Nov

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Gridiron Gab’s First Half Grades – NFC

Posted by Matt Loede under NFL 

Shaun Alexander of the Hawks 

Wednesday we did our first half grades of the American Football Conference, and only the two unbeaten’s got perfect scores to date. Now today we will examine the NFC, the weaker of the two conferences, to see where those teams stand.

NFC East

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Dallas A : A simple grade for a flashy team that has played very well over the first eight weeks of the season. Tony Romo leads a solid offense, and the defense has played pretty solid as well. The O-line is much better than a year ago, and it looks as if going with Wade Phillips was the right move. How long until Jason Garrett is a head coach?

New York Giants B+ : If you would have told me this grade six weeks ago, I would have laughed. Things couldn’t have started much worse for the Giants, but then their defense started taking over games, and they haven’t quit. The offense is growing and with the effective combo of Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress, the Giants are more than a legit playoff contender.

Washington C+ : Injuries have really hurt this club, epically on the offensive line. The defense took a hit this week losing Carlos Rogers for the year, and the offense has gotten little if nothing from Clinton Portis and Santana Moss the past few weeks. Unless those two guys start playing better, the Skins may be a .500 team at best.

Philadelphia C- : It’s been an up and down season for the birds, who just can’t seem to punch it in once they get in the red zone. Donovan McNabb has some games been pretty good, and others he looks like an aging QB that is on the way out. The defense is still getting better, but has given up key drives at key times. It’s hard to tell what your going to get from this team over the second half.

NFC North

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Green Bay A : The Pack is back, and thanks to the rebirth of Brett Favre and a defense that is one of the best in the league, the Packers are well on their way to a division title. Green Bay showed great resolve Monday night in their OT win in Denver, and does not seem rattled when they get down. The running game now falls to Ryan Grant, and if he can be nearly as effective as Monday night, the Pack has a great shot at the NFC crown.

Detroit B : QB Jon Kitna stated they would win at least 10 games, and he seems well on his way to that. At 5-2 the Lions are playing as well as they have in years, and if their defense does not allow big plays and big yards they are going to be in games. RB Kevin Jones may also be the key for this team, as if he can do what he did against the Bears last week, he will be a huge key in the second half.

Chicago D : The defending NFC Champs are having a nightmare season, filled with injuries, bad play and it seems a lack of desire. They are just 1-3 at home, where they use to dominate, and their defense has been prone to allowing big plays and yards in chunks. The offense has undergone a radical change from last years QB-RB combo of Rex Grossman and Thomas Jones to Brian Griese and Cedric Benson. It clearly has not been for the better.

Minnesota D : The offense in Minnesota starts and ends with rookie RB Adrian Peterson, but even he cannot keep things moving by himself. The team is paying the price for staying with QB Tavaris Jackson, as he has not played well, and his under 50 QB rating proves it. The run defense is still very solid, but teams are simply adjusting and throwing more against them. 8-8 would be a big stretch.

NFC South

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Carolina C : I don’t ever recall a team going 0-3 at home and 4-0 on the road through seven games, but this one has done it. Their issues have to do with the QB spot, as Vinny Testaverde and David Carr are both hurting. The running game shows flashes, but then quickly fades. As for the defense, they started strong vs the Colts but then quickly wore out. They are lucky this division is not very good.

Tampa Bay C+ : They get a “+” on the grade due to the fact that through 8 games they have matched their win total of a season ago. A lot of that has to do with the play of QB Jeff Garcia, who has brought a lot to that position for the Bucs. The defense still is having some growing pains, and the running game has been hit hard with the injury bug. They need to halt their two game losing streak before the good things through 8 weeks start to fade.

New Orleans C- : I’d give them a solid B+ for the last three weeks, but the “F” they got for the first four weeks has them trying to dig out of a big hole. Nice thing for them they are in a weak division, and it would not shock me at all to see them win 10 games and the division title for the second straight year. The defense does need to play better still, but Drew Brees and Reggie Bush are starting to play much better.

Atlanta F : This team is not very good, and the things that made them good in years past is gone. The running game has been stopped with no passing game, and the defense can’t get off the field. Plus there is a lot happening off the field, with DeAngelo Hall and coach Bobby Petrino having heart to heart talks every few weeks. This is a mess and it does not look to get much better in the final 9 weeks.

NFC West

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Seattle C+ : Mike Holmgren continues to say that the running games issues are not just Shaun Alexander. That’s fine, but then what is the issue? Alexander has not been the same for two years, and it shows. The defense needs to stop the long drives, and the offense needs to find a better rhythm if this team is going to take the next step. Their window could slowly be closing.

Arizona C+ : They have a new attitude in the desert, and with their power running game and solid play from the O-line, the Cards are having better success than in years past. Yes, they still have their issues, like a defense that can’t seem to come up with the big play at the big moment, but overall this team is one that you may need to watch out for in the second half.

San Francisco D- : It’s safe to say that the 2-0 record earlier this season was a mirage. This team has very little offense, and that is hard to believe with Frank Gore in the backfield. The Alex Smith injury didn’t help matters, but he wasn’t playing that well before he went down. 32nd ranked offense, 22nd ranked defense. It’s going to be a long remaining 9 weeks.

St.Louis F: Everything that could go wrong in St.Louis has so far in 2007. Injuries all over the place, an offense that has been just plain bad, and a defense that is allowing 335 yards per game. While most of the blame can be placed on the crazy amount of injuries, there is no question that this team should be as bad as it is. 3 wins with a tough second half schedule would be a stretch.


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