Wildcards – Players that could change the NFC outlook!

By Steve O’Reilly

In the first segment of this two part series we took a look at the AFC and chose a player in all four Divisions that could make a huge difference in the Playoff outlook. In this article we will do the same for the NFC. As we all know, if you win your Division than you garner a Playoff birth and that is the goal of every team as they head into training camp. Take care of your Division and move on to the postseason. Anytime you forecast Divisional outcomes this early in the game, it’s difficult to be accurate however there are story lines that warrant attention. Will Brett Favre play to the level he did in 2009? Will Kevin Kolb be able to take the reigns from Donovan McNabb? How will the Cardinals fare without their leader, Kurt Warner? All these questions will play out in due time but for now, let’s speculate on who will be the “WildCard”, the one guy or group of guys that hold the keys of destiny in their hands.

NFC North -
Everyone wants to talk about the “Favre Watch” but here at Skinnypost.com we know he is coming back, there is no watch. Bryant McKinnie told us in an interview that the team is “sure” he is returning so we can put that to bed. The Vikings will be tough and should be there at the end of the season. The Bears are still a work in progress. They brought in Mike Martz to install his Spread Offense and that in of itself is intriguing. The reason is that the best Pass Catching weapon on the Bears is Greg Olsen and in Martz’s Offense the Tight End is usually obsolete. They still lack WR depth but 2nd year WR Johnny Knox should be capable of being Cutler’s go to guy. The Detroit Lions still have work to do but they are improving!! They have a great young nucleus and Jahvid Best should add a huge dimension in the Running game and that makes Calvin Johnson that more dangerous as Safeties have to concentrate on both. The Key in the North however rests in the Trenches up in Wisconsin.

The Green Bay Packer Offensive Line last year was disastrous. Aaron Rodgers was sacked 50 times and Matt Flynn went down once. Giving up that many sacks just won’t do. The lack of time forces the QB to make faster decisions and in turn is more prone to making mistakes. The weapons in Green Bay are dynamic, guys like Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson to go along with a great Running attack led by Ryan Grant, their is no reason the Packers can’t improve on their 11 wins in ’09. Defense isn’t a problem, in fact they are very good. The key is the Packers Pass Protection. In the 1st Round of the 2010 Draft, the Packers addressed the unit by selecting Iowa Tackle Byron Baluga. If the can shore up this unit and give Rodgers the time he needs to hit his talented WR’s than the Packers will walk into the postseason and find themselves in an interesting battle vs their bitter rival Minnesota Vikings!

NFC East –
This conference has a plethora of changes and made some of the biggest splashes in the trade market and Head Coaching signings. Out in Washington, the Mike Shanahan era has begun and he immediately found his Franchise QB in Donovan McNabb in a shocking blockbuster trade with Division rival Philadelphia. The Eagles must feel very confident in Kevin Kolb and his ability to take over what is a very young but talented Offense. The Giants are searching for their Defensive prowess and looking to regain the dominance along the Defensive front. Gone is Middle Linebacker Antonio Pierce and the G-Men hope that they can return to their Super Bowl form in 2008. The key to this Division however lies in the hands, or right arm, of Tony Romo right? Wrong! The Cowboys, simply put, are loaded! There is no reason whatsoever that this team shouldn’t win a ton of games if…and this is a big if, IF Doug Free can anchor the Left side of the Offensive Line! While not a household name, Free is taking over for longtime stalwart Flozell Adams. The Cowboys traded for Alex Barron, the former 1st Round pick of the St. Louis Rams, but as of now it’s Free’s job to lose. With all the talent on this team from Romo, Austin, Barber, Jones, Whitten and newcomer Dez Bryant the key will be pass protection! In a very tough NFC East, Free will have his hands full with complex blitz packages from the Eagles, Osi Umenyora of the Giants and up and comer Brian Orapko in Washington. If Romo has time to scan the field and find his weapons the Boys are set, if not, as we know he can make mistakes and deep into the season one or two costly interceptions could be the difference between homefield and going home!

NFC West -
Similar to the AFC West, this is probably the weakest Division in the Conference. Gone is Kurt Warner and the pressure of the Cardinals future now lies on the left arm of Matt Leinart. The Cards also brought in Derek Anderson from the Cleveland Browns and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Veteran QB come in and take over by years end. He was a Pro Bowler back in 2007 when he threw for 27 TD’s. Give him one of the best Wide Outs in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and he might just take over the reigns. Out in Seattle, former USC Head Coach Pete Carroll takes over as the Seahawks look to regain their winning ways. The Defense is fine but the problems lie in the Offensive line and Running Back position. Justin Forsett should be the main man but if the holes aren’t there then there isn’t much he can do! In St. Louis, our good friend La’Roi Glover joined the Front Office to work with their players in their off the field lifestyles. Not that it was a problem but anytime you can get a great person like La’Roi to show your guys how to be true professionals you jump on it. The Rams selected Sam Bradford with the 1st overall pick in the Draft but in all reality they have no realistic change to make the postseason.

That leaves us with the San Francisco 49ers. The WildCard to this Division lies in the QB, specifically Alex Smith. Skinny Post contributor Michelle Jarvis did a nice article on Niners specifically Alex and the road that he faces. The Niners have the parts. They had the serendipity to land Michael Crabtree with the 10th pick in 2008 but after a long holdout he missed valuable growth time. Now that he has a year under his belt, the young talent should be equipped to take the role of the #1 WR. Vernon Davis has proven to be one of the elite Tight Ends in the league and Frank Gore continues to punish Defenses with his bruising style of play. The Niners definitely addressed their O-Line needs by taking two 1st Round Offensive Lineman in Anthony Davis, who will play Left Tackle, and Mike Iupati who will play Right Guard or Tackle. Both add tremendous girth and a smashmouth mentality. If Alex Smith can finally live up to the #1 Overall pick level that was expected of him than the Niners should be able to win the West, if not than it’s going to be a dogfight with Derek Anderson to Larry Fitzgerald possibly being the difference makers!!

NFC South -
The South is home to the Super Bowl Champion New Orlean Saints so obviously we know what they can do. They were wise to resign Safety Darren Sharper who tied for the lead in the NFL with 6 Defensive TD’s. The Offense is stocked and Drew Brees is reaching his peak as an NFL Super Star. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a team in a rebuild. They addressed their Defensive Line by taking 2 mammoth Defensive Tackles in concession in the 2010 Draft. Gerald McCoy and Brian Price both come in and hope to add a Run Stuffing presence in the 4-3 Tampa 2 look. The 2nd year QB with a big arm, Josh Freeman will be a key to the Bucs success but probably won’t effect the Playoff race that much. Out in Carolina, the Panthers said goodbye to Julius Peppers and QB Jake Delhomme. Both were clubhouse leaders and longtime fan favorites but the youth movement in Carolina has begun. Matt Moore takes over the starting QB spot with Rookie Colt McCoy waiting in the wing if he should falter. The key to the NFC South however lies in Atlanta, specifically in the legs of Michael Turner. In 2008, Turner went off!! He rushed for 1699 yards and 17 TD’s and made Matt Ryan’s job much easier. In 2009, Turner battled the injury bug and only started 11 games. If he can get back to what he was in ’08 than the Falcons have the parts to compete with the Saints in the South. Questions still remain in the Secondary but they think they found a key piece to that puzzle in Dunta Robinson, a former 1st Round pick from the Houston Texans. If Turner can get it back to what he was than Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White are that much more dangerous and Matt Ryan will be able to work play action to perfection! The Falcons could be a surprise team in 2010!