NFC

Each week I will be looking over each team and pointing out noticeable trends that can help you dominate your fantasy league.

Links to both the full article and remaining NFC teams can be found below.

Philadelphia Eagles

Donovan McNabb is likely out this week, which means the job belongs to Kevin Kolb…for now. Jeff Garcia was signed to be the backup and Michael Vick is due back from suspension in Week Three.

It's hard to get a true idea of what the split in carries will be between Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy, because McCoy got a ton of carries once the Eagles pulled away from Carolina on Sunday. The split was 13:9 (4:3 in targets) in favor of Westbrook, but expect that gap to be wider this weekend.

DeSean Jackson (seven) and Brent Celek (seven) both saw a bunch of targets, well more than third place Kevin Curtis (four). Hank Baskett was cut, which means Reggie Brown or Brandon Gibson will be active in Week Two.

New York Giants

The split in carries was 16-12 in favor of Brandon Jacobs over Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs surprisingly was more involved in the passing game, hauling in two balls, while Bradshaw caught three.

The receiving situation is slightly clearer. Steve Smith was the main man with eight targets/six catches. Kevin Boss, Mario Manningham, Domenik Hixon, and Hakeem Nicks each had three or four targets. With Nicks out for a few weeks, Ramses Barden or Sinorice Moss will see work.

Dallas Cowboys

The running back split showed Marion Barber leading the way with two-thirds of the carries. He had 14, while Felix Jones (six) and Tashard Choice (two) did the rest. No targets for Barber or Jones.

Roy Williams (seven), Jason Witten (seven), and Patrick Crayton (six) were not surprises at the top of the target list.

Washington Redskins

Ladell Betts didn’t steal much of the spotlight from Clinton Portis. The carry split favored Portis 16:2.

Antwaan Randle El was demoted to the slot role this season, but led the team in targets with nine. He caught seven of them for 98 yards. Still, Santana Moss should be the top fantasy option here despite only two catches on five targets. Malcolm Kelly, the new No. 2 WR, caught his only target for a short gain.

Chris Cooley caught seven of his eight targets. That production will continue all year.

Chicago Bears

It was a rough outing for Matt Forte, who failed to record a catch on just one target. Owners, especially those in PPR leagues, should be concerned about that as a lot of Forte’s value in 2008 came from the fact that he caught 63 balls. Forte did carry the ball 25 times, compared to just three for backup Garrett Wolfe.

Earl Bennett had a whopping 13 targets and caught seven of them. He is certainly a player to target right now. Devin Hester caught all four of his targets. Cutler looked to the tight end 10 times: Greg Olsen (six times), Desmond Clark (four times).

Could rookie Johnny Knox make an impact this year? He was also targeted four times and was the team’s third option at WR.

Detroit Lions

Kevin Smith struggled to 20 rush yards on 15 carries, but scored on the ground and recorded 52 receiving yards on seven catches (nine targets). If the rookie Matt Stafford continues to play it safe and dump the ball off to Smith, he will be fantasy gold.

Andre Brown (one) and Terrelle Smith (two) had the team’s only other RB carries.

Calvin Johnson was targeted 13 times, but caught just three for 90 yards. Bryant Johnson had eight thrown his way.

There was not much love for the tight end, as Casey Fitzsimmons (one) and Will Heller (two) accounted for the only three targets.

Green Bay Packers

Ryan Grant is the man for the carries (16:3), but DeShawn Wynn was targeted four times, compared to just once for Grant.

Greg Jennings (eight) and Donald Driver (seven) saw the most targets as expected. Jordy Nelson (two targets) and James Jones (one) failed to catch a ball. Donald Lee caught all three of his targets, but for only eight yards.

Sleeper candidate Jermichael Finley caught just one ball.

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Now that the euphoria over the Packers' exciting win over the Bears has worn off, it's time to take a closer look at this game.

Watching the game live is a great experience, but impressions we develop can be affected by many things. Your own emotions, announcer's comments, too much beer—all of these can taint what you think you're seeing.

As Mike McCarthy will tell you, he doesn't know what the real story is until he "looks at the film." So down to my man cave I went.

I fired up the DVR and the HDTV and spent some quality hours pressing the play, rewind, and slow-motion buttons on the remote.

After re-emerging, I have a question for you all and some observations.

Question: There was one huge play in this game that will be completely overlooked. Yet without this play, the Bears finish the game with 22 points. Can you think of what play I'm referring to? The answer is at the end of this article.

The offensive line seemed a bit disjointed, a bit slow, and often indecisive. While all of the attention was rightly on Alan Barbre, the rest of the offensive line had a disappointing night.

Josh Sitton was probably the best of the bunch, but I spotted him making some bad choices on who to block. That's what happened on the play where Sitton was penalized for holding.

He couldn't decide which of two players to block and by the time he did, the defender was rushing past him. So Sitton did the only thing he could do in order to protect Rodgers—he held.

The Bears defense easily won the line of scrimmage battle, consistently getting a strong push and moving the Packers' OL back.

Of course, this resulted in few clear-cut holes for Ryan Grant to run through. Grant had to make a lot of yards on his own running through people, as he did on his touchdown run.

On that play, there was nowhere to go, as Urlacher stuffed his inside running lane, so Grant bounced it out around Chad Clifton and inside Donald Lee.

Two Bears defenders met him head on in the hole, but he refused to get pushed back and was able to fight through them for the TD.

Do not make the mistake of looking at Grant's 68 yards rushing and saying he didn't do well. Ryan Grant earned every yard he gained in that game.

I also don't want to hear anyone say that Rodgers was "off his game." Anytime a pass he threw was off the mark, it was due to heavy pressure. The long passes that came up short were due to Ogunleye being in his face and Rodgers not being able to step into the ball.

So please, no Rodgers criticisms this week.

As for the safety: Watching the game live, I thought that he could have gotten rid of the ball and I was critical of Rodgers. Playing it back multiple times and in slow motion, I can say I was clearly wrong.

Rodgers doesn't even see the blitzer until he was a few short steps away. His best option was to try to get away. As he was doing that, the receivers were just starting to break off their routes and look back at Rodgers.

There was a split second where Rodgers might have been able to throw the ball safely in front of Jermichael Finley, but Daniel Manning hooked Rodgers' right arm. Rodgers actually did a very smart thing, transferring the ball to his left hand to avoid Manning stripping the ball from him in the end zone.

