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Binge Sports: Bye-Bye Bye Weeks, Part 2: Breaking Down the NFC (AND ANOTHER FAN VOTE!)

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Welcome to the NFC portion of the Binge Sports breakdown of the final five weeks of the NFL regular season. If you missed yesterday’s AFC breakdown, click HERE to check it out and cast your votes.

The NFC South is looking to screw some deserving team out of a playoff berth, much like the Cardinals were left out last year. Let’s take a look at how things may shake out in the NFC and don’t forget to vote for who you think will win each division.

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eagles PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

CURRENT STANDING: 8-3, T-1st in NFC East

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @DAL, SEA, DAL, @WAS, @NYG

BREAKDOWN: The Eagles were the favorite coming into the season and the next three weeks will tell the tale of their 2014 campaign. With two games against the team they’re currently tied with atop the division, the Dallas Cowboys, and a game against the defending champs, it’s go time for Philly. We’ll see how it starts tomorrow.

 

cowboys DALLAS COWBOYS

CURRENT STANDING: 8-3, T-1st in NFC East

REMAINING SCHEDULE: PHI, @CHI, @PHI, IND, @WAS

BREAKDOWN: Obviously, as you read above, the two games with the Eagles over the next three weeks will go a long way in deciding which direction this division is going to go. The Cowboys haven’t had luck in Chicago recently, Indy will be fighting for their playoff position, and they’ve already lost to the Redskins. If the Cowboys can get three of the five, I like their chances to get in.

 

giants NEW YORK GIANTS

CURRENT STANDING: 3-8, tied for last in NFC East

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @JAC, @TEN, WAS, @STL, PHI

BREAKDOWN: This breakdown was going to be longer, but it’s been intercepted. Damn right that’s an Eli joke. The Giants are terrible.

 

redskins WASHINGTON REDSKINS

CURRENT STANDING: 3-8, tied for last in NFC East

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @IND, STL, @NYG, PHI, DAL

BREAKDOWN: The team name isn’t the only controversy in D.C. anymore. RGIII is in danger of losing his job. The saving grace for them this year could be to keep the rival Cowboys out of the playoffs in Week 17.

[yop_poll id=”152″]

 

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packers GREEN BAY PACKERS

CURRENT STANDING: 8-3, 1st in NFC North

REMAINING SCHEDULE: NE, ATL, @BUF, @TB, DET

BREAKDOWN: If I had to put money on it right now, I’d bet on the Packers to go to the Super Bowl. They’ve been annihilating opponents recently. Aaron Rodgers has never looked better, but a big test looms this weekend with a game against Tom Brady and the Patriots. But the three games after that should be a breeze. It’ll be interesting to see what the significance of the Detroit game is in Week 17.

 

lions DETROIT LIONS

CURRENT STANDING: 7-4, 2nd in NFC North

REMAINING SCHEDULE: CHI, TB, MIN, @CHI, @GB

BREAKDOWN:  After all these years, the talented Lions are finally playing up to their potential. They’ve got four division games left out of their five remaining contests and if they can get three of those, a Week 17 matchup with Green Bay could decide the division. A wildcard spot may seem more likely at this point.

 

bears CHICAGO BEARS

CURRENT STANDING: 5-6, 3rd in NFC North

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @DET, DAL, NO, DET, @MIN

BREAKDOWN: The Chicago Bears are quite the disappointment this season. They’ve got a ton of weapons on both sides of the ball and a 5-6 record at this point is not what Bears fans were hoping for. Jay Cutler has taken a lot of heat. With five games to go, two of which are against a team they’re chasing in the standings, can the Bears make a final push for the playoffs? Maybe, but winning the division is certainly out.

 

vikings MINNESOTA VIKINGS

CURRENT STANDING: 4-7, last in NFC North

REMAINING SCHEDULE: CAR, NYJ, @DET, @MIA, CHI

BREAKDOWN: The Vikings have had to endure all of the Adrian Peterson drama this season, so 4-7 at this point is probably about right. I’ve seen some things I like with Bridgewater, so we’ll have to see how the AP situation works out and how they do in the offseason. But 2014 is done.

