For the second year in a row, one of the NFC’s all-time greats has put himself in danger.
After the 57th Super Bowl, the Eagles suffered a classic Super Bowl hangover. The shortened offseason, the loss of their offensive and defensive coordinators, an unfocused Jalen Hurts and a grueling schedule punished the Birds down the stretch. Although they made the playoffs, they were a dead team when they went to Tampa for a wild-card matchup against the Bucs that ended in an all-too-predictable 32-9 loss.
The season was turned on its head when the 49ers went to Lincoln Financial Field in Week 13 looking to avenge last season’s NFC Championship Game loss in Philly. And they got revenge, crushing an overmatched 10-1 Eagles team 42-19. The humiliation of that game made it clear who the NFC front-runner is in 2023, as the Birds lost six of their last seven games and entered the offseason with a ton of question marks.
Now, however, it’s the 49ers who have some questions to answer, along with a number of other NFC playoff teams from last year. There are also some up-and-coming NFC clubs that drafted quarterbacks in the first round or have second-year players looking to improve. Other teams, like the Packers and Lions, seem ready to give the Eagles, 49ers and Cowboys some serious competition and claim the title of the NFC’s best team in 2024.
With the regular season just a few weeks away, here are my official rankings of all 16 NFC teams.
16. CAROLINA PANTHERS
Last year’s Panthers finished 2-15, with rookie QB and No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft Bryce Young having a miserable first season. Young should be better in his second year at quarterback, but a lack of talent at the skill positions and a questionable defense still keep them at the bottom of the conference.
15. NEW YORK GIANTS
Brian Daboll is at the top of the list of head coaches on the hot seat after last year’s debacle. Hanging onto Daniel Jones is certainly an option, and now without Saquon Barkley to do the bulk of the work, it’s unclear who can step in and help. Sure, rookie Malik Nabers is a nice addition, but otherwise the place is bare.
14. ARIZONA CARDINALS
I still can’t believe Jonathan Gannon came to Philadelphia last year and beat the Birds 35-31. Sure, it was the offense that did the most damage, but he still went into a stadium that hated him for losing the Super Bowl the year before and left after knocking the Birds from No. 2 in the conference to No. 5. This year, Gannon is hoping for a fully healthy year with Kyler Murray and a dynamic rookie wideout in Marvin Harrison Jr. who should give him opportunities to throw. Their running back duo of James Conner and Trey Benson could be solid, but the defense, aside from the safeties, is still questionable and they play in a pretty tough division.
13. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
This week, head coach Dan Quinn officially named Jayden Daniels the starting QB in Week 1, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, and he alone makes Washington a more interesting team. In fact, there’s quite a bit of variance among a number of teams at the bottom of the rankings, as a breakout rookie season from Daniels, similar to the Texans’ with CJ Stroud last year, could change things significantly for teams like the Commanders and Bears (which we’ll get to in a minute). There’s some talent there with Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, in addition to a defense that isn’t a desert.
12. MINNESOTA VIKINGS
San Darnold will be the team’s starting quarterback following the injury to rookie JJ McCarthy, although that would have happened even without McCarthy’s injury. Darnold is mostly terrible, although any quarterback will improve when they have Justin Jefferson as a throwing partner and a healthy Aaron Jones as a ball carrier. Defensively, Minnesota’s front seven can really get going, and if they want to make a wild-card run, they’ll need to have backs to do it.
11. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
The Saints went 9-8 last year but had a 3-6 record in games decided by eight points or less. I’ve never been a fan of Derek Carr, but he often does enough to keep his teams respectable, if not top-notch. Alvin Kamara will probably still top 1,000 on offense, but he’s not as strong as he was in his first five seasons. They signed Chase Young as a free agent and the defense is fine, but the only reason they’re ahead of Minnesota is because Carr is a little better.
10. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Geno Smith, as expected, wasn’t as good in 2023 as he was the year before, although he made his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance and has established himself as a quarterback capable of winning in the NFL. With Pete Carroll retiring and new boss Mike McDonald in charge, Seattle has three outstanding wideouts in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and should be able to score points on weaker pass defenses. They’re probably the third-best team in the West entering the season.
9. TAMPA BAY BUCS
Well, I was completely wrong about Baker Mayfield. Before last season, I derided the Bucs for making him their starting quarterback and predicted a terrible season for him and Tampa. They proved me wrong by not only making the playoffs, but also crushing the Eagles in the wild card round. Tampa has virtually the same team as last year, which may or may not be good enough to secure a wild card spot.