As well as the Packers' defense played, continuing their preseason turnover spree and playing with aggression, they did relinquish 352 yards of offense.

The problem of course was the big play. The Packers gave up six plays of 20 yards or more, all in the air.

On the plus side, the run defense was outstanding, holding the Bears to a 2.8 yard per carry average. Equally good was the third down defense, stopping the Bears on 11 of 15 third down attempts.

These were both big problems last year, so the marked improvement is more than welcome. But there's still plenty to work on with the secondary and the big plays.

Defensive Line:

Exactly when did Johnny Jolly become a defensive back? They dropped him in coverage a few times and then he sniffs out the screen and makes a diving one-handed interception (Tramon, were you paying attention?).

This is a different Jolly than the one we have known in the past. He was in for over 50 plays, along with Cullen Jenkins, and was still going strong at the end of the game.

The Packers played most of the first half in the nickel, with Jenkins and Jolly as the only two defensive linemen. The second half saw much more three-man fronts, with Pickett at nose tackle.

Linebackers

Brandon Chillar was outstanding. I've watched his sack now at least 20 times and I'm still amazed by the hurdle and how quickly after it he closed in on Cutler.

As for all you Hawk haters and Kampman disbelievers, you'll have to find yourselves some new whipping boys (I believe Poppinga is available). Hawk finally played like a No. 5 draft pick. It seemed like he was involved in every play in some manner.

Whether it was standing up blockers, crashing through the line, pressuring Cutler on blitzes, covering tight ends, or running down Devin Hester on the sideline to stop a possible TD, he was everywhere. He played with aggression, smarts, and ability we haven't seen before.

Mr. Invisible left a huge impression on this game, his best game as a pro that I've seen.

Aaron Kampman was, quite simply, Aaron Kampman. His coverage responsibilities were limited and any time he was asked to cover, the Packers were blitzing other players, making it difficult for Cutler to take advantage of the supposed mismatch of Kampman in coverage.

A perfect example would be Chillar's sack. Kampman was back in coverage on that play.

He looked fine as a linebacker against the run, especially when the ball was run wide to his side, standing up blockers and slowing down Matt Forte until more help arrived.

He was used extensively in the pass rush and was in the Bears' backfield all night. He mostly played like Aaron Kampman, just not from a three point stance.

I would complain about the penalties, but three of them (against Clifton, Matthews, and Harris) were just horrendous calls. The phantom illegal contact on Al Harris might be one of the worst I've seen in 40 years of watching football.

Having said that, it does still seem like the Packers draw penalties at the worst times—when the defense gets a big stop or the offense runs off a big play.

Perhaps the second most amazing play of the night was Bret Swain's tackle on the fake punt. Swain is the outside end on the right side, down in a three point stance. He takes one step in like he's rushing the passer, then stands up.

He immediately sees the fake, hustles down the line of scrimmage behind the scrum, and makes a textbook, wrap-your-arms, linebacker-like tackle just as the ball carrier was breaking through the hole.

If you look back at that play, you will see that there isn't another Packer in sight. If Swain doesn't make that tackle, we're looking at a 30-yard gain and a back-breaking first down for the Bears.

As much as everyone loved Ruvell Martin, Swain has already paid dividends.

Best TV Announcer Moment of the Night:

After the fake punt:

Al Michaels: "Lovie's thrown the challenge flag."

Collinsworth: "Maybe on his own call."

Random Thoughts:

Aaron Rodgers is much more Bart Starr than Brett Favre, and as much as I enjoyed watching Brett Favre, I think that's a really good thing.

DeShawn Wynn couldn't run the ball, couldn't block anyone, and couldn't catch a pass. Did I miss anything?

Answer to the Question Above:

Charles Woodson on the Johnny Knox 68-yard pass. What? Have I lost my mind? No, not at all. If you have the ability to watch it again, you'll see an amazing thing. You'll see Charles Woodson, beaten badly by one of the fastest players in the NFL, refuse to give up.

He could easily have eased up and relinquished the touchdown. But he didn't. By sheer will, he somehow caught up to Knox, dove, and got enough of Knox's left leg to make him take a step out of bounds.

A sure touchdown and seven points were put on hold. A few plays later, Jolly intercepts a pass and the Bears get zero points when they should have had seven. When you win the game by six points, I'd say this was a key moment.

So blame Woodson all you want for getting beat, but also laud him for the amazing play he made to prevent the touchdown.

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You can find more of Jersey Al Bracco’s articles on several sports websites: Jersey Al’s Blog, Packer Chatters , Packers Lounge, NFL Touchdown and of course,  Bleacher Report.

You can also follow Jersey Al on twitter.

It's important to be prudent and cautious when considering your observations about how good or bad a team will be, after all, not every team can have a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning. No, some of us have to be saddled with guys like Kyle Orton and Jake Delhomme.

Of course, it could always be worse, right?

The first week, for many fans, offers a glimpse at what will be for the next 15 weeks of the NFL regular season. Some of us will find reason to be happy, while others will be mad as heck.

Either way, we are all prone to taking a big win too seriously, "The Saints are going to the Super Bowl," while taking a heartbreaking loss too hard, "The Texans are gonna be awful this season."

That said, I made a few observations of my own this weekend—many of them were made prior to the first snap and were confirmed by game's end.  While others found their way in as the moments ticked away on the freshly minted season.

Without further intro, here are just a few of the snap judgments and, possibly, false conclusions that can be drawn from week one.


Jake Delhomme should no longer be starting in the NFL

Feb. 1, 2004, New England beats Carolina, 32-29, in the Super Bowl—one of the best ever. Delhomme lights up the stat sheet and becomes the NFC South's golden boy after throwing for 323-yards and three touchdowns while rallying his team for 19-points in the fourth quarter to nearly win it all.

It was the moment that Jake Delhomme became a household name and the Carolina Panthers went from being second-thoughts to a-listers in the NFC.

That was then, this is now.

Delhomme has made a lot of money from that one shining moment of Super Bowl glory but, like Janet Jackson, I must ask, "What Have You Done For Me Lately"?  That performance, if you wish to call it that, on Sept. 13, 2009 was deplorable. Atrocious. Horrific. Bad.

