NFC

Of the NFL's two title matchups this Sunday, the NFC Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons feels like the most unpredictable.

Both are rematches of regular-season affairs, though the NFC side's initial encounter was much closer. Unlike its counterpart, the early game boasts a pair of quarterbacks who look downright unstoppable and ready to start a fireworks show.

The ability of both offenses to erupt without being slowed explains why Las Vegas has the line so tight. This is the full game info for the encounter:

Game	Date	Time (ET)	TV	Live Stream	Point Spread	Prediction
Green Bay at Atlanta	Jan. 22	3:05 p.m.	Fox	Fox Sports Go	ATL (-4)	GB 33-30

The first contest between the Packers and Falcons came in Week 8, where the former paid a visit to Atlanta and took a one-point loss. The 33-32 affair saw Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan combine for seven touchdown passes and no interceptions. A touchdown with 31 seconds left in regulation decided the game.

So, yes, this is a much-anticipated rematch.

Really, though, as much as storylines and comments surrounding the game should focus on the offenses, it has instead veered toward Green Bay's health woes.

Over at the team's official website, receivers Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Jeff Janis and Geronimo Allison all show up on the injury report. Nelson, the team's leading receiver, hardly played against the New York Giants and didn't against the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay still scored 38 and 34 points in those games, respectively, both against defenses that ranked among the top-10 scoring defenses.

Still, the buildup to the game has provided another wrinkle—Rodgers is sick.

ESPN.com's Jason Wilde captured his thoughts on the matter:

Aaron Rodgers is sick. "Rest, fluids, all that stuff. We'll be OK. Jordy had it. Mason had it. I got it. We'll deal with it."

— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) January 20, 2017

He doesn't sound like a guy too concerned, though it is hard to ignore the fact a bug seems to exist in Green Bay's locker room.

When one attempts to predict stats for the game, though, even an illness doesn't seem liable to slow Rodgers. Both offenses should roll against opposing units that clearly don't have the ability to keep pace.

Look for both quarterbacks to put on a show:

Green Bay Passing	Atlanta Passing
Green Bay Rushing	Atlanta Rushing
Green Bay Receiving	Atlanta Receiving
Aaron Rodgers, 32-of-48, 280 yards, 4 touchdowns	Matt Ryan, 30-of-45, 275 yards, 3 touchdowns
Ty Montgomery, 11 rushes, 34 yards	Devonta Freeman, 14 rushes, 45 yards
Jared Cook, five catches, 85 yards, 1 touchdown	Mohamed Sanu,10 catches, 104 yards, 1 touchdown
Davante Adams, six catches, 78 yards, 1 touchdown	Julio Jones, eight catches, 84 yards, 1 touchdown
Randall Cobb, eight catches, 50 yards	Taylor Gabriel, six catches, 40 yards, 1 touchdown

Remember, Julio Jones only caught three passes the first time these teams met. Green Bay actually found a way to slow one of the league's best receivers, it just doesn't matter much with Ryan under center.

Instead of Jones carrying the game, Mohamed Sanu caught nine passes for 84 yards and a score and Taylor Gabriel had a bit of a breakout game with three for 68 and a score of his own. 

Jones stressed how the emergence of those around him helped the offense this year, according to ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure:

You can’t really cheat the safety to me too much. A lot of teams try to play two-man. When they try to take me or Gabriel away or Aldrick away, you’ve got Sanu down the middle. We just complement each other. It’s been a big part this year, with those guys coming in to help out with those verticals.

Of course, it helps Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman combined for more than 1,500 yards rushing and 19 total rushing scores. How viable the rushing attack will be while trying to keep up with Rodgers isn't easy to nail down, though.

Sick or not, Rodgers is like Ryan in that it doesn't much matter the name on the back of the jersey. In the last round, he hit tight end Jared Cook with a key throw late to set up the game-winning field goal in Dallas. Cook had caught 30 passes with one score on the year.

Rodgers can't be stopped right now. He's making big plays under pressure, without it, rolling out of the pocket, staying in it. He suggested the Packers would run the table, and they haven't lost since. Even New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has taken time to praise Rodgers this week.

"I think he does things that no one in the league has ever done, or can do, because of his physical ability," Brady said, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. "Some of the plays he makes are just—they're phenomenal. Not just the throws but the scrambles."

The NFC title game shouldn't take anything away from Ryan. Atlanta finally has a superb supporting cast around a worthwhile MVP contender. But when it comes time to predict a game like this, voting against a buzz saw like Rodgers doesn't make sense. 

