more of a big deal then they are?

In my opinion, the use of both racial and gay slurs not just in sports but in society as a whole should be dealt with in a much more strict manner so that in the future, people won’t be as ignorant and use them.

What do you think?

Recently,  former head coach  George Karl was let go by the Denver Nuggets after nine seasons at the helm. Many, including writers on this site, have begun to question the Nuggets for this decision. Karl was let go, despite leading the Nuggets to a 57-win season, the best record in the franchise’s history and winning 2013 Coach of the Year award. With all the success, the Nuggets were bounced again in the first round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets GM was also let go as the team decided not to match the offer he accepted from the Raptors. So why did a team that just set a franchse-best for wins fire its coach and not retain its General Manager?

The Nuggets have managed to lose their GM and coach in a single off-season. By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

This was the year the Nuggets were thought to finally take the next step and compete for the Western Conference title against the likes of the Lakers, Spurs, and Thunder. They looked poised to do so, clinching the number-three seed in the tough Western Conference and ended up with a first round match up with the up an coming Golden State Warriors. Led by second-year coach Marc Jackson, the Warriors showed potential, but the Nuggets were definitely the favorites. After game one of the series, the Nuggets were clearly in big trouble, even though they won. The mere fact the Warriors could lose a game only by two points when Stephen Curry shot 7-20 told me something. The Warriors did end up winning the series in six games and eliminated the Nuggets. Was it just a bad matchup for the Nuggets or something more?

Based on the fact that Karl was fired, I wasn’t the only one who thought it was something more. Yes, the Nuggets were a good team all year, but they weren’t that good on the road. Their home/road split was 38-3 at home and 19-22 on the road. To be below .500 on the road is a pretty good indicator that their top-3 seed in the Western Conference might not have been completely legitimate. The Nuggets’ up-tempo style is a fun one to watch, but in the playoffs you can’t just run up and down the court like the old Phoenix Suns. To win in the playoffs, you have to be able to grind and you need to be able to win on the road, something the Nuggets couldn’t do.

Grinding and winning on the road are things that can be about the coach. George Karl, a coach with one of the highest win totals (7th all-time in regular-season wins and 10th all-time in regular season winning percentage) in NBA history and thought of as a great coach, was fired. I believe Karl should have been let go long before this year. People call me a hater for it, but look at the facts. Karl has coached 25 years in the NBA and has only coached his teams out of the first round 8 times, 17 of 25 years he has either failed to make the playoffs or not get out of the first round. He is the Peyton Manning of coaching, being he only does well during the regular season. Unlike Karl, though at least Manning has a ring.

Don’t get me wrong, Karl is a good coach but isn’t as good as people think he is, and I think the move to fire him now was the correct move made by the Nuggets. Over the years, he’s had players who could play including Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Allen Iverson, and more. But much like the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL with Andy Reid, Karl was a long-tenured coach who wasn’t performing the way he could after all these years. Like the Eagles, the Nuggets need a new voice in their locker room and they finally will get it in whoever they hire.

Chip Kelly will still be wearing green in 2013. By Abdoozy (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

After 14 years in Philadelphia, the Andy Reid era is finally over. During the offseason, the Eagles worked to find a “big name” coach for a replacement. Former Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly seemed to fit perfectly as the coach of this team, which had an awful season last year due to a mixture of injuries and poor performance. The spread offense system that he incorporated into the Ducks made them one of the nation’s top offensive teams, would now be brought into the NFL. Under Kelly, the Ducks ranked second in points per game (49.6) and third in rushing (315.2 yards per game) while the Eagles ranked 13^th in the NFL with 117.1 rushing yards per game.

But college is much different than the NFL. I realize that but rushing for over 300 yards per game in the NCAA is almost equivalent to being in the top five rushing teams in the NFL. What Kelly was able to accomplish at Oregon was astonishing and he will try to duplicate that success in Philadelphia. The Eagles addressed the first question — that of which quarterback will run Kelly’s offense — by re-signing quarterback Michael Vick.

Vick had a down year compared to his previous two in Philadelphia but that was due to injuries I believe. Many people questioned whether he would even be back in Philly since rookie Nick Foles showed some promise for the Eagles in Vick’s absence last season. But Vick is better suited to run Kelly’s run-n-gun style of offense so management decided to restructure Vick’s contract and give him a one-year deal worth about $10 million. In my opinion this was a very smart move by Eagles management. They gave Vick one more shot to prove he should be the quarterback of this team after four uneventful seasons. He has a new coach and a new offensive system so what better way to prove himself? If he were to fail in Kelly’s system then the Eagles still have Kelly inked for four additional years and could build a whole new team around his offense schemes. Plus, the Eagles have the fourth overall pick in this April’s upcoming draft so that isn’t too shabby either.

If Vick and the rest of the Eagles team can stay healthy then I believe that they can be very deadly on the offensive side of the ball. With some improvements on defense, the Eagles could easily be back on top as a title contender. Kelly’s spread offense may find some difficulty gaining traction in the NFL, but Kelly is a smart coach and I hope it does work out for him. The Eagles hope to have Kelly repeat the same type of success that he had coaching college football and if all the pieces can fit together then maybe this team can finally show us some of that “dream team”, that Vince Young was blabbering about a few years ago.

Three weeks ago, the Detroit Lions were on their way to victory at Ford Field on Monday Night Football. The Lions hadn’t started 5-0 in 55 years. When the game clock hit triple zero, the scoreboard read 24-13 – let’s celebrate Lions fans. On the road to the big win however, there was a significant loss.

During the course of the game, Detroit’s shifty starting running back, Jahvid Best, sustained his second concussion this season. Best’s college career at Cal Berkeley was cut short by concussion issues. This loaded concussion history doesn’t bode well for Best’s future, not only for this season, but for the rest of his potential career in the NFL. After the Monday night game, Best was thought to be out at least a month if not more, and this missing horsepower in Detroit’s 5-0 engine left them with a dilemma.

Most teams that taste a little bit of the winning nectar after extended periods of futility tend to panic when key injuries occur during their most proximate run of success. Instead of promoting within the ranks, they go out and usually give another organization way too much for what is only a best-guess attempt at a replacement.

Such is true even this season with the Oakland Raiders. After quarterback Jason Campbell went down with a separated shoulder, Oakland, by necessity more than anything else, due to the ineffectiveness of backup Kyle Boller, traded potentially two first round picks to the Cincinnatti Bengals for the services of holdout veteran quarterback Carson Palmer.

Along these same lines, the Lions sought to plug-in a running back of Best’s big play ability by offering their backup running back Jerome Harrison to Philadelphia. In exchange they reached for Eagles’ veteran running back Ronnie Brown, who has been a bell-cow back in years past, but recently has seen limited duty with the Eagles behind LeSean McCoy, who is as close to an every-down back as there is in the “running back by committee” NFL of today. The swap seemed to make a certain amount of sense for both teams – a win/win.

Trades in the NFL always bar a physical exam before they are made final, and these tests are usually the last to be administered before the transaction is completed. What is undoubtedly the most thorough physical exam known to man due to the investment being made, the professional team-sports “trade physical” includes everything one can think of, including x-rays and cat-scans. Upon these tests rendered for this particular trade, a brain tumor was found in Jerome Harrison’s head.

Fortunately, the tumor was discovered in what was found to be the early stages of the growth, and is considered not only treatable, but having a very high chance of not being life threatening if treated with the prudent urgency required. If it weren’t for Jahvid Best sustaining his most recent concussion and the Lions then in-turn seeking to trade Jerome Harrison for Ronnie Brown, Harrison’s tumor undoubtedly would have gone undetected for an uncertain period of time. The brain injury of one Detroit Lion running back ended up preventing potential brain damage of another – irony to say the least. It’s definitely possible that if Best wasn’t concussed, Harrison’s tumor could have grown to the point where it might have been life threatening if not terminal.

Considering the level of significance of the situation coupled with the perfect chain of events it required for the discovery of the tumor to come to fruition, it’s hard not to recognize some sort of divine intervention here – no hyperbole subscription attached. Of course describing what has transpired as some sort of religious or karmatic reward is a slippery slope, but a puzzle that so perfectly falls together in such a life-altering way should at least have the idea honestly and truthfully presented.

And for those who believe in completely random universe, when you see something almost blessed or surrealistic, it puts life in perspective for even the most rabid and diehard of a sports fan. It ends up leaving a lasting impression. It gives us perspective that transcends any “game.” It reminds us that irony can mean much, much more than simply a stale pun or a cheap joke. It reminds us that believing that everything happens for a reason might not be such a crazy idea after all.