It was miles away from the Super Bowl phenom he became in 2004, but not unlike the performance in his prior game—which performance is most likely closest to the real Jake these days, do ya think?

His apologists will say it was the defensive brilliance of the Eagles, the poor performance of the offensive line, the bad playcalling by coach Fox, the ineffectiveness of the run game, etc., etc.; that's why he only managed to throw for 73-yards. That is why he had five turnovers.

Stop making excuses for what many people already know...Jake is done.

Now, might he come out next week and blow the doors off Atlanta? Maybe. It's been said that he might come up with a Drew Brees like performance of his own this next week to shut the naysayers up and prove he's still the best man for the job—that's laughable if you consider he's only had two 300+ yard games in three years (32 starts), but, okay.

It's time to call a spade a spade.

Snap conclusion: The Panthers will never reach another Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme as their quarterback.

Adrian Peterson is a man amongst boys

Brett Favre can now fade into the background that is Adrian Peterson's shadow. If it wasn't clear to anyone before, it should be mind-numbingly clear now, Adrian Peterson is the Minnesota Vikings.

His 180-yard trouncing of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday was nothing short of amazing. He ran over, around, and through defenders and made most of that Cleveland team look like they were members of a high school scout team.

He's a beast and, without question, the most valuable player on his team. If he goes down, may God have mercy on Minnesota's soul because they will be dead in the water—with or without Favre standing behind center.

Speaking of whom, Favre may as well have been Sage Rosenfels. His 110-yard passing performance was hardly impressive. He will likely get better as the games progress but, so far, the only thing impressive about him on Sunday was that he didn't throw any interceptions.

Snap Conclusion: The Vikings are the team to beat in the NFC North.


Jay Cutler is still Jay Cutler

The only person smiling after Jay Cutler's four interception performance on Sunday night was, likely, Jake Delhomme. Why? Because he would no longer dominate the talk of which quarterback looked the worst on the day.

A lot of people are knocking Jay for his lack of emotion over a Bear's loss. A loss, mind you, that he can claim a great deal of responsibility for having caused. No, the real issue should be his inability to read defenses any better than he did in Denver.

Jay threw pick after pick on Sunday night and didn't seem to glean any new insight from the one before; he's not learning how to be a more efficient quarterback. He's not trying to develop a better feel for reading defenses. He's just playing catch and hoping like hell the set of hands that finds the ball is wearing the same jersey as him.

In his defense, the Packers did happen to be home to one of the more opportunistic secondaries of the 2008 season, tied for third with Jay's current team, for interceptions. However, that is no excuse for what looked like sloppy play on Jay's part.

His task won't get any easier when he faces the Steelers this week but maybe Polamalu's absence will make it easier for him to see his receivers better—that or maybe a better set of contact lenses.

Snap Judgment: He's still immature and needs to grow up in a hurry if he expects to be a leader and not a liability.


The Bills look fine...why did they even need Owens?

T.O. sat on the bench with little to run his mouth about—his team lost a heartbreaker whilst his former team basked in the glory that was a win minus his drama.

For his part, Owens did manage to make a couple insignificant catches on the night but was overshadowed by a very impressive Bills defense whose efforts were thwarted by some very bad special teams play on the part of, second-year man, Leodis Mckelvin.

Owens not only looked out of sync in the Bills offense, he didn't even look like the man Trent Edwards wanted to throw the ball to—Fred Jackson held that honor.

The Bills looked good on both counts Monday night, despite the loss, and they looked that way without Owens providing the numbers he's used to having in a game.

Which begs the question? Why did they need him in the first place? Owens isn't likely to be held down for long, but the Bills offense ran crisp and clean without him and that cannot be a good harbinger of things to come—an unhappy T.O. is a no-no...just ask Romo.

It's possible that this was just a fluke of a game and Edwards is still searching for chemistry with his newest wide receiver but, from the looks of it, Owens won't be as important as many thought.

Snap Judgment: Owens will be lucky to hit 1,000 yards in Buffalo. He'll be lucky to matter at all.


The Bengals are just not very good

Denver Bronco fans can take that win on Sunday and mount it on the wall of Josh McDaniel's office at Mile-High Stadium. It won't happen very often this season.

The Bengals, for all the Carson Palmer talk, just don't look very good on offense.  Sure, Ochocinco got his yards (89) and Benson put up some decent number (76-yards and a score), but none of those resulted in a win for the Bengals.

Carson Palmer looked dazed and confused by the Denver defense all day up to the point of his, impressive, 91-yard drive down the field to lead his team to a score—one that should have held true if not for a fluke play.

The game ended as it was played: ugly—and if the ending was any indication of how the Bengals season will go, it will be no different this year than the last.

Snap conclusion: The Bengals aren't contenders. They never were.

The Jets are for real

Rex Ryan has brought his tough talk to the Jets and has backed it up every step of the way thus far. Anyone who continues to doubt that the Jets are for real this season need only look at the masterpiece that was their first game of the year.

Say what you will about how the Texans are overrated and Schaub is not a good quarterback. This was a team that was on the rise near the end of last season and boasts a ton of talent in both Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson.

The Jets have owned the Texans of late but were still the underdogs in this game since they were sporting a rookie quarterback and head coach coming into this game.

Will the Jets win the Super Bowl this season? Not likely, but this much is for sure, it won't be long before Ryan has them in the conversation.

Snap conclusion: The Jets are the new rising stars of the AFC East.

As with all snap judgments and quick conclusions, any of these could change—that's the nature of the beast in the NFL. One minute a team can be flying at it's highest and then quickly fall back to earth the following week; or vice-versa. 

It's all about consistency.

Time to get ready for week two.

There are many reasons to be in attendance at a live football game, a unique life time experience in exchange for some of your hard earned money from The Man.  It is one of the rare occasions it is handed over with glee.

The lights, the sounds, the smells, and let’s not forget the sights.

NFL cheerleaders, specifically in my focus today, the Arizona Cardinal cheerleaders, are a sight to see.  Even as a female one has to appreciate the vibrant energy, gleeful smiles, and wonderful display of bouncy talent.  

Who wouldn’t want to be one, if even for a day?  Or, perhaps, helping to hold up the tower…

Let’s take a closer look at Alexis, our peppy auburn haired and bright blue-eyed cheerleader of the week, Arizona native of course.    

Not only do fans get to appreciate her ravishing beauty and skillful display of flexibility, she is an amazing individual to focus on.  Forget the stereo-typical reputation that follows cheerleaders through television and the big screen, this woman is beauty and brains, the real deal.

Currently working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing with a minor in Spanish, Alexis does not thrive on taking the easy way in life.  Outside of the squad, this multi-talented woman is also a caregiver as a nanny for two wonderful children she adores, as well as a talented competitive dancer.

A fan of the outdoors, Alexis has a passion for camping, kayaking, and snowboarding.  Her plans for the future involve becoming fluent in Spanish and traveling abroad.

Though most do not take the time to appreciate these women for more than the glittery, dazzling flash of pom poms that they flutter, the NFL strives to continuously aim for the best to represent them and their fan base. 

They are far from the image that most of us have on cheerleaders, and are frequently role models and volunteers for the communities that they live in.

It is undeniable that these women receive far less attention than the million dollar vested athletes that they are rooting for, but it is undeniable that they are just as pivotal part of the game as any of the athletes and coaches. 

Ok, well some would debate that.

But can you honestly imagine a game without the leg-kicking acrobats that accompany it? 

No.

It would almost seem to be diminished, a lesser form of the sport without the age old tradition of beautiful woman careening the side lines and begging cheers, much to the enjoyment of the fans that are packed into the stands and watching from home.

Now let’s get real, we all love to watch them.  Well, maybe not everyone, but almost everyone, and who can blame them? 

There’s a reason that little girls dream to be them and men strive to stare.  They are entertaining, gorgeous, talented, and thanks to the picky requirements of the NFL (dare anyone shame the reputation of this fine organization), amazingly talented and brilliant specimens of the free world.   

Is that maybe what adds to the appeal, the complete package that these women appear to offer?  One can only speculate why we are just so darn captivated and entertained. 

But, it may just be the short skirts, let’s not get overly analytical here.

In the very first meeting between the Packers and the Bears in 1921, there was a single moment that would foretell a future of heated battles. Chicago's John (Tarzan) Taylor threw a sucker punch that broke the nose of Packers tackle Howard Buck. It would prove to be the opening salvo in what became a long and tenuous rivalry between Green Bay and Chicago.

7,000 fans at Wrigley field watched the Bears shut out the Packers that day by a score of 20-0. While a mere 200 miles separates these two cities, the differences couldn't be greater. Small town Green Bay vs. big city Chicago. In 1921, Chicago was the second largest city in the country with a population of 2.7 million people. Green Bay was a blue-collar paper mill town with a population of only 31,000 people.

But while the cities' demographics are at opposite ends of the spectrum, they do share a common bond, one of football greatness.

With Curly Lambeau and George Halas steering the ship, these two teams established themselves early on as the standard to aspire to. The Packers have won the most Championships in NFL History (12) and the Bears are second all-time with nine. The Bears have won 17 Division Championships, the Packers 13.

A total of 52 Pro Football Hall of Fame members (28 for the Bears and 24 for the Packers) have played in this rivalry. Names like Bronco Nagurski, Johnny Blood McNally, Red Grange, Don Hutson, Sid Luckman, Bart Starr, Gayle Sayers, Paul Hornung, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, Walter Payton, Bret Favre.

These two teams epitomized what football should be. As renowned sports author Dick Schaap once said, "If you want to draw a picture of football, you just draw Ray Nitschke's face and Dick Butkus' face. That tells you all you have to know about the game."

Over the 90 years of this rivalry, there have been many moments that helped define this rivalry. Let's take a look at just a few that epitomize what this rivalry is all about..

1924: Ejected for fighting: The first time players were ever ejected from an NFL game for fighting was naturally during a Packers-Bears game. Bears end Frank Hanny and Packers end Walter Voss were tossed from the game before the end of the first half, as verbal sparring led to fisticuffs. Hanny would be ejected from a Bears-Packers game once again in 1926 and the pattern of nastiness had been established.

1941: WWII can't stop the rivalry: Exactly seven days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Packers and Bears met in the first and only playoff meeting between these two teams. In a time when the country was devastated by the advent of World War II, an overflow crowd of more than 43,000 fans came to Wrigley Field to watch the Bears defeat the Packers 33-14. The following week, when the Bears hosted the NY Giants in the NFL Championship game, only 13,000 fans showed up to see them win their fourth title.

1964: The Free Kick Game: Vince Lombardi's Packers were the first team to ever invoke the "fair catch free kick" rule. After Elijah Pitts fair caught a punt on the Packers 48 yard line just before halftime, Vince Lombardi informed the referees that they would be trying a free kick. There was confusion among all. Neither team had ever seen it before or practiced it.

The Packers lined up on the line of scrimmage with Bart Starr holding the ball. Paul Hornung stepped up and made the 52-yard field goal as the half ended. Everyone was shocked and the Bears were embarrassed as the Packers went on to win 23-12. Lombardi said after the game it was probably a "once in a lifetime" occurrence. He was proven wrong, however, as the Bears would return the favor 4 years later, beating the Packers on the free kick.

1980: Chester Marcol's freak touchdown: This is one of the most memorable plays in NFL History. The Packers and the Bears were tied at 6-6 in overtime. A 32-yard pass from Lynn Dickey to James Lofton helped set up a game-winning field goal attempt by Packers' kicker Chester Marcol. The Bears’ Alan Page managed to break through a block the field goal, with the football hitting his helmet. While it wasn’t immediately clear to the players what had happened, Marcol grabbed rebound off Page’s helmet and ran around the pile for a touchdown and the win.

1986: The Charles Martin Hit List: Packers defensive tackle Charles Martin wore a towel with numbers of specific Bears players he planned to "get" Walter Payton and Jim McMahon topped the list. AFVter a McMahon interception, as he was looking to walk off the field, Martin came up behind McMahon and body-slammed him to the turf. McMahon's shoulder was separated and he was lost for the season.

Martin was suspended for two games, at the time the longest suspension in NFL history for an on-field incident. The Bears still finished the season 14-2, but were upset in the playoffs leaving many Bears fans wondering what might have been if the Bears still had McMahon. If Martin was sorry for his actions, he took it to his grave, as he never apologized for the incident. To Bears fans, Martin is surely one of the most hated Packers of all time.

