Atlanta Falcons: NFC Power Rankings, Week 10

The New York Football Giants are clearly the best team in a mediocre division. However, even if they didn’t play in the East, I’d still say this is a Wild Card caliber team in 2015. The passing game for the G-Men is one of the best in football. Having Tom Coughlin as a head coach gives them an edge in the postseason.

While I wouldn’t say that the Giants can play in an NFC Championship or anything like that, they should win the NFC East and host the best Wild Card team in the NFC come January. It wouldn’t bother me if they won their Wild Card Round Game and play the best team in the NFC the following week.

Green Bay is sliding. Yes, their two losses are to two great teams in Denver and Carolina, but something isn’t right with the Packers in November. Their defense isn’t getting it done. The running game of Eddie Lacy isn’t spectacular. Teams have figured out how to beat the Packers: tight man coverage on the outside to limit what QB Aaron Rodgers can do.

At the beginning of 2015, many thought that the NFC would have to go through Lambeau Field to make the Super Bowl. Now I’m not certain that Green Bay gets a first round bye. They may not win the division, as Minnesota is right there with them in Week 10. How these two rivals play head to head will decide that division.

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The Cardinals are coming off their bye in Week 9 and feel like the second best in the NFC. There is a completeness about this team that I can see helping get the Cards into the NFC Championship Game, possibly a Super Bowl. They haven’t proven that they are in the same class as the remaining undefeated teams, but are very much in that next tier.

Health will decide if the Arizona Cardinals are Super Bowl caliber this season. The Cardinals have a great home field advantage in Glendale. This is a team that will make the playoffs and probably will win at least one game in the postseason.

Carolina is better than everybody else in the NFC. Every challenge they have run into in 2015, they’ve handled better than everybody. The Panthers are one of three undefeated teams in the NFL with the New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals. At Week 10, even with their lack of offensive weapons, this could stand as the best team in the NFL.

Next: Atlanta Falcons: 4 Observations from 49ers Loss

Cam Newton is probably the MVP so far. Luke Kuechly is still maybe Defensive Player of the Year. This defense still has Thomas Davis and Josh Norman. TE Greg Olsen is playing like the Rob Gronkowski of the NFC. Carolina is clearly the favorite to win the NFC and possibly beat either New England or Cincinnati in Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara.