Atlanta Falcons: Final 2015 NFC Power Rankings

There was something about this Washington team that caught my eye early. The Redskins seemed to have little to no dysfunction working against them in the screwy NFC East. Head coach Jay Gruden opting to go with Kirk Cousins at quarterback helped propel the Redskins to their first playoff appearance since 2012.

At 9-7, the Redskins have what I consider an NFC Championship game ceiling. They should beat Green Bay on Sunday and may stand a chance in the Divisional Round given the matchup. The Redskins host the Packers on Sunday in the No. 4/No. 5 game.

The Minnesota Vikings were a strong pick to take a playoff spot away from somebody in 2015. They ran the ball well with the return of Adrian Peterson. The defense is one of the best in football. This Mike Zimmer team could win multiple playoff games in 2016.

I do feel that the NFC Championship Game is the ceiling for this team, as they will have a rough road to Santa Clara. The Vikings have a rough matchup in the Wild Card round when they host the Seattle Seahawks in the No. 3/No. 6 game.

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The Arizona Cardinals are probably the most complete football team in the NFL this season. Quarterback Carson Palmer played at an MVP level, though he won’t win the award. Bruce Arians, however, should undoubtedly earn his second coach of the year honors for his work with this Cardinals team.

Arizona is the No. 2 seed and thus has a first-round bye. The Cards will host either the Minnesota Vikings, the Washington Redskins, or the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round in two weeks time.

The Carolina Panthers locked up home field advantage in the NFC by handling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17 to move to 15-1 on the year. Cam Newton will likely win MVP and the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC runs through Charlotte.

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Carolina is one of three teams in the NFC I could see winning a Super Bowl, along with the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks. The Panthers will await either the Washington Redskins, the Green Bay Packers, or the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round in two weeks time.