1989: The Instant Replay game: I can hear Bears fans groaning right now. Trailing 13-6 very late in the game, Packers quarterback Don Majowski is leading the Packers downfield. After advancing to a first and goal from the seven, Majik threw two incompletions and was sacked for a loss. With 40 seconds left and a fourth and goal from the fourteen, Majkowski scrambled out of the pocket and threw a TD pass to Sterling Sharpe. But an official threw a flag on the play, claiming Majkowski had stepped over the line of scrimmage.

Packers coach Lindy Infante challenged the call and after a deliberation of over four minutes, the replay official overturned the call and allowed the TD. Packers win 14-13. Of course Bears fans are still angry over this, but the Packers and their fans were elated. It was their first win over the Bears after eight straight losses.

1995: Favre ironman act continues: The Packers entered the game trailing the Bears by one game in the standings. A win would put them in a tie and give them a sweep of the season series.  QB Brett Farve’s status for the game was doubtful due to a sprained ankle. He had not practiced all week, but started the game and went on to have a classic Brett Favre game. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 336 yards and five touchdown passes as the Packers won the game 35-28. 

This game was a key turning point for the Packers of the late 90s. Just 5-4 coming into the game, this win started the Packers on a streak of winning six out of their last seven games to win the Division Title with an 11-5 record. They would make it to the NFC Conference Championship game that season and to the Super Bowl the next two seasons. This was the game that put Green Bay on the winning track and sent the Bears in the opposite direction.


Of course, there have been many more great moments in Packers-Bears history. There have been better played games and even more important games than those listed here. But these were chosen for the effect they had on building and intensifying the rivalry that is Packers-Bears.

And one shouldn't mistake rivalries for matchups. True rivalries take a long time to develop. In most cases, geography and defending ones turf was a motivating factor. As we have become more national in focus, regional rivalries have become less important. Certainly, nobody can say that Packers vs. Bears means as much today as it did earlier in the century, or even as recently as the Nineties. But reveling in the history of this classic rivalry can only help.

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You will find my prediction for the upcoming Packers - Bears game ON THIS PAGE

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You can  follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter . Visit Jersey Al's Packers Blog for more in-depth Packers commentary.

Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com. You can find more of Jersey Al ’s articles on several sports web sites: NFL Touchdown , Packers Lounge , Packer Chatters , & Bleacher Report .

I find myself forced to Tivo the Thursday Night Game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans due to work, but don't think I'm missing a second of it when I get home.

The return of the NFL makes me look like Cuba Gooding Jr. after winning an Oscar for Jerry Maguire. Enough about my Brett Favre like enthusiasm for the game of football, here's a quick rundown of each of the Week One matchups:

Tennessee at Pittsburgh

The AFC Championship game last year between Pittsburgh and Baltimore excited a lot of football enthusiasts and with the physical style of both teams, it was sometimes referred to as "man football", on paper this matchup arguably deserves that same title. Gone is DT Albert Haynesworth, an unstoppable force in the Titans' defensive line, but to be fair the Titans did beat the Steelers in Week 16 last season 31-14 without Haynesworth.

That game was in Tennessee, but this meeting will take place in Pittsburgh, and I do not expect a repeat. I expect the Steelers to come out with a lot of energy in their regular season opener as the champs and make a statement.

I also believe with an aging Jevon Kearse and an injury prone Kyle Vanden Bosch on the defensive line, that the Titans' defense has the potential to be just average this year after being one of the top units last year. They should be able to put a decent amount of pressure on a shaky offensive line, but in the end, I expect the Super Bowl Champions to start the year off the right way.

The Steelers win 23-13.

Miami at Atlanta

Miami has trouble pressuring the QB and with the weapons Matt Ryan has along with Michael Turner carrying the ball, I expect the Atlanta Falcons to score early and often. The Dolphins will be forced to play catch up and this is where a pass rusher like John Abraham (16.5 sacks last season) is at his most dangerous.

Matt Ryan's sophomore campaign should start as well as anyone could hope for.

The Falcons win 35-17.

Philadelphia at Carolina

To say that the Philadelphia Eagles have speed on offense is insulting to them. They are going to be very fun to watch this year.

Westbrook did not play at all during preseason due to an ankle injury so that is concerning, but the Carolina Panthers' defense leaves a lot to be desired. Plus Jake Delhomme is good for about 15 INT's against that secondary...OK, maybe not, but I do think that Philly will be able to pull it out against a team that was nearly unbeatable at times last season.

The Eagles win 28-24.

Denver at Cincinnati

While people were calling for the head of Cincinnati Bengals' head coach Marvin Lewis, the once defensive guru for the Baltimore Ravens quietly built up the 12th ranked defense in the league last year.

Carson Palmer is back under center and Chad Johnson's (not Ochocinco's) ankle is 100 percent. I don't think the Denver Broncos are quite as bad as people think, but I do not think this game will be that close.

The Bengals win 27-10.

Minnesota at Cleveland

If Minnesota was looking to start hot like the New York Jets did with Brett Favre, they landed the right opponent in Week One. I think the Cleveland Browns are the worst team in the AFC with a dreadful defense, aging RB, and an expected decline in the passing game with Kellen Winslow Jr. traded and Donte Stallworth suspended for the season.

Favre still has not been with the Vikings for that long, so I'm betting on a six TD game a la the Arizona Cardinals game last year. However, I am expecting more than enough to beat the...hold your nose...Cleveland Browns.

The Vikings win 30-10.

New York Jets at Houston Texans

The one thing that I don't believe Brett Favre got enough credit for during his brief stay in New York was the resurgence of Thomas Jones. In comparing his stats from 2007, Thomas Jones rushed for nearly 200 more yards, 13 more total TD's, and nearly an entire more yard per carry with 20 fewer carries. Jones is now 31 years old and now has a rookie at QB.

Are we more likely to see the 2007 Thomas Jones or the 2008 Thomas Jones?

I am definitely going with the 2007 Jones, and if the Leon Washington or Shonn Greene are not ready to step up as a full-time back, the Jets may have the worst offense in the league.

The popular sleeper pick in the Houston Texans' victory, 24-9.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis Colts

A very underrated matchup as the Jacksonville Jaguars even in a bad season continued to play the Indianapolis Colts very tough.

Regardless, the reigning MVP Peyton Manning will continue to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, like he often did last season, and start the Colts' season off the right way.

The Colts win 27-24.

