NFL power rankings 2021: Which NFC division is tops?
Looking at the four NFC divisions entering the 2021 season, we drop some NFL power rankings to figure out which is best.
4. NFC East
This was an easy call in the NFL power rankings. Last year, the Washington Football Team won the division at 7-9. Even though we see some improvement from three of the four teams — sorry to all Philadelphia Eagles fans — it remains the worst division on the NFC side. If Washington can get a decent year out of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick its defense make the Football Team dangerous. With the Dallas Cowboys, how much does the return of Dak Prescott change their trajectory? There’s room for growth, obviously, but right now none of the four teams in the East would be playoff threats in other divisions.
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3. NFC South
Even with the defending Super Bowl champs, this division falls a bit short of the other two. Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are great as their look to repeat, but what else is there? The Carolina Panthers lost receiver Curtis Samuel and essentially swapped Teddy Bridgewater for Sam Darnold. While Darnold has promise, that’s a downgrade until proven otherwise. The New Orleans Saints also lost quarterback Drew Brees, and the defense lost a few critical parts. In Atlanta, the Falcons are now sans Julio Jones. Tampa should roll.
2. NFC North
With Aaron Rodgers still on the Green Bay Packers, they’re the favorites in the North if not the NFL. Green Bay should win 12-13 games, while the Minnesota Vikings have a top-10 roster. Minnesota struggled and missed the playoffs last year, but loaded up with defensive talent this offseason. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears were a wild card team in 2020 and could be one again, if only they turn over the keys to Justin Fields instead of Andy Dalton. The Detroit Lions are really the only rebuilding team of the bunch.
Read: Derek Carr Facing De Facto Contract Year With Raiders
1. NFC West
Easy choice for the best in the NFC, as it would have taken the AFC crown as well. The West is loaded with talent as the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks could all make the playoffs and do damage once there. Arizona is probably the toughest prediction with head coach Kliff Kingsbury still trying to prove himself, but the others are all stalwarts who will win double-digit games provided they stay healthy.