And even if Jahvid Best never were to never take another hand-off in the NFL, he will always be able to find some level of solice in the fact that, in some weird and indescribable way, he may have very well saved his teammate’s life.

Yet, somewhere, somehow, a hoarders complex turned Eagles management insane this offseason with a spending an upward of $100 million for new talents. 

Adding Namdi Osomugha is one thing, but to continue the gluttony with Culen Jenkins, Vince Young and Ronnie Brown is another. Stack in newly-acquired Steve Smith and things get more outlandish.

The acclaimed “Dream Team” is bringing lofty expectations with its high caliber of Pro Bowl talents. In an NFC East as unpredictable as a quarter slot machine, the moves seem like a small cry for help.

This season the Eagles have set themselves up for quite a storyline—though enticing and paralyzing—automatically placing them as the most hated team in football.

They also upturned a common divisional denominator—the Redskins—who are well-known for zealous spending and are now minuscule in comparison to the Eagles flaunt of cash.

But, why now ?

 Considering that the best they ever got the future Hall of Famer Donovan McNabb was an unhappy Terrel Owens and injury prone Brian Westbrook, proposes a larger question that may be rumbling quietly beneath the surface.

Is Mike Vick for real? Signing the 31-year-old to a one-year franchise tag answers that as “no”.

What then can we make of this current spending spree that has catapulted the one-time prudent Eagles toward Miami Heat status?

You got me.

I am certain the impending embroilment between Vick, and an undervalued Vince Young is a storyline the Eagles management is interested in. The former Longhorn is 30-17 as a starter, and like Vick, can win games with his feet.

But more compelling will be what Vick can do this season with a fattened offense. As nice as he looked as a pocket passer all last year, he now will be forced to do so even more with Ronnie Brown in the back field—a talented player able to slot out and run with efficiency.

With three flankers in DeSean Jackson, Steve Smith and Jeremy Maclin, can Vick continue in a pass-first offense molded around a need for a governing slice and dice-wheeler dealer?

He is not a Brady, Manning or Brees—but a guy who at times still showed signs last year he is uncomfortable under pressure in the pocket, resulting in an injury that cost him two weeks, the Eagles a first-round bye and their loss to the Packers in the playoffs.

Two losses in a row from the man and four turnovers warrants team concerns. But it also, considering the nature of pro athletics, could be water under the bridge with an early rise this year.

Last night’s line: 13-6 W over Baltimore, 4-6, 74 yards and a touchdown says that is a fair possibility. We’ll have to wait and see whether or not this “Dream Team” will crumble in LeFraud fashion or flourish in a hoarder’s heap.

Jest aside: things be a shakin’ in the NFL landscape.

Fault line players like Donovan McNabb and Nnamdi Asomugha headline the extravaganza.

Unproven yet dangerous others: Braylon Edwards, Matt Hasselbeck, Santonio Holmes, Kevin Kolb, Sydney Rice, Cedric Benson and Ronnie Brown round out this off-seasons flea market.

Toss in Kevin Orton, who’s become a sudden trade bit available, or the enigma of Vince Young, and the quarterback position is stronger than ever. Here are the top five splashes at the quarterback position. 

1: Vince Young, 28 Years Old, 6 Year Veteran

According to the AP, the Philadelphia Eagles have placed the ‘franchise tag,’ on the reigning “Come Back Player of the Year,” Mike Vick.  It is bit surprising, considering Vick for much of the year was an MVP candidate. He established a winning way in Philadelphia after the departure of their past great Donovan McNabb.  Replacing Kevin Kolb early in the season, Vick set a league record by not throwing an interception in his first nine starts. His 3,018 passing yards, in just twelve games on 62.6% accuracy, were a career best. Not to mention, his renewed attitude toward the media proves he’s trying. It would seem the perplexing move is a judgement call on the Eagles part. Yes Vick was impressive this year, but can the thirty one year old continue to build upon  the greatest year of his dramatic career? His final two games, both losses, including a drubbing to the Packers in the first round, saw the old Vick re-emerge turning the ball over four times.  The way he ended things has to make the Eagles worry about his consistency. As for us, we will have to wait and see if Vick can continue to overcome his odds.