Detroit at New Orleans

Speaking of holding your nose...what about the Detroit Lions?

Some people will try to look smart and attempt to correctly predict the Lions' first win. I'm sure not going to pick it here, on the road, against the incredibly explosive New Orleans Saints.

The Saints win 45-17.

Kansas City at Baltimore

The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be heading in the right direction with the change in management, but they will not reap the benefits on the field this season. The defense still needs a lot of work and they may be without starting QB Matt Cassell. The Ravens' defense is getting older, but regardless I expect them to beat up the Chiefs in the season opener.

The Ravens win 24-13.

Dallas at Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is in a rebuilding mode on both offense and defense. The Dallas Cowboys' passing game might be less explosive without Terrell Owens, but with three strong RB's they don't need much in Week One.

The Cowboys win 34-10.

San Francisco at Arizona

Mike Singletary seems to have the makings of a great coach, but it will only go so far with what appears to be not a ton of talent on either side of the ball. Kurt Warner is 38 years old, but it's hard to imagine him all of a sudden failing in that offense.

The Cardinals win 31-20.

St. Louis at Seattle

Seattle still has no running game, but expect the offense, as a whole, to look a lot better with the addition of TJ Houshmandzadeh, not to mention, they are healthy now.

Even with a healthy Steven Jackson, the St. Louis Rams have one of the thinnest rosters in the league.

Seahawks win 27-17.

Washington at New York Giants

More "man football?" You have got it here with two of the best defenses in the league and offenses led by physical running backs in Brandon Jacobs and Clinton Portis.

I am going on the record saying Portis will break down more severely than he appeared to at the end of last year, but for Week One, he should be fine. The Giants are my SB pick in the NFC, but in this early matchup I think Washington lands the last punch due to their edge in the receiving game with Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, and Chris Cooley.

The Redskins win 16-13.

Chicago at Green Bay

The city of Chicago is like a kid in a candy store at the sight of a gunslinger like Jay Cutler. However, he does not have the playmakers on offense to go toe-to-toe with what I feel is one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.

The Packers win 34-24.

Buffalo at New England

Tom Brady's long awaited return is finally here and he has more even more toys to play with in the likes of Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor at RB.

Aaron Schobel is back which should mean an improvement from the Bills' below average pass rush, Marshawn Lynch is out though, which means added pressure on the Buffalo Bills' passing game to match the Patriots.

Does anyone think that's going to happen? Anyone? Bueller?

The Patriots win 38-24.

San Diego at Oakland

Shawne Merriman is back and Jay Cutler cried his way to Chicago, is there any way the San Diego Chargers could possibly blow becoming division champion?

In a word, no. The Oakland Raiders will be able run the ball on them, but there is just too much talent on the Chargers' roster.

The Chargers win 27-20.

I am excited for another great football season, and I am looking forward to going 512-0 on my picks again. Yes, I went 256-0 last season. Yes, I called the Eagles-Bengals tie. Don't believe me? You can't prove I didn't, so shove off.

Enjoy the week!

Last season, the Arizona Cardinals stunned everybody by reaching the Super Bowl. It’s not that the Cardinals were a bad team. In fact, everybody and his brother had been predicting the Cards to be that year’s “sleeper” for at least the last eight years.

No, the problem was the fact that Arizona limped into the playoffs, barely winning a bad division then ignored 70 years of NFL futility to win three-straight games. On top of all that, it almost won the Super Bowl.

Will the Cardinals repeat as NFC champs? Will the Cowboys finally fulfill all of their promise? Will the Eagles ride Michael Vick to the promised land? Will the Vikings, everybody’s darling this season, finally win a Super Bowl?

In compiling my predictions, I took out the master NFL schedule and went through each week, game-by-game, trying to decide who will win where and against whom. As a result, the records all add up (even if the prediction doesn’t). Even I was surprised at the way some of teams turned out.

The following is a breakdown of the NFC, team by team. The AFC will follow Wednesday with my playoff predictions for Thursday. With a little luck, these predictions will hold up longer than week four.

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NFC East

On paper, any four of the teams could win the division. There’s a lot to like about all four. But there’s also a lot of red flags that appear at almost every turn. In the end, the Giants are my pick to win the division. The passing game is down, the running game is down.

But the G-men still have the best defense in the division and the most underrated quarterback in the league. Prediction: 12-4.

All eyes have been on Michael Vick this preseason but in reality, Vick will have little effect on the Eagles’ 2009 season. Sure, he may make a play or two, but he’s the third QB at best and Donovan McNabb has made it clear he doesn’t want his offense all mucked up with that Wildcat stuff. Prediction: 11-5.

The Cowboys finally rid themselves of Terrell Owens, but now their passing game will suffer. Aw, the conundrum that is T.O. He makes your team better while at the same time making it worse. Buffalo beware.

Aside from T.O., the Boys still have enough to make a playoff run, but for some reason, I just can’t pull the trigger. Maybe it’s year after year after year of choking down the stretch. Prediction: 9-7.

Jason Campbell has a chip on his shoulder and the defense is vastly improved. Really, there is no reason not to pick the Redskins to win the division. Except of course that they play in this division. Prediction: 8-8.

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NFC North

Between Jay Cutler and Brett Favre, everybody seems to have forgotten about the Packers when it comes to this division. Aaron Rodgers looks like the real deal and the Packers don’t have to deal with that pesky preseason hype. All eyes are on the Vikings and Bears, but it will be the Packers that win the division. Prediction: 11-5.

Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre. Had enough? Me too. The Vikings were a playoff contender before Favre got there and they’re a playoff contender now. But in the past five seasons, Favre has had one great year, one not bad year and three awful years.

Adrian Peterson is a stud and the defense is solid, but like it or not, the QB play is a question mark. Prediction: 9-7.

Speaking of hype. Did you know that all that stood between the Bears and the Super Bowl was a quarterback? Never mind that your top receiver is a punt returner who played cornerback in college or that your defense was ranked 30th against the pass a year ago and is only getting older. Jay Cutler, the man with the losing career record, is the difference. Prediction: 6-10.

I would like to say that the Lions will win three times as many games as they did last year, but that’s a mathematical impossibility. And with a rookie quarterback, they’ll be lucky to do that. Prediction: 3-13.