Unless the illness talk surrounding Green Bay has been vastly downplayed, Rodgers should cruise against a defense that proved it can't handle him. Which, really, would be Atlanta getting in line with the rest of the league.

Even if the outcome does look like a 50-50 scenario, the showdown shouldn't have any problems living up to the hype.

       

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

And then, there were four.

The Atlanta Falcons proved themselves as contenders in a 36-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The No. 2 seed in the NFC, the Falcons now have home-field advantage and will hope playing at home will be enough to get past the Green Bay Packers, who outlasted the Dallas Cowboys on the road, 34-31 thanks to Mason Crosby's game-winning field goal.

MASON. CROSBY. FOR. THE. WIN! #GoPackGo #NFLPlayoffs https://t.co/TOAEmvHmOt

— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2017

In the AFC, the New England Patriots, to no one's surprise, handled the Houston Texans, 34-16, and will host the Pittsburgh Steelers at home next weekend in the AFC Championship Game. 

Here's a quick look at next week's slate of games:

Date	Teams	Location	Time (ET)	National TV
	AFC
Sunday, Jan. 22	Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons	Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA	3:05 p.m.	Fox
	NFC	Foxborough, MA
Sunday, Jan. 22	Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA	6:40 p.m.	CBS

It's good news for Falcons fans, as they get another game in the Georgia Dome since the No. 1-seeded Cowboys were eliminated. However, playing the Packers, who are the hottest team in the NFL with eight straight victories dating back to the regular season, might be too tall of a task on the road to Super Bowl 51.

For the Patriots, it's business as usual. Tom Brady threw a couple of uncharacteristic interceptions against the Texans in the divisional round, but the Steelers defense isn't nearly as stout as Houston's.

These are the four best teams the NFL has to offer at this stage of the season, and any team playing this upcoming weekend is worthy of representing its conference in the biggest game of the year. Having said that, there can only be two teams that can advance to continue their chase for the Lombardi Trophy.

Four teams will enter, only two will survive.

https://twitter.com/dkurtenbach/status/820788865208229888

Can someone see if Clay Matthews is all right?

The Green Bay Packers linebacker whiffed trying to bring down Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who used the spin move to perfection to escape the tackle in the backfield.

Rookie wall? Not for Zeke.

The Cowboys have clawed their way back into this one, all tied up at 28 apiece at the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter of their divisional-round matchup.

[Twitter]

The Green Bay Packers will be looking to halt a three-game straight-up losing streak on the road when they travel to the nation's capital to face the Washington Redskins on Sunday night.

The 4-5 Packers have fallen to third in the NFC North standings during their current 1-4 SU run, and they have just a 19.9 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to PredictionMachine.com. Green Bay also surrendered its highest point total in eight years last weekend, falling 47-25 to the Tennessee Titans as three-point chalk.

The 5-3-1 Redskins extended their current SU home win streak to three games with last week's 26-20 victory over Minnesota as 2.5-point favorites. Washington covered in each of those wins and is 6-1 against the spread in its past seven games.

Point spread: The Redskins opened as three-point favorites; the total was 51 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 34.2-17.1 Redskins (NFL picks on every game)

   

Why the Packers can cover the spread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWbMj0H__3c

The Packers' current slide is not due to a lack of offensive punch. Green Bay rushers have run for 100 yards in three of their past four outings, while quarterback Aaron Rodgers found the end zone 12 times during that stretch.

Green Bay is just 2-4 SU in its past six games as a road underdog, but it has covered in five of six. That includes the Packers' 35-18 win in Washington as two-point underdogs in last season's Wild Card Weekend matchup.

The Redskins have struggled when favored by three or more points at home, going 4-4 SU in eight games and covering just twice in those contests.

   

Why the Redskins can cover the spread

The Redskins offense has come to life since the team opened the season with a pair of SU losses. Washington has scored 26 or more points in five of seven outings since then, and it has also pushed the point total over on five occasions.

Washington has held opponents to 20 points per game in three straight outright victories at home. The Redskins offensive line has made life miserable for opposing passers with 25 sacks on the season.

The Redskins were particularly dominant early on in their past six games overall, outscoring opponents in the first quarter by a 41-14 margin. Washington has also held opponents scoreless in the first frame in each of its past three home dates.

   

Smart pick

Sloppy play on both sides of the ball has doomed the Packers during their current three-game slide, despite scoring 27.7 points per game.