8. CHICAGO BEARS
Am I rating the Bears too highly? Yes, I probably am, but I value first-round pick Caleb Williams and some of the other moves the Bears made this offseason – wide receiver Rome Odunze in the top 10 of the draft, former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift, and Keenan Allen to pair with DJ Moore on the outside. It’s possible to imagine a scenario where Washington’s Daniels has a better season, but I believe Williams has the most potential. The NFC North may suddenly be one of the toughest in the NFL, but Chicago feels like they’re finally on their way up and on the wild-card bubble this season.
7. ATLANTA FALCONS
The Falcons have had a busy offseason. They hired Raheem Morris as their new head coach. They got a new franchise quarterback in Kirk Cousins. Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson are well above average players at their skill positions. They have a very good offensive line and a defense that finished just outside the top 10 a year ago. They are my favorite to win the NFC South in 2024.
6. LOS ANGELES RAMS
Matthew Stafford. Cooper Kupp. Puka Nacua. Demarcus Robinson. That’s as solid a passing game as you could imagine, and a year ago in the wild-card round the Rams gave the Lions everything they had, losing 24-23. Without Aaron Donald, the defense will have to find a way forward, but they have a potentially good young core in second-year tackle Kobie Turner and edge rusher Byron Young, spent money on Jared Verse and Braden Fiske on the first day of the draft, and signed cornerback Tre-Davious White and safety Kamren Curl to solidify the secondary. That’s a solid team that has a chance to compete with San Francisco for the top spot in the West this year.
5. DALLAS COWBOYS
On paper, the Cowboys are still a really good team. They’re the defending NFC East champions and they deserve that respect. But it’s hard to forget the 48-32 loss we saw in Dallas in the wild-card round last year. They have contract issues with their best offensive player, Cee Dee Lamb, their No. 1 running back is Ezekiel Elliott, and Dak Prescott seems to have a ceiling he can’t break through. Defensively, I don’t know if the Packers game was a bad day or if they’re overrated, but the Cowboys exude the energy of a big loser heading into the 2024 season.
4. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
On paper, the 49ers are still in good shape. Brock Purdy played well enough to post a league-best 113.0 and led the league in yards per attempt, air yards per attempt, yards per completion and touchdown percentage, finishing fourth in MVP voting. He threw for 4,280 yards, 31 TDs and just 11 INTs and did well in the three playoff games, including the Super Bowl. Still, the mood isn’t great with the Niners. Brandon Aiyuk’s contract status is still uncertain, and many fans were upset with Deebo Samuel’s performance at the end of the year. I think they still win the West, but only three teams have ever lost the Super Bowl and then won it again the following year:
- Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl VI)
- Miami Dolphins (Super Bowl VII)
- New England Patriots (Super Bowl LIII)
I don’t think they’ll go back there.
3. GREEN BAY PACKERS
Yes, I’m all about Jordan Love. When I saw him and the Packers dismantle the Cowboys and then lose to the 49ers in the divisional round, 24-21, I was convinced that this young and hungry offense is ready to make the leap. Love and Christian Watson are starting to make music together beautifully, and the signing of Josh Jacobs is an improvement over Aaron Jones. The concern with Green Bay is defense. They need to win some offensive shootouts this season, but they are more than capable of doing that. That said, I don’t think they win the division, even though I currently consider them the third-best team in the conference.
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
The Eagles will continue their streak of not having consecutive NFC East winning teams since 2004 this season. The Cowboys are taking a step back after quite an offseason that left the fan base depressed and angry, the Commanders and Giants aren’t ready, and the Eagles made significant additions to both the coaching staff and defense this offseason. But the most significant change will be the play of Jalen Hurts, who I believe hasn’t been able to properly prepare for the 2023 season given his newfound fame, the shortened offseason, contract negotiations, and other obligations that have surely been thrust upon him. Hurts seems to be firmly in the saddle, Saquon Barkley adds a dimension he’s never had before, and the other skill positions are elite. The defense is the big question mark, with the possibility that it could be a top-10 unit under Vic Fangio or a struggling group that can’t stop quality offenses. I think it will be more likely the former and the Eagles will once again be fighting for a Super Bowl spot.
1. DENVER LION
I’m betting big on the Lions. Jared Goff’s resurgence has been extraordinary and the team got a huge boost when offensive coordinator Ben Johnson decided to pass up the head coaching opportunity and stay in Detroit. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs are as dynamic as they come at the skill positions and Detroit has perhaps the best offensive line in football. Aiden Hutchinson is a beast rushing from the sidelines and unlike the Cowboys and 49ers this offseason, the Lions have emulated the Eagles and signed contract extensions with some of their top players. They blew a 17-point lead in the NFC Championship Game and will use that as motivation, just as San Francisco used its loss in the NFC title game to reach the Super Bowl. I’m not predicting the Lions to win the NFC, but right now they deserve to be on top.