[yop_poll id=”153″]

 

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falcons ATLANTA FALCONS

CURRENT STANDING: 4-7, T-1st in NFC South

REMAINING SCHEDULE: ARI, @GB, PIT, @NO, CAR

BREAKDOWN: This division is disgraceful and it’s a shame that one of these teams is actually going to make the playoffs. Seriously, look up. 4-7 is leading a division. And somebody’s going to get screwed, whether it’s the Cowboys, Eagles, Niners, Seahawks, or whoever. But let’s talk about the Falcons. They’re a mediocre football team at best and should get crushed the next three weeks.

 

saints NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

CURRENT STANDING: 4-7, T-1st in NFC South

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @PIT, CAR, @CHI, ATL, @TB

BREAKDOWN: I really thought the Saints would be better than this. They’re not just losing games, but they’re losing games at home. Sure, Drew Brees is putting up yards, as he always does, but they can’t really stop anybody. Experience may just win them this division.

 

panthers CAROLINA PANTHERS

CURRENT STANDING: 3-7-1, 3rd in NFC South

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @MIN, @NO, TB, CLE, @ATL

BREAKDOWN: The Panthers have certainly taken a step backwards. I think the loss of Steve Smith hit them harder than they ever thought it would. Sure, Cam Newton has all the talent in the world, but I just don’t think he’s ready to be the leader of a team just yet. Hopefully, that will come, but with 3 wins after 11 games, they’re still in the playoff hunt. Pathetic.

 

buccaneers TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

CURRENT STANDING: 2-9, last in NFC South

REMAINING SCHEDULE: CIN, @DET, @CAR, GB, NO

BREAKDOWN: And with only two wins after 11 games, the Bucs are still in the playoff hunt as well. But they’ve got a very tough schedule coming in. But hey, get to 5 wins and who knows? Could you imagine the backlash if a 5-11 team would get in the playoffs while a 10-win team could go home?

[yop_poll id=”154″]

 

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cardinals ARIZONA CARDINALS

CURRENT STANDING: 9-2, 1st in NFC West

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @ATL, KC, @STL, SEA, @SF

BREAKDOWN: The injury to Carson Palmer certainly hurt the Cardinals, but they’ve done fine in his absence this season. They’re a sneaky 9-2 and don’t get a ton of press in this division, but as of right now, they’re the number one seed in the entire NFC. They’ve got three division games to finish the season, which is never easy, especially in the most competitive division in the NFC this year.

 

49ers SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

CURRENT STANDING: 7-4, T-2nd in NFC West

REMAINING SCHEDULE: SEA, @OAK, @SEA, SD, ARI

BREAKDOWN: The 49ers schedule coming in isn’t the easiest but they’ve got some advantages. They’ve got a short week this week to prepare for the defending champs, but at least they’re at home, always a good thing for a Thursday game. They get a game against Oakland. Enough said. They do have to go to Seattle and everyone knows it’s difficult to win there. But they get two home games to finish up, but they’re against playoff-caliber teams. Should be interesting.

 

seahawks SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

CURRENT STANDING: 7-4, T-2nd in NFC West

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @SF, @PHI, SF, @ARI, STL

BREAKDOWN: This season probably isn’t what the defending champion Seahawks had in mind, but they’re still in the playoff picture. But their next four games are against teams fighting for playoff positions and three are on the road, where they’re much more vulnerable. They do finish at home against the Rams, but they’ve already lost to them once. It’ll be a fight to even have a chance to defend their title.

 

rams ST. LOUIS RAMS

CURRENT STANDING: 4-7, last in NFC West

REMAINING SCHEDULE: OAK, @WAS, ARI, NYG, @SEA

BREAKDOWN: I know the Rams aren’t going to make the playoffs this year, but damn are they fun to watch. I’ve always liked Jeff Fisher and at some point, he’s going to get this team to the playoffs. Having a constant at quarterback will be nice and I don’t think it’s going to be Sam Bradford.

[yop_poll id=”155″]

 

Okay, so how do you justify the votes you just made. Comment below or follow and tweet @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris.