Green Bay has dominated the Redskins with six SU wins in their past seven meetings, going 5-1-1 ATS on the NFL lines. However, the Packers will struggle against a Washington offense that has generated an average of 461 total yards over their past four games.

Look for Washington to devastate the Packers' playoff hopes with a SU and ATS win.

   

Betting trends

The Packers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games against the Redskins.

The total has gone over in 12 of the Redskins' last 14 games.

The Redskins are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite.

   

All NFL betting lines and point-spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds-tracker app.

The Seattle Seahawks (6-2-1) will try to stay perfect at home Sunday when they host the Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) as solid favorites. The Seahawks and the Eagles are the only teams in the NFC without a loss at home and two of four in the league overall heading into Week 11.

    

Point spread: The Seahawks opened as 4.5-point favorites; the total was 45.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 28.4-18.2 Seahawks (NFL picks on every game)

    

Why the Eagles can cover the spread

Even though Philadelphia has been stronger at home this year, the team has not lost a road game by more than seven points, either. Three of the four road losses for the Eagles have come against divisional opponents, while the other loss was versus an NFC North foe.

This will definitely be a tough game at Seattle for rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and first-year head coach Doug Pederson, but both of them have shown a lot of poise this season and should not be rattled by the raucous crowd.

    

Why the Seahawks can cover the spread

The Seahawks have won four of the past five meetings with Philly straight up and against the spread, and they flexed their muscles in a 31-24 win over the New England Patriots as 7.5-point road underdogs in Week 10.

Seattle has seemed to play to the level of its opponents this season, with seven of nine games decided by seven points or fewer. But the Seahawks certainly have the potential to win by double digits like they did in two of their first three wins this year.

    

Smart pick

This is an intriguing matchup because nobody knows what to expect from the Eagles here. They surprised doubters last week in a 24-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons as one-point home favorites and back in Week 7 when they knocked off the Minnesota Vikings 21-10 as three-point home underdogs on the NFL lines. But they have also disappointed as road chalk in losses to the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins.

Philadelphia obviously is not the favorite here and will struggle to score against a highly motivated Seattle defense that has a ton of confidence right now after upsetting New England. Look for the Seahawks to win this one by double digits again.

    

Betting trends

The Eagles are 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five games against the Seahawks.

The visiting team is 7-1 SU and ATS in its last eight games in this matchup.

The total has gone over in five of the Seahawks' last seven games.

    

All NFL betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.

The Minnesota Vikings (5-4) have gone from the hottest team in the NFL to the coldest within the last month and will try to avoid a five-game losing streak when they host the Arizona Cardinals (4-4-1) on Sunday.

The Vikings had started the season at 5-0 before losing four in a row, while the Cardinals are still trying to get over the .500 mark for the first time this year.

   

Point spread: This game opened as a pick'em; the total was 41 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 23.6-19.2 Vikings (NFL picks on every game)

   

Why the Cardinals can cover the spread

Arizona has won five straight games during the month of November following a 23-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday. The Cardinals did not cover the spread as 13.5-point home favorites, as they were coming off their bye and looked a little sluggish offensively.

Fortunately for them, they will be playing a struggling Minnesota team that has not run the ball well without Adrian Peterson and averaged just 14 points during its skid. Arizona should have no problem topping that number on offense and has an equally impressive defense.

   

Why the Vikings can cover the spread

The Cardinals are hurting a bit and will likely be playing with a gimpy Larry Fitzgerald after he was one of three players on the team to get an MRI on Monday. Fitzgerald will not miss this game in his hometown, but that does not mean he will not be negatively impacted by his knee injury.

Fitzgerald was targeted 18 times last week and ended up catching 12 passes for 133 yards, but still Arizona could not cover versus a team riding an eight-game losing streak in San Francisco.

The Vikings have won 10 of the past 13 meetings with the Cardinals and should be able to bounce back against this banged-up squad.

   

Smart pick

This is a huge game for both 2015 NFC division winners, as the loser will have a tough time making the playoffs again this year. Home field could well be the difference here, with Minnesota going 3-1 straight up and ATS in its first four games at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikes should probably be small chalk in this spot on the NFL point spreads, so bet them to win it.

   

Betting trends

The total has gone under in the Cardinals' last three games against the Vikings.

The Vikings are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games at home against teams with losing records.

The total has gone under in six of the Vikings' last eight games.

   

All NFL betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.

