Zack Conway: Packers, 49ers are NFC’s elite teams
The NFC is no doubt the conference to look at this year, as they have the two tops teams in the NFL.
The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers are leading the NFC with records of 8-0 and 7-1, respectively. The Packers, who are reigning Super Bowl champs, show no signs of a let down this year.
On the other hand, you have one of the most surprising teams this year in the 49ers, led by first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. Not only does the NFC have two top dogs, but they also have the Atlanta Falcons (5-3), New Orleans Saints (6-3), New York Giants (6-2), Chicago Bears (5-3) and even the surprising Detroit Lions (6-2), who have made a splash this year.
The NFC is sometimes overlooked by the other powerhouse teams from the AFC like the Steelers, Patriots, Ravens and Jets, but this year has been different. The NFC has come out of the gates and has made its presence felt.
Making the playoffs this year is not going to be an easy task for any team in the NFC without winning the division, as teams will have to fight for the last two wildcard spots. One team will be left out of the playoffs this year, and that is why wins in this league come at a premium.
The Packers are playing on a level where no one is able to touch them. Green Bay has been the most explosive team this year with weapons at all positions, and the last time anyone has seen this kind of offensive explosion was in 2000, when the St. Louis Rams were given the name “Greatest Show on Turf.”
The Packers are able to create match-up problems for any defense, and when they find these match ups, they exploit them to the fullest. Baring any horrific disaster, Aaron Rodgers looks to be the next MVP. He leads this Packers offense against some of the great defenses and is still able to tear them a part, both through the air and on the ground.
The closest team to the Packers this year is the 49ers, and that is only in terms of their record. The 49ers are no doubt a surprise and are playing more like a playoff team, but do they really have what it takes to make a deep playoff run?
The 49ers are a force to be reckoned with, but I do not look for them to be able to match up and compete for 60 minutes with elite teams like the Packers, who can spread you out and tear you apart.
Without a doubt, I look for the Packers to make the playoffs and, for that matter, another Super Bowl run. They are the most complete team with the best quarterback in the league right now. The NFC is home to the reigning Super Bowl champions, and I look for this conference to once again be the home of the next.
A version of this article appeared in the Nov 9 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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