 

 

 

 

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Binge Media Sports: 2014 NFL Preview-AFC South/NFC South

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Welcome back to Binge Media Sports as I continue my look at the upcoming 2014 NFL season. We’ve gotten halfway through with previews of teams from the East (click HERE) and teams from the North (click HERE). Today, we head to the South so let’s get to it.

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texans HOUSTON TEXANS

LAST SEASON: 2-14, FINISHED 4TH IN THE AFC SOUTH, MISSED PLAYOFFS

2014 PREVIEW: The offensive talent is there. Arian Foster still has the potential to contend for the rushing title, but he also might catch a few more passes this season out of the backfield as Bill O’ Brien has changed up the offense. Houston also has one of the top receivers in the league in Andre Johnson. The question is who is going to get him the football. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been named the starter, but if he struggles, will the newly acquired Ryan Mallett get his chance. After years of backing up Tom Brady, you figure he had to learn something, right?

On the defensive side, the Texans have the best player in the league in defensive end J.J. Watt, who if you haven’t heard, just got a $100 million dollar extension. The hope is that he doesn’t turn into Albert Haynesworth and let the money go to his head. He’ll be joined by the overall number one pick, linebacker Jadeveon Clowney. There’s always an adjustment from college to the pros, but Clowney has the tools. I don’t see the Texans winning this division, but I’m quite certain that they’ll get more than the two wins they got last year.

colts INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

LAST SEASON: 11-5, WON THE AFC SOUTH, LOST IN DIVISIONAL ROUND TO THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

2014 PREVIEW: Remember when the loss of Peyton Manning was supposed to set the Colts back by about six or seven years? Well, nobody told Andrew Luck. He’s got this team poised to make a deep playoff run in 2014. After an injury-plagued 2013, Reggie Wayne is still one of the smartest receivers in the league and should be healthy come Week 1. Hakeem Nicks will be looking to make a statement after being cut loose by the Giants, and T.Y. Hilton makes for a hell of a third option. Trent Richardson has to have a better season than he did last year, but he’ll be splitting time with Ahmad Bradshaw. Andrew Luck has options now, and that may lead to an MVP, maybe even a Super Bowl run.

The defense will have to pick it up, especially the first four games as Robert Mathis will be out to a failed PED test. But the addition of former Raven Arthur Jones brings more power to the front line. The secondary isn’t the strongest in the league, but even if they’re average, the offense may just pick up the slack anyway. The Colts are the clear favorite in this division.

jaguars JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

LAST SEASON: 4-12, FINISHED 3RD IN THE AFC SOUTH, MISSED PLAYOFFS

2014 PREVIEW: The Jags have added some offensive weapons at receiver in Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson to help out Cecil Shorts. For the time being, Chad Henne will be throwing them the ball, but he’s really just warming up the seat for the number three overall pick, Blake Bortles. The highly touted pick is still making his case to be the starter. They’ve got some interesting running options in Toby Gerhart and the versatile Denard Robinson. I’m not sure if this offense could be really good or really bad, but it will certainly be interesting to watch the progression.

Things are picking up on defense. They signed defensive end Red Bryant away from the Seahawks and he creates a ton of problems for the running game and also stole Chris Clemons, who can really attack the quarterback. The problem is that the rest of the team, while talented, is very young and are still a few years away from being dominant. The Jags are doing all the right things for the future, but it’s not in the cards for them to compete in 2014.

titans TENNESSEE TITANS

LAST SEASON: 7-9, FINISHED 2ND IN THE AFC SOUTH, MISSED PLAYOFFS

2014 PREVIEW: The quarterback situation is an interesting one in Tennessee. Jake Locker will be your Opening Day starter, but can he make it through an entire season? In three seasons, he’s started a total of 18 games. That kind of inconsistency will knock you out of the league pretty fast, so he needs a good year. Charlie Whitehurst is considered the backup for now, but sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger out of LSU looked pretty good in the preseason. Whoever it may be, they’ll have decent, but not spectacular options to get the ball to in Justin Hunter, Nate Washington, and Kendall Wright.