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NFC South

Like a 12 beating a five in the NCAA Tournament, everybody’s favorite axiom is that somebody different wins the South every year. The reason for this is simple. Nobody is truly dominant. This year, it’s the Panthers’ turn. Quarterback is suspect, but running game is fine and the defense isn’t too shabby. Prediction: 10-6.

I like everything about the Saints except their defense and running game. Drew Brees is a monster, the receivers are great, but the team cannot control the game on either side. There is enough talent to win games, but not titles. Prediction: 9-7.

Matt Ryan had a super rookie year and really elevated a Falcons team to a season nobody expected. That won’t happen again this year. It’s not that Ryan isn’t a good QB, it’s just that this a league of adjustments and the league will adjust. How quickly can Ryan adjust to the league’s adjustment? Prediction: 8-8

Remember when the Buccaneers were the most dominant team in the league? Me either. It’s been a while and this team hasn’t hit bottom yet. Prediction: 5-11.

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NFC West

Many people (myself included) felt like Kurt Warner was a flash in the pan, a product of a pass-happy system in St. Louis. Last year changed my mind and I now fully believe that Warner is one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. Of course, he’s also approaching 40 and the bottom could fall out at anytime. Of course, he also plays in the NFC West. Prediction: 9-7.

The Seahawks are improving but there are still too many questions at almost every position. There is enough talent to reach near .500, but little else. Prediction: 7-9.

Frank Gore is good enough to carry the 49ers to several wins almost single-handedly. Too bad he doesn’t have more help. Prediction: 7-9.

When I added up the Rams wins total I was shocked. No quarterback and an offense falling apart. But hey, that defense ain’t bad. Prediction: 6-10.

Coming tomorrow: AFC Predictions.

In the never-ending irony that is the NFL to the real world, Labor Day weekend has brought unemployment to a host of football players throughout the country.

On this weekend that we celebrate the American worker, the Green Bay Packers sent 22 players to the unemployment line. Some may resurface on other teams or on the practice squad, but others will be looking for a new line of work.

First lets look at the Packers' moves:

Released Saturday:

Quarterback Brian Brohm - This really is a different Ted Thompson we are seeing, isn't it? Starting with his trading up in the draft to take Clay Matthews to more quickly acknowledging mistakes, he seems to have a greater sense of urgency this year (if that phrase even makes sense in the context of describing Ted Thompson).

I had gotten really sick of hearing people say how it was too soon to give up on Brohm and defending his arm over Matt Flynn's. Brohm cannot complete a pass over 10 yards. Brohm is just a bad quarterback. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...

Having said all this, if Brohm clears waivers, I do think he will be brought back to the practice squad, mostly because he knows the offense.

Safety Anthony Smith - For most people, this was the shocker. Capers just last week indicated he was competing for the starting job with Bigby and now he's gone. There had to be more to this than just on-the-field performance. Rumors are swirling of attitude issues and not wanting to play special teams. The new acquisition of Derrick Martin from the Ravens sealed his fate.

Wide receiver Ruvell Martin - Certainly a surprise, but his main strength has always been blocking downfield. Despite having good size, the Packers didn't often utilize Martin in the Red Zone, and now with Jermichael Finley laying claim to that piece of real estate, keeping the more versatile Swain makes sense.

Running back Kregg Lumpkin - Alas, my favorite Packer running back is gone. When the Packers decided to keep 3 fullbacks, his fate was certainly sealed. He has a good chance to get picked up by another team.
 
Running back Tyrell Sutton - Another real surprise, but again, keeping three fullbacks for their special teams play and Sutton's own lack of special teams prowess got him sacked. Now, I do think the Packers hope to bring him back to the practice squad. I also think that by releasing Lumpkin at the same time, they hope that Lumpkin draws the attention of other teams and they leave Sutton alone.

Wide receiver Jake Allen - never had a chance.

Wide receiver Kole Heckendorf - A Wisconsin native, he was the surprise WR in camp. I thought it would be Jaron Harris, but Heckendorf outlasted him. Definite practice squad possibility.

Guard/tackle Andrew Hartline - I predicted that an undrafted free agent offensive lineman would make the team, I just picked the wrong one. I thought Hartline would be the guy, but the choice was Evan Dietrich-Smith.

Dietrich-Smith's experience in having played every OL position in college surely was a big factor, but Hartline just never seemed to distinguish himself in camp. He held his own, but didn't impress and the Packers have too many guards already.

Tackle Jamon Meredith - Drafted as the possible LT of the future, I think the Packers discovered Meredith to be a far bigger project than expected.  They are probably hoping other teams see that as well and let the Packers slip him onto the practice squad.

Linebacker Cyril Obiozor - This was a tough one. He is nowhere near being ready, but he has the perfect size and demeanor to be a good OLB in the NFL. Much patience will be required and with the Packers depth at LB, there was just no room. Word is that other teams are interested, so he may done with the Packers.

Tackle Dane Randolph - Randolph is a really good guy, hard worker, just too green and too inconsistent.

Nose tackle Dean Muhtadi - He was 4th on the nose tackle depth chart and the first one let go. No surprise.

Defensive end Ronald Talley - A project, but the Packers coaches like Talley and will certainly look to add him to the practice squad.

Nose tackle Anthony Toribio - He is the potential nose tackle insurance if something happens to Pickett or Raji. Practice squad for sure.

Defensive end Alfred Malone - Never had much of a chance. Not skilled enough, just a big body.

Linebacker Danny Lansanah - Good guy, good player, just not good enough.

Cornerback Joe Porter - Fastest player on the team, good run defender but not so good in coverage. Underwood has more upside, so he sticks.

Cornerback Trevor Ford - Was just a camp body. Would have been cut sooner if not for the injuries in the secondary and the resting of Woodson and Harris.


Trade:

Packers trade OL Tony Moll to the Baltimore Ravens for safety/cornerback Derrick Martin

A real WIN for Ted Thompson. Getting a usable player back for a guy that was going to get cut anyway is always a good thing. Martin has been a cornerback and just this preseason made the switch to safety.

The Ravens were stacked in the secondary and it became a numbers game for him. Just recently, Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh had this to say about Martin:

"The thing about Derrick Martin that’s interesting is, he’s always the same," Harbaugh said. "Derrick Martin comes out and plays well in every single practice. Then, he lines up in a game and plays well in every single game.