All of a sudden, the Atlanta Falcons (6-3) have the second-most wins in the NFC heading into a key road matchup on Sunday with the struggling Philadelphia Eagles (4-4). The Falcons have won two in a row, while the Eagles have lost two straight, although the latter has yet to lose in three previous games played at Lincoln Financial Field this year.

      

Point spread: The Eagles opened as one-point favorites; the total was 49.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 24.7-24.5, Falcons (NFL picks on every game)

      

Why the Falcons can cover the spread

Atlanta has already proven that 2015, when the team lost seven of eight following a 5-0 start, was a bit of a fluke. This season, the Falcons have rebounded from a two-game skid by winning consecutive matchups with the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they will have had extra time to prepare for Philadelphia since playing last Thursday night.

In addition, they are 5-1 straight up and 6-0 against the spread in their last six games on the road.

       

Why the Eagles can cover the spread

Philadelphia has leaned on its home field at key points this year, and this scenario is no different. After losing their last two games, the Eagles simply cannot afford to fall below the .500 mark if they want to hold onto any hopes of making the playoffs.

They are one of only two teams in the NFC without a home loss and one of four in the league overall, and all three wins there have been decided by double digits. Plus, Philly has found a way to bounce back from consecutive losses more often than not, going 7-2 SU and ATS the last nine times they have found themselves in this particular situation.

        

Smart pick

Despite all of the betting trends previously mentioned here, there are a couple more that strongly favor Atlanta. The Falcons are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games against NFC East opponents, and the Eagles are 1-4 SU and ATS on the NFL lines in their past five against NFC foes.

The chemistry between Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones will ultimately prove to be too much for Philadelphia en route to the team's first home loss.

       

Betting trends

The total has gone under in eight of the Falcons' last 11 games against the Eagles.

The Eagles are 7-2 SU and ATS in their last nine games after consecutive losses.

The Eagles are 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five games against the NFC.

       

All NFL betting lines and point-spread data courtesy of Bleacher Report's official odds partner Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds-tracker app.

NFC East

The New York Giants faced their first game without star receiver Hakeem Nicks (and four other offensive starters) last weekend and came away with a win. 

It wasn’t pretty, but the Jacksonville Jaguars (who are tied with the Colts for the lead in the AFC South) were ultimately overwhelmed by the Giants confident defense.  

The Dallas Cowboys hosted a Thanksgiving thriller against the New Orleans Saints, making a spectacular second half comeback only to miss a 59-yard field goal in the final seconds and lose their first game under interim head coach Jason Garrett. 

Dallas is way behind after a very rocky start and now every game counts. This weekend will pose a challenge when they take on the Colts in Indianapolis.  

On the plus side, Tony Romo—who has been out with a broken left collarbone—threw some passes this week in practice.

The Philadelphia Eagles fell to the Chicago Bears Sunday and now find themselves tied for the division lead with the New York Giants. They will be hosting the Houston Texans this weekend and are unlikely to be upset by the early season favorites.

The Washington Redskins lost a close game to the Minnesota Vikings, but still manage to be within two games of the leaders.  This week they travel to New York to see if they can uproot the Giants and scramble a game closer to the playoffs.  New York, meanwhile, will be vying for sole possession of the division.

NFC North

After epically beating the Philadelphia Eagles and extending their win streak to four, the Chicago Bears have taken the lead in the NFC North. 

Since their bye week, they have looked less like this season’s fluke team and more like this season’s surprise Super Bowl contenders. This weekend, they travel to Detroit and should have no trouble garnering their fifth consecutive win and maintaining their lead.

The Green Bay Packers, who gave up their lead with a tragic loss in Atlanta last Sunday, will be vying to stay in the running when they host the San Francisco 49ers this weekend.

The Minnesota Vikings played their first game under new head coach Leslie Frazier and beat the Redskins. Fans even got to witness Brett Favre’s long-thought-gone mobility as he ran 10 yards for a first down minutes before the end of the game. 

Adrian Peterson sat out the entire second half with what turned out to be an ankle sprain—he is expected to play this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

The Detroit Lions lost again this week, but not before giving the New England Patriots a run for their money. They held on through the third quarter, tying the Patriots before being shut out completely in the fourth quarter and allowing New England to double their points. 

NFC South

The Atlanta Falcons cemented their win over the entire conference with a win over Green Bay. This weekend should only improve their record—they play in Tampa Bay.

The New Orleans Saints maintain their third place status after stifling a late game comeback by the Cowboys last Thursday. They’ll be in Cincinnati this Sunday, taking on team T.Ocho.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fought hard and kept it close, but were defeated by the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens.

