Atlanta Falcons: NFC Power Rankings, Week 2

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team. 54. . . Previous: . Philadelphia Eagles. 8

I’ll give the Eagles a lot of credit on how they bounced back in the second half of their Monday Night affair with the Atlanta Falcons. Though Philly lost 26-24, I thought that Sam Bradford had strong command of the offense in the second half, orchestrating drives that ended in DeMarco Murray touchdowns.

The front seven of Philadelphia looks strong like last year’s unit and Kiko Alonso made an impact in his first game with a magnificent pick on Matt Ryan in the end zone. But do the Eagles have enough in the secondary to go against great passers like Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Ryan Tannehill and Tom Brady this season?

The Eagles need to fix the kinks in their offense before they can embarrass opponents with their insane up-tempo offense. Should Chip Kelly get all of his new pieces on offense on the same page, the Eagles will stay in the NFC Playoff mix as a strong, well-rounded team.

team. 87. . . Previous: . Carolina Panthers. 7

Though the Carolina Panthers beat the Jaguars 20-9 in Jacksonville, this team seems to have kept up its identity from the last two years, even without WR Kelvin Benjamin. The defense will again have to carry the Panthers this season, but looked good keeping the Jags in single digits on the road.

The question with Carolina is if they can offset key losses on the offensive side of the football. Benjamin is out for the year with a torn ACL and longtime RB DeAngelo Williams is now in the Steel City playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cam Newton needs someone to step up to help him on offense or the Panthers will have to win the turnover differential weekly to contend in the NFC. Yes, the defense is lethal, but I have my concerns with the Carolina Panthers on offense. But if a team this year can win with defense alone, it’s them.

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St. Louis Rams. 6. team. 51. . . Previous:

Could this be the year that the St. Louis Rams put it all together and get back into the NFC Playoffs? No team in the NFC has a longer drought than the Rams, but beating the two-time reigning NFC Champs and division rival Seattle at home 34-31 is a great start.

We know that the Rams defense looks like one of the best in football and that the club will run with authority once Todd Gurley is healthy. But will Nick Foles be the answer of consistency at QB that has deprived the Arch City from the Greatest Show on Turf for over a decade? Nick Foles outperformed Russell Wilson in Week 1, completing 18-27 passes for 297 yards and a TD.

The defense and special teams are great. Their head coach has won playoff games while with the Oilers/Titans franchise. If the Rams can stay consistent offensively, they could make the playoffs as a very dangerous Wild Card team. I like their mix in St. Louis and give them the 2nd NFC Wild Card Spot after Week 1.

Arizona Cardinals. 5. team. 32. . . Previous:

If there is a dark horse to come out of the NFC and play for a Super Bowl, it’s the Arizona Cardinals. I have no doubt that this time won’t succumb to the myriad of horrible injuries this fall. If the Cards are marginally healthy, I could see them as a 12-4 team. Remember they went 11-5 last season starting 4th string quarterbacks down the stretch.

The Cardinals out did the Saints in their home opener on Sunday, winning 31-19. The defense first Cardinals looked better on offense that Sean Payton‘s Saints. Carson Palmer is kind of a sneaky almost Top 10 passer in the league, if you really think about it. He has full command of Bruce Arians offense.

Assuming they can stay healthy, I don’t think any team in football wants to play the Arizona Cardinals at any point this season. I feel that they could become a shoe-in for the NFC Playoffs by Week 6, perhaps sooner. The Cards are on the verge of becoming a complete football team.

Next: Tier I: Projected NFC Division Winners

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