"He plays extremely fast. He’s made the transition from corner to safety. So, he can play both. Derrick Martin is a valuable piece to that secondary. He’s a guy that’s in the mix to make our roster, and he’s earned that. It’s going to be interesting to see how it shakes out, but I think Derrick Martin has played his way, pretty potentially, onto this football team.”

In the end it didn't work out for Martin in Baltimore, but his acquisition meant the Packers could cut Anthony Smith. Reportedly the Packers have been eyeing Martin for a while and like him better than Smith. Martin is a special teams gunner and can play cornerback or safety. Overall, he seems to offer more value than Smith.


Placed on Injured Reserve:

Defensive end Justin Harrell
Cornerback Pat Lee
Tight end Evan Moore
Safety Charlie Peprah

No surprises here. Harrell and Lee are annual members of the IR club. Peprah will probably get an injury settlement and be let go.


Green Bay Packers 2009 roster as of Sunday Sep 9th (pending more moves)

Quarterbacks (2): Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn.
Halfbacks (3): Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn.
Fullbacks (3): Korey Hall, John Kuhn, Quinn Johnson.
Receivers (5): Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Brett Swain.
Tight ends (3): Donald Lee, Jermichael Finley, Spencer Havner.
Offensive linemen (9): Chad Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Josh Sitton, Allen Barbre, Scott Wells, T.J. Lang, Breno Giacomini, Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Defensive linemen (6): Johnny Jolly, Ryan Pickett, Cullen Jenkins, B.J. Raji, Jarius Wynn, Michael Montgomery.
Linebackers (9): A.J. Hawk, Brady Poppinga, Nick Barnett, Aaron Kampman, Clay Matthews, Brandon Chillar, Desmond Bishop, Brad Jones, Jeremy Thompson.
Defensive backs (10): Atari Bigby, Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Nick Collins, Jarrett Bush, Will Blackmon, Brandon Underwood, Aaron Rouse, Tramon Williams, Derrick Martin.
Specialists (3): Mason Crosby, Jeremy Kapinos, Brett Goode.

Some quick comments:

The Packers will look to carry a QB on the practice squad. Brohm will be taken back if he's not claimed. Could this be the opportunity for a veteran signing (like Jeff Garcia)?

Three Fullbacks: It was essentially an impossible decision to pick one to let go, so the Packers decided to keep them all and only carry 2 QBs and 3 RBs. Considering Kuhn and Hall's special teams contributions and Johnson's potential bright future, I'm fine with keeping all three.

Offensive Line: Giacomini probably doesn't deserve to be there, but with the trade of Tony Moll, the Packers are thin in the tackle department. It has been sugggested by several Packers writers and bloggers that the Packers may look to bring back Mark Tauscher (if healthy) after all.

Defensive Line: I wish the Packers had a better option for that last backup spot than Michael Montgomery, but alas they don't. Vonnie Holliday was just signed by Denver, so that possibilty is over. This could be a position where the Packers may look to claim a late camp cut from another team. Someone who is a more prototypical 3-4 DE than Montgomery.

I'm sure there is still some tweaking to be done, as Ted Thompson is certainly scouring the waiver wire right now looking for ways to improve the roster. The next few days will likely bring a few more changes. What do you think they could be?

You can find more of Jersey Al Bracco’s articles on several sports websites: Jersey Al’s Blog, Packer Chatters , Packers Lounge, NFL Touchdown and of course,  Bleacher Report.

You can also follow Jersey Al on twitter.

From 1985 to 1997, the NFC won every Super Bowl, but ever since the conference has won only three of the last 12 titles.

The AFC has been the dominant conference in the new millennium, with stronger teams and bigger stars.

But the "tide" is about to change. The NFC is closing the gap, and in the next season or two it will grab superiority once again.

Besides the Steelers, every elite side in the AFC has big question marks.

Will Tom Brady play at the same level he did before the injury?

The Colts' defense is really bad and they can't run the ball. And, by the way, Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez don't quite seem to be a combination of the likes of Wayne and Marvin Harrison.

Although Darren Sproles had some great games down the stretch last season, you have to wonder if the San Diego back could play at that level for an entire season. LaDainian Tomlinson also seems to be running "out of gas," barely passing the 1,000-yard mark last season despite starting every game. I can see the Chargers having issues, and they need to be a lot more consistent.

I could go on and on with Ravens and Titans fans claiming to be elite, but the Ravens need to show me they can play some better offense because that defense is mighty scary and the Titans defense suffered a huge loss when Albert Haynesworth took the big check from the Capitol.

The Cardinals lost last year's Super Bowl in the last minute, and most people wouldn't consider them an elite NFC team.

You look at the NFC East and you know you've got the best division in football; you have the Giants, who "seem to be in the quarterback's face when he gets the snap on almost every play" and Osi Umenyiora is back this season. The Giants are living proof that football is won on the offensive and defensive lines.

The Redskins, who ranked fourth in total defense in 2008 almost without a pass rush, will have one this year with the signing of Haynesworth. If Jason Campbell plays like he did in the first half of 2008 for the entire season, expect the Redskins to be really good. But the Redskins do seem to underachieve usually.

The Eagles are a great team and are very different from the Redskins because they always seem to overachieve, in my opinion.

The Cowboys are the worst team in the division this year, mainly because I don't think Wade Phillips is the type of coach to control crisis scenarios, and, believe me, there will be some down in Texas. But they win the award for "best worst team in a division" by a mile.

The NFC North should become a great division. For me, the Vikings are favorites to win the NFC. Brett Favre won't have to throw the ball a lot with the running game the Vikings have, and the defense is great.

The Packers finished 6-10 last season, with their defense having an off-year, but they should be closer in 2009 to their 2007 form, when they finished 11th in total defense in comparison to 20th in 2008. They proved they made the right decision in letting Favre leave because Aaron Rodgers is the real deal. Despite the bad record, the Packers were not that bad—seven of their 10 losses were by five points or fewer.

Oh, the Bears finally have a quarterback! They should be pretty good.

The NFC South is another good division, with the Falcons looking even better with Tony Gonzalez being added to Matt Ryan's weapons.

The Panthers and Saints could go either way.

The NFC West is still the weak link in the NFC, but they still have the conference's defending champions, and the Seahawks should be a lot better.

I still think that the AFC is slightly better, but the NFC is younger and very close to closing the gap. I really think that, in the next season or two, the NFC will become the better conference.