They’ve spent this week shuffling the roster to replace players injured during that contest (Cody Grimm, broken fibula; Davin Joseph, broken foot; Kyle Moore, shoulder). It’ll be necessary to be in top-shape this weekend when they host those conference leading Falcons.

The Carolina Panthers almost earned their second win of the season this weekend against the Cleveland Browns, losing by just a single point. 

That, in itself, despite the nearly as hapless Browns team, could be a moral victory for these NFC bottom-feeders.

This Sunday, they can keep their hopes alive when they travel to Seattle to take on a messy Seattle team.

NFC West

The Seattle Seahawks suffered an especially embarrassing at home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday, exhibiting some of their worst play all season. 

This week, they have ample opportunity to redeem themselves when the league’s practice squad, the Carolina Panthers, come to town.

The St. Louis Rams have once again earned themselves a tie (with the Seahawks) for the division lead after managing a win over the up-and-mostly-down Denver Broncos. If they can keep it up over in Arizona this weekend, they’ll still be very much in the running for the playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers got a season’s worth of retribution over the Arizona Cardinals, beating them 27-6 in Arizona. Arizona QB Derek Anderson was caught smiling on the sidelines during the brutal loss and all but cursed out a reporter who questioned him about it during the postgame press conference.

San Francisco faces a much tougher foe this week (Green Bay) on their turf and are not likely to take hold of the division this week; however, don’t write them off yet: They’re still in the hunt.

Arizona plays division rival St. Louis and could be tied with San Francisco for third place by Monday.

Having just celebrated yet another birthday, I find myself in a reflective sort of mood.  One thing I think I’ve learned as I get older is how to make better decisions.

In life, I have found that it helps to consider all possibilities before acting. An easy way to do that is to play the “best case/worst case” game.  For example, should I use my soon-to-be-expired “buy one, get one free” coupon for Sonic even if I’m driving in solo?

Best-case scenario: I get two, delicious, juicy burgers all to myself.

Worst-case scenario: Massive heart attack.

Or, in an otherwise innocuous conversation with my wife, should I speak out loud the potentially insulting comment that just came into my head?

Best-case scenario: She sees the humor in my remark and is reminded of one of the reasons she is so happy to be married to me.

Worst-case scenario: An immediate serving of my least-favorite dinner – cold shoulder and hot tongue.

Come to think of it, I guess as I’ve gotten older I haven’t learned how to make better decisions. Pity.

Applied to the rapidly-coming-to-a-close CBS reality juggernaut Big Brother:

Best-case scenario: Hayden wins final head-of-household and takes Enzo, setting up for the jury house an intriguing choice of Best Competitor vs. Best Social Player.

Worst-case scenario: Forced to sit through two interrupted hours of Julie Chen-hosted television, I manically claw my eyes out and set fire to my out-of-print Criterion Collection DVD edition of This Is Spinal Tap.

Fans of the Minnesota Vikings have to be playing the “best case/worst case” game after Thursday night’s competitive but ultimately ugly loss to the New Orleans Saints.  After watching Brett Favre struggle to connect with anybody not named Visanthe Shiancoe (and then only prior to his being sufficiently covered), fans have to assume that the best case scenario for the 2010 Vikings is that the team can piece together a .500 record until they get a healthy Sidney Rice back.

Worst-case scenario is the Vikings offense continues to struggle badly, a fed-up Favre decides to hang it up mid-season and be a full-time stay-at-home dad (Oops, I mean stay-at-home granddad), and after stupidly trading away the not-terrible Sage Rosenfels, the Vikings are right back to what they were two years ago – a mediocre team crippled by an awful quarterback.

Here’s my “best case/worst case” for the rest of the NFC:

Arizona Cardinals:

Best case: Derek Anderson plays like the Derek Anderson of three years ago, Beanie Wells stays (or gets) healthy, and the Cardinals repeat as NFC West champs. Matt Leinart gets photographed with more drunk co-eds in Houston.

Worst case: Derek Anderson plays like the more recent Derek Anderson, Larry Fitzgerald can’t get open without former teammate Anquan Boldin, Beanie Wells misses significant time, and the defense plays like it did in last year’s playoffs. And following an injury to Matt Schaub, Matt Leinart leads the Texans to their first-ever playoff appearance.

San Francisco 49ers:

Best case: Alex Smith become an elite quarterback and leads what becomes – with Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, and Michael Crabtree – an elite offense deep into the playoffs.   

