Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks will be looking for redemption after last year's Super Bowl loss.
Some of the best story lines in this year's NFL offseason have come out of the National Football Conference.
Overall, the NFC is the better of the two conferences in the NFL, but a lot of teams have been shaken up, and it is time to take a look at the teams in the conference.
Philadelphia has four quarterbacks at the moment, which will stay the norm for a bit. It might be different after the first few games, but Sam Bradford will get the nod for the first regular season game.
One big issue for the Eagles is DeMarco Murray, who had 1, 845 rushing yards last year for the Cowboys, but also rushed 392 times. Dallas used him as a work horse, and because of this, he might be too banged up to be effective anymore.
Dallas looks promising with Tony Romo entering the prime of his career and its offensive line being arguably the best in football. The defense was ranked 19th in the league, allowing 5,681 total yards, and that must change if it hopes to go deep in the playoffs.
The New York Giants on the other hand look good on defense, but have trouble running the ball. Last year the team had 1,603 rushing yards, ranking 23rd in the league.
In order for Eli Manning to have success in the passing game, he must have some effective play action from the backfield, which will only happen if the ball is being run well.
One team that seems to be having trouble is the Washington Redskins. With the recent replacement at the quarterback position from Robert Griffin III to Kirk Cousins, the Washington offense has to acclimate to a new way of play.
The defense seems as if it can improve, but last season it couldn’t stop anybody on third down, with its third down conversation rate being 31 percent.
Up in Green Bay lies a team filled with offensive weapons. The one missing is Jordy Nelson, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, but Randall Cobb will hopefully fill the gap. Without the potent threat this year, Aaron Rodgers will have to become crafty with his options and that includes throwing to Eddie Lacy coming out of the backfield.
Twelve receiving touchdowns. That is the combined total of touchdowns between the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate last year, and this year the numbers should hike up even more with both being healthy.
Chicago seems to have the parts to win, but couldn’t put it together last year. Jay Cutler had 18 interceptions, and the defense was ranked 30th overall in the league letting up an average of 377.1 yards per game. Cutler needs to take care of the ball, and with less pressure on the defense, hopefully the team can get more stops.
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With a stable offense this year led by Teddy Bridgewater and Adrian Peterson, the Vikings look like a threat in the NFC North division. The Vikings have an impressive defense, which ranked 14th last year.
The past few years have been rocky for Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. The team has been building its offensive line with youth, but more importantly, the team’s wide receivers are healthy. This could be its year to jump out of the NFC South division.
Carolina has the potential this year to breakout on the scene also and make a run at the Super Bowl. With players on the defensive side such as Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Charles Johnson the team doesn’t need to worry about its defense.
Drew Brees threw for the most yards in the league last year, but this year it might rise. At the running back position is Mark Ingram and C.J. Spiller, but somebody needs to take the main role. Brandin Cooks may be the best player in the NFL under the age of 21 and will become Brees’ top target since tight end Jimmy Graham was traded.
The Jameis Winston show will start this season in Tampa Bay, and it might be a rough first season. He doesn’t have any great receivers outside of Mike Evans, but he has a veteran coach to learn from in Lovie Smith.
The defense under new leadership must change. Last season the Buccaneers allowed 353 first downs.
With the loss of Jim Harbaugh as their coach, a lot of questions must be answered with the San Francisco 49ers. Collin Kaepernick had a mentor in Harbaugh and that will hopefully be replaced by an experienced Steve Logan.
Both the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams will be improving off their seasons from last year. Carson Palmer is an experienced leader for the Cardinals, while Nick Foles will step up in his role with the Rams.
Coming off a loss in the Super Bowl is tough, but it is even tougher when you lose on the final play of the game.
With some offseason additions such as Graham, the Seattle Seahawks look ready as ever to make another run. Russell Wilson will not be going anywhere with his new contract, and, if you didn’t know, Marshawn Lynch is still "Beast Mode."
Seattle should be on everyone’s watch list, and it is because of teams like this that the NFC is the better of the two conferences in the NFL.
Pete_Nakos96
pn997515@ohio.edu
