SamSneed36 Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 So we saw the start last year with the new old coaches in the NFC East and some of the roster moves and other changes. The NFC EAST IS BACK! :logo: Analyze This: Which four scored? Click here to find out more! (Oct. 6, 2005) -- After just four weeks into the 2005 season, several teams are beginning to show their dominance. But what if some of those teams are in the same division? Then that will make for some interesting showdowns as the 2005 campaign rolls on. So which division has the strongest grouping of four teams? The NFL.com experts try to show their dominance of football knowledge and came up with their answers. They know that one great team doesn't save a whole division, but on the flipside one great team can legitimize a couple of decent teams. In the three full seasons of realignment, only two divisions have had the same champion all three times (Philadelphia and Green Bay), three of them have had two different champions, and three have had a different title holder all three times. That's says a great deal for competitive balance, and it says a lot for the quality of division. VIC CARUCCI "It's almost a tossup between the NFC East and the NFC South, but I'll go with the NFC East because of its clear advantage at quarterback. Donovan McNabb's health might be shaky, but he demonstrated against Kansas City that he can still perform at the top of his game despite excruciating pain. Eli Manning is starting to consistently perform at an elite level. Mark Brunell keeps making clutch plays. Even Drew Bledsoe is showing that he might have something left after a couple of dreadful seasons in Buffalo. Other than Michael Vick -- who could have serious problems staying in one piece -- the quarterbacks in the NFC South are simply too erratic for that to be deemed the league's strongest division." BOOMER ESIASON "The NFC East appears to be the strongest division at this early point of the season because defensively, it has two of the better teams in the league (Washington and Philadelphia), not to mention a vastly improved Dallas defense. This division also has one of the brightest young stars, Eli Manning. His learning curve has completely accelerated this season as the Giants lead the league in scoring, averaging 34 points per game. And who said you have to be friends to be productive? Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb are setting the NFL aglow with each passing performance." PAT KIRWAN "I took a look at the obvious choices for the best division in football -- the AFC West, AFC North, NFC East and NFC South because I believe those are the divisions a second playoff team will come from as a wild card. The evaluation was close when you look at it from top to bottom. As Bill Parcells likes to say, "You are what your record says you are." So with that in mind, I selected the NFC South. I do believe there are more AFC teams in the top 10 of all the NFL teams when they are ranked 1-32, but for division strength I looked at records, interconference play, points allowed as a division and road record. The NFC south does not have a losing team in it. They average giving up just under 18 points a game on defense. Their record against AFC teams is 4-1. They have a combined road record of 4-3. The last-place team in the division is New Orleans, which is playing under the most adverse conditions and still has a 2-2 record. The third-place team, Carolina, may be as good as the best team in a few divisions, but sits behind the undefeated Bucs and Michael Vick's Falcons. The Panthers would win the NFC North or the NFC West. I don't know if I could say that about the third-place team in any other division." LINCOLN KENNEDY "One quarter of the season is still not a fair place to judge anything in the NFL. But if I had to say right now, it would be the NFC East, starting purely with the records. You won’t have a fair idea of how tough these divisions are until they play more games against each other. I would also be on the lookout for the AFC North. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are going to be battling for the lead possibly the entire season. The Ravens defense still gives them a chance to compete in every game. And there have been few surprises this season as big as Cleveland’s win at Lambeau Field, so who knows what they can still do?" GIL BRANDT "I can say the NFC East, the NFC South or the AFC West, and make a case for any one of the three. My preference -- if all the teams can stay relatively healthy -- is the AFC West. They've got the best offenses. If we look at last season, offensive teams are the ones that make it to the playoffs. Of the teams who had the top 10 offenses in the NFL last season, nine made the postseason. You also have to take the quarterbacks into consideration because they're so instrumental to a team's success, and the AFC West has the best quarterbacks." ADAM SCHEFTER "There probably will be some NFC East bias, but please spare me of it. The NFC East isn't even the toughest division in the NFC. The NFC South with Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Carolina and New Orleans, is. But the toughest division in football is, unquestionably, the AFC West. The Chargers went into New England and threw a 41-ball on the Patriots, who had won 21 straight at home. The Broncos stuck it to the Jaguars in Jacksonville to go to 3-1 and prove that the former Browns defensive line can play a whole lot better than it showed in Cleveland. Kansas City is still the team that many forecasted to be the best in the AFC West, and opened the season by obliterating the Jets and then winning at Oakland. And the Raiders' schedule has been even tougher than the Patriots', which has been billed as one of the toughest in history. Oakland has played at New England, home for KC, at Philadelphia and home for Dallas. So give it to the AFC West." CRIS COLLINSWORTH "The two best divisions right now are the NFC South and the AFC West. I would have to give it to the AFC West right now, as it has the most talent top to bottom in the division. Even the Raiders can compete with anybody. San Diego might not be leading the division, but they are playing the best football right now, as evidenced by their last two performances. Denver has depth on defense -- thanks to signing everybody that formerly had a Cleveland address -- to match Mike Shanahan's offense. The Chiefs defense is talented, but now it must overcome the emotional wreckage after a horrendous showing in Denver and a complete collapse against Philadelphia." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinsFn Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Collinsworth is "brain dead" :insane: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamSneed36 Posted October 7, 2005 Author Share Posted October 7, 2005 yea he turned into an a-hole in the offseason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timurchin Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Collinsworth is "brain dead" :insane: The little pencil necked putz is in denial.:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurseReversed Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 afc west i agree is best but nfc east is slightly better then nfc south IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinzelwashington Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Collinsworth is "brain dead" :insane: he can drink slurplees forever.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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