Worst case: The team underachieves yet again, and tired of once again failing to make the playoffs, head coach Mike Singletary quits to go on tour with the reunited Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew.

Seattle Seahawks:

Best case: In his return to the NFL, head coach Pete Carroll extends the success he enjoyed at USC, and the Seahawks make some noise in a terrible division.

Worst case: Pete Carroll continues to be dogged by accusations of wrongdoing while at USC, Matt Hasselbeck continues to stink, neither Justin Forsett nor Leon Washington fulfill expectations, and Seattle gets next year’s number one draft pick.

St. Louis Rams:

Best case: Sam Bradford shines, giving St. Louis the franchise quarterback they haven’t had since the Greatest Show on Turf, and giving Steven Jackson more room to run.

Worst case: Sam Bradford suffers another injury to his shoulder, the defense shows no improvement, and the Rams finish the year as the worst team in the league. Again.

Dallas Cowboys:

Best case: The Cowboys become the first team to play a Super Bowl in their own stadium.

Worst case: Tony Romo starts dating Justin Bieber, the crowded backfield never sorts itself out, Dez Bryant can’t stay healthy, and the team once again folds down the stretch.

Washington Redskins:

Best case: Albert Haynesworth and Mike Shanahan make nice, Donovan McNabb plays like Donovan McNabb (and beats his former team twice), Clinton Portis reestablishes himself as an elite back, and offseason upheaval finally works for the Redskins, sending them into the playoffs.

Worst case: Shanahan’s defense is as bad as it was in Denver, Donovan McNabb becomes as big a sports joke in DC as Gilbert Arenas, and Joey Galloway turns to dust.

Philadelphia Eagles:

Best case: The McNabb to Kolb transition works for Philadelphia as well as the Favre to Rodgers transition worked in Green Bay, LeSean McCoy makes everyone forget about Brian Westbrook, and the Eagles surprise by winning the NFC East.

Worst case: the McNabb to Kolb transition works for Philadelphia as well as the Leno to O’Brien transition worked for NBC, McNabb embarrasses his old team, and the Eagles finish in the NFC East basement.

New York Giants:

Best case: The defense isn’t horrible, and the Giants return to the more run-oriented, time-of-possession style of offense that they excel at.

Worst case: The defense stinks, Brandon Jacobs pouts, and the Giants’ new stadium starts to attract brown bag-wearing fans.

Green Bay Packers:

Best case: Aaron Rodgers wins the league MVP, the Packers lead the league in scoring, and they win the Super Bowl, beating Brett Favre twice (three times?) in the process.

Worst case: Last year’s NFC Championship game repeats itself as the defense – particularly the secondary – can’t get healthy and the offense can’t be counted on to outscore everybody every week.

Chicago Bears:

Best case: Mike Martz and Jay Cutler fall in love and turn the Bears promising offense into the best thing to happen to the city since Oprah came to town.

Worst case: The Bears’ offensive line is as bad as feared and interception-prone Cutler can’t stay upright long enough to throw anything accurate. Oh, and Brian Urlacher gets injured. Again.

Detroit Lions:

Best case: Matthew Stafford continues to improve, rookies Jahvid Best and Ndamukong Suh have immediate impacts, Calvin Johnson plays up to his potential, and the Lions climb out of the NFC North cellar.

Worst case: These are the Lions. The football gods will have to have mercy and let them win at least three games.

Atlanta Falcons:

Best case: A sexy preseason pick proves itself worthy of its preseason hype.

Worst case: Matt Ryan’s play continues to drop off, leading some ill-informed and/or intoxicated fans to chant “Vick! Vick!”

Carolina Panthers:

Best case: A very talented team picks up where it left off at the end of the 2009 season (three straight dominating wins) and steals the division from New Orleans.

Worst case: A team with a lot of question marks picks up where it left off at the end of the preseason (no offensive touchdowns) and finishes third in the division.

New Orleans Saints:

Best case: Last year’s Super Bowl champs become the first team since the 2003-2004 Patriots to repeat as World Champions. Thursday night’s opener was highly inconclusive.

Worst case: The high-risk, high-reward defense becomes high-risk, the pressure of repeating takes its toll, Thursday night’ two missed field goals by Garrett Hartley become a trend, and Drew Brees continues to lose more hair.

You know, like Enzo on Big Brother.

NFC Fearless predictions:

Division winners:

NFC East: Cowboys

NFC North: Packers

NFC South: Saints

NFC West: 49ers

Wild cards: Bears, Panthers

NFC Champion: Packers