Switching to a 3-4 this season, the defense will still struggle. There’s really no other way to say it. Outside of Jason McCourty on the outside, and Jurrell Casey on the inside, there’s really nothing to be overly hopeful about this year. The Titans were able to win seven games last year, but I don’t even know if they can reach that in 2014.

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falcons ATLANTA FALCONS

LAST SEASON: 4-12, FINISHED TIED FOR LAST IN THE NFC SOUTH, MISSED PLAYOFFS

2014 PREVIEW: Last year certainly wasn’t what the Falcons had in mind. Injuries hindered Atlanta last year as Julio Jones went down after a few weeks, Roddy White was never at full strength, Steven Jackson missed quite a few games, and the list goes on and on. With all those pieces back and healthy for 2014, quarterback Matt Ryan looks to move the Falcons back in the right direction. Expect a little more potency on the offensive side of the ball.

The defense has the talent to be good, but it’s another case of youth. Cornerback Desmond Trufant is quietly becoming one of the most dangerous in the league, but he’s only in his second year, as is Robert Alford on the other side. And with underrated defensive end Jonathan Babineaux leading the front line, the Falcons should be improved. They’re in a very tough division, but should at least double their win total from a year ago.

panthers CAROLINA PANTHERS

LAST SEASON: 12-4, WON THE NFC SOUTH, LOST DIVISIONAL ROUND TO THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

2014 PREVIEW: With the Falcons moving forward, the Panthers may take a step back this season. They surprised everyone with twelve wins last year as they won this tough division. But with the loss of many key players, including locker room leader Steve Smith, Cam Newton will really have to step up and take control of this team. He’s still a huge threat to run the ball, but at some point that will go away. Jonathan Stewart’s health may still be an issue and the receiving core is not what it was a year ago.

The Carolina defense, however, is very strong. At defensive end, you have Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy, who alone had 15 sacks last year. And if you don’t watch a lot of Panthers football, do yourself a favor and tune in just to watch middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. In only his third year, he’s become the model for what a middle linebacker should be. The secondary may be a little weaker, which doesn’t help in this division. Overall, the Panthers are going to have to work very hard to repeat what they did last year.

saints NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

LAST SEASON: 11-5, FINISHED 2ND IN THE NFC SOUTH, LOST DIV. ROUND TO THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

2014 PREVIEW: The Saints are ready to go. Sure, they lost Darren Sproles to Philly, but Drew Brees still has plenty of weapons to work with, the first being his experience. He knows how to win in this league. Couple that with the amazing talent of tight end Jimmy Graham, target receiver Marques Colston, and Pierre Thomas out of the backfield, and you’ve got a recipe for putting up big yardage and big point totals.

Rob Ryan’s boys are starting to take a ton of pressure off of the offense. They don’t have a lot of household names on that side of the ball. Akiem Hicks is developing quite nicely, and they’ve got some speed on the inside, but the great thing about this defense is that they all work together in the schemes that Ryan gives them. The Saints will once again look to win this division.

buccaneers TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

LAST SEASON: 4-12, FINISHED TIED FOR LAST IN THE NFC SOUTH, MISSED PLAYOFFS

2014 PREVIEW: When Jay Cutler went down in Chicago, 35-year-old Josh McCown stepped in and played extremely well in his absence. He played so well that Tampa and new head coach Lovie Smith named him the new starter after he signed a two-year deal. He’ll certainly have to use his knowledge and experience to work with the young guys he has alongside him. Doug Martin is hoping to bounce back from injury and get back to his rookie year form, where he ran for nearly 1,500 yards. Rookie receiver Mike Evans will look to learn from Vincent Jackson, but will be another threat in this offense.

Lovie Smith has always been a defensive-minded coach. He’s got some decent talent to work with in Adrian Clayborn and Clinton McDonald, and let’s be honest. The Bucs have nowhere to go but up. If they can stay healthy, there’s a chance that they could go from worst to first. But with all the talent in this division, they’re really going to have to play to their best each and every week.

Almost home kids. Check back next time for previews of the AFC and NFC West, which includes the two participants from the Super Bowl, the Seahawks and the Broncos. I’ll also be looking at the 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders. Who do you have in the South divisions?. Let us know below or follow me and tweet @THElukenorris.