In part two of his NFL team-by-team guide, David John assesses the 16 National Football Conference sides.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys posted the second-best regular season record in 2016 as rookies Dak Prescott (quarterback) and Ezekiel Elliott (running back) stole the show in Texas. They found an inspired Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay just too good in the Divisional round of the play-offs but hopes are extremely high that owner Jerry Jones will see his team bring back the main prize. Elliott faces a lengthy NFL suspension at the start of the season so there may be some vulnerability but his back-ups are solid veterans and can hold the fort.
New York Giants
Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr might be on the team but it was the Giants’ defense that stole much of the limelight last season on the way to the play-offs. They played some outstanding football up front and in the secondary. Having paid big money over the off-season in free agency, there is promise of more to come having gone through summer training camp together. OBJ remains the game’s biggest draw and is a rare talent when fully focused, while the arrival of Brandon Marshall to play opposite him gives Manning another top-class target.
Philadelphia Eagles
The spotlight is on second-year quarterback Carson Wentz, who made a bright start as a rookie in the NFL before the wheels rather came off. He is a tough kid though with playmaking skills and the prospect of a more settled offensive line in front of him should be a huge benefit. He still needs a top target in the passing game though - new arrivals Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith should make a difference in that department. Jim Schwartz is a very aggressive defensive co-ordinator and will demand game-changing plays from that unit.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins still can’t make up their mind on QB Kirk Cousins so have signed him to a season-long deal rather than the multi-year contract he craves. Another productive year and he will be able to write his own cheque either in the capital or elsewhere and he has the pieces in place like Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed to keep the touchdowns ticking over. Josh Norman is the star act on defense and the pressure is on head coach Jay Gruden to get a talented team back to the play-offs after last season’s blip.
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Incumbent quarterback Jay Cutler has moved on and confusion reigns somewhat at the position in the Windy City after Mike Glennon signed a big contract only for them to move up the draft and pick Mitchell Trubisky. Neither has a firm grasp on the job but hopefully veteran Glennon will step forward to give his rookie team-mate time to get his feet under the table. It is not an ideal recipe for veteran HC John Fox, who oversaw just three victories last year and needs significant improvement from his team or he will be out of a job. Second-year RB Jordan Howard is an exciting talent.
Detroit Lions
Detroit have pinned their hopes for the foreseeable future on QB Matt Stafford by making him the highest-paid player in the league and the Lions will want to see a return on their investment with another trip to the play-offs at the very least. They made it last season but a limp exit at Seattle was rather deflating - Stafford was carrying an injury to be fair - and a lot will rest again on the $135million man.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers remain a team with deficiencies but QB Aaron Rodgers is able to paper over most of the cracks single-handedly. Perhaps the most complete player in the NFL, he is deadly accurate, a great improviser and time and again proved an inspiration for those around him. A perennial play-off team, an influx of fresh young talent on defense makes them the ones to beat again in the North.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings began 2016 with a real rattle but faded drastically to post an 8-8 record and miss out on the play-offs. A misfiring offense was unable to give any consistent help to some excellent play on the other side of the ball and it will be hoped some solid upgrades to both the line and the running game will have an impact. If it all comes together, they have an outside chance of being the first team to both host and play in a Super Bowl.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons produced outstanding football for three quarters of the Super Bowl but could not withstand a late rally from Tom Brady and New England in February’s heart-breaking overtime defeat. That was a bitter pill to swallow but they remain a progressive team who have had plenty of time to recover and are in good shape to make another run at the main prize. They have league MVP Matt Ryan at quarterback, who will have to adjust now co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan has left but an array of offensive talent remains. They look as good on defense as they have in a long time and will hope last season’s explosive play was not just a one-off following a move to the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers suffered a serious slump in 2016 after an appearance the previous season in the Super Bowl but there is enough young talent on the roster to suggest getting back to the play-offs is realistic. QB Cam Newton took a pounding last year and required shoulder surgery so coaching staff are keen to take some pressure off him - hence the drafting of the exciting Christian McCaffrey to boost both the running and passing game. High-energy linebacker Luke Kuechly is the heartbeat on defense but a series of concussions he suffered are worrying and the unit as a whole has something to prove after last year’s disappointing efforts.
New Orleans Saints
The ageless Drew Brees led the league in passing yards last season but it was still not good enough to guide his team to a winning record. The problem remains that the 38-year-old is only ever one play away from serious injury and an extended absence would mean curtains for their big-play capability. The Saints are gradually trying to rebuild a leaky defense and seem to be on the right track but are still some way from being considered a championship-calibre outfit.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are certainly trending in the right direction and have the potential to make a run at the play-offs despite being in a very competitive division. QB Jameis Winston has all the attributes to be successful at the position and his coaches have surrounded with him catching talent, including new arrival and burner DeSean Jackson. They have stars on defense too like Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David while years of middle-of-the-road coaching could be a thing of the past with HC Dirk Koetter now in charge.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Time might be running out for stalwarts like QB Carson Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald in terms of winning a championship so the Cardinals are very much a team built to win now. A losing season won’t sit well for a team of veterans and HC Bruce Arians - you get the distinct feeling this could be now or never for some of the team’s big names. Palmer still has big-play ability in his ageing arm but a lot will rest on RB David Johnson so he better be prepared for another physical campaign. I would expect a drop-off in their scoring prowess so the onus might be more on defensive strategy in the desert.
Los Angeles Rams
Years of stagnation for the Rams under Jeff Fisher in St Louis came to an end after last season’s move to LA but the new fanbase did not like what they saw and Fisher was shown the door. Sean McVay has become the youngest HC coach in the NFL in his place and the first of many jobs will be to get some momentum from a turgid offense that lacks star quality at the skill positions or on the line. There is still some time for second-year QB Jared Goff to develop but RB Todd Gurley has plenty to prove having gone AWOL for much of 2016 so the clock is ticking. The talent is much better on the other side of the ball but this is a team that needs to start scoring some points.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have been in the doldrums for some time now following an acrimonious split with HC Jim Harbaugh and QB Colin Kaepernick - who got them to a Super Bowl - but change is in the air. Former Tampa Bay thumper John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have been hired as general manager and HC respectively on long-term deals in a bid to rebuild one of the NFL’s most storied franchises over the next few years. Reliable veteran Brian Hoyer should give them stability at QB to start with and there is some decent talent on both sides of the ball but this is a team starting from scratch again. Some signs of improvement would satisfy the Bay Area faithful this season.
Seattle Seahawks
It is easy to see why the Seahawks are favourites for the division with various issues swirling around their rivals as they go in search of a fourth title in the last five years. They were not at their very best in 2016 but the prospects seem brighter now with all-action QB Russell Wilson back to full fitness after dealing with a number of niggling injuries. He remains among the top five players at his position in the league and his ability to make something positive happen when a play breaks down is perhaps only bettered by Aaron Rodgers. Arguably the most physical defense around has just got a lot better following the return of Earl Thomas after a broken leg last December while CenturyLink Field in the Pacific Northwest remains one of the most intimidating venues for opposition teams. Sprightly veteran HC Pete Carroll sets the tone on the sidelines with boundless enthusiasm.
Posted at 0800 BST on 06/09/17.
Coming next: Chiefs at Patriots opening game preview - Wednesday afternoon
