NFL.com: AFC clearly much better than NFC

[bubba9497]

http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10163068

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AFC clearly much better than NFC


Adam Schefter's "Around the League" reports and commentaries can be seen regularly on NFL Total Access.

(May 2, 2007) -- Lost in the debate of the draft's winners and losers, the free agent comings and goings, is an issue that has gotten considerably less attention than even Mr. Irrelevant.

Yet this topic is so relevant that it has players and coaches talking and wondering about it.

The gap between the AFC and the NFC now is as wide as the one between a varsity team and its junior varsity.

Think about it, because others around the league surely have.

The AFC includes the Indianapolis Colts, the team that won last season's Super Bowl; the New England Patriots, the team favored to win this season's Super Bowl; and the San Diego Chargers, the most talented team not to win a Super Bowl.

Any one of those powerhouses would be anointed the clear-cut favorite to win the NFC. Yet at least two, and possibly all three, will not survive in the AFC.

[tr1]

Unfortunately, it does seem to be a trend.

[jimster]

The NFC won 15 straight Superbowls ('85 - 1999), with NFC East teams winning 7 of those.

[jpillian]

The NFC won 15 straight Superbowls ('85 - 1999), with NFC East teams winning 7 of those.

I agree, it's cyclical.

Like global warming!! (I keed, I keed :laugh: )

Without a doubt, it's a sign of the success of parity that these, what used to be perennial cellar dwellars in the 80's and 90's (Colts, Pats, Steelers, and Chargers) are now the powerhouses that they are today. Sooner or later, getting all the high picks will pay off -- if your FO has any sense whatsoever. :2cents:

[pjfootballer]

SB's 1-15- AFC 11 NFC 4
SB's 16-30- NFC 14 AFC 1
SB's 31-41- AFC 8 NFC 3

Total NFC 21 AFC 20

It all goes in cycles. The AFC is good now, but when Manning, Brady and the rest of the AFC start to age, all the picks the NFC is making will be the new strength.

[SkinsD]

Did they really need to write an article about this?

:doh:

[Cowboy8467]

The NFC won 15 straight Superbowls ('85 - 1999), with NFC East teams winning 7 of those.

Didn't the Broncos win in 1998?

[ncr2h]

wow, check the standings from last year: there was only 1 NFC team witha winning record against the AFC, and there were only 4 teams in the AFC with losing records against the NFC.

[DarkLadyRaven]

Just in--Sky is blue

[BAFGA]

Didn't the Broncos win in 1998?

They won after the 1997 and 1998 seasons (XXXII and XXXIII) (Jan 98 and Jan 99).

The NFC won every Super bowl between XVI and XXXI, with the exception of XVIII, which the Redskins lost to the Raiders 38-9.

Between XXXII and XLI, only St. Louis and Tampa Bay have won from the NFC. It's been all AFC since.

[Tom [Giants fan]]

Actually, on paper, the AFC is much better than the NFC and the Patriots are much better than both. But all you have to do is buy an eraser and change what the paper says.

[No_Pressure]

I would really like to see the Patriots, Colts or Chargers play that well or stay healthy in the NFC East.

[DWinzit]

NE has really strengthened their team this offseason and should be considered "the team" going into this season. However, Indy took some hits during FA and remember what happened to the Chargers staff:

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/images/I20022-1999Dec5
http://64.111.216.59//ul/2173-norv.jpg

Stick a fork in them!

[whatmeworry]

Can't argue with that. There are at least 3-4 teams in the AFC that can beat up anything the NFC can offer. These things have a way of turning around quickly though.

[Justsomeguy]

NFC is tighter competition is all.

[ejay183]

It is a trend, AFC powerful now, just like the NFC was the powerhouse in the 80s and early 90s.

[OWUeagleMD]

I would really like to see the Patriots, Colts or Chargers play that well or stay healthy in the NFC East.

All three of those teams would win 13 games in the NFC East. We don't play in a tough division anymore, sadly.

[OWUeagleMD]

NFC is tighter competition is all.

More like AFC just has better players is all.

[poidog22]

Did they really need to write an article about this?

:doh:
No kidding...even the football pundits are reaching for stuff to write about. I realize it's the off season....but can't they write about what teams are going to wearing different uniforms this year? ;) :silly:

[The Dude]

The NFC reminds me of the WNBA.

[speedmike]

Yeah, on paper.

I'm still shocked that the Steelers beat the Seahawks last year - there's no way the Steelers should have won that game - the Seahawks were clearly the better team.

[OWUeagleMD]

Yeah, on paper.
.

No, in reality.

Teams in the AFC who are better than anyone in the NFC:

Indy
New England
Baltimore
San Diego

From there, competitive teams are reasonably dispersed between the NFC and AFC. It's indisputable that the 4 best teams in the league to reside in the AFC.

[eagles78]

No, in reality.

Teams in the AFC who are better than anyone in the NFC:

Indy
New England
Baltimore
San Diego

From there, competitive teams are reasonably dispersed between the NFC and AFC. It's indisputable that the 4 best teams in the league to reside in the AFC.Is it? We haven't even played the games yet and these four teams are already the undisputed best the NFL has to offer?

[OWUeagleMD]

Is it? We haven't even played the games yet and these four teams are already the undisputed best the NFL has to offer?

Yep.

[speedmike]

No, in reality.

Teams in the AFC who are better than anyone in the NFC:

Indy
New England
Baltimore
San Diego

From there, competitive teams are reasonably dispersed between the NFC and AFC. It's indisputable that the 4 best teams in the league to reside in the AFC.


The Colts lost to Dallas.
The Ravens lost to Carolina.

....let's not go anointing the clear-cut better teams before the season starts. With all the player-swapping that goes on in the offseason, it's anyone's guess.

These Ravens that are the clear-cut best in the league, are they the same team that went 6-10 the year before last?

[OWUeagleMD]

The Ravens are better than anyone in the NFC.

[eagles78]

Yep.You know as well as anyone that the NFL is all about parity. There are too many things that can occur over the course of an NFL season to go ahead and declare those 4 teams leaps and bounds above any other team already. For all we know, the Cardinals could come out and dominate this year.:laugh:

[OWUeagleMD]

You know as well as anyone that the NFL is all about parity. There are too many things that can occur over the course of an NFL season to go ahead and declare those 4 teams leaps and bounds above any other team already. For all we know, the Cardinals could come out and dominate this year.:laugh:

Anything can happen over the course of the season. Right now it is mid-May and there is a sizeable stockpile of information with which a fan could evaluate the quality of teams across the league. Using that information, the Ravens, Chargers, Patriots and Colts are laughably better than every team in the NFC.

It may work out that those teams don't equal their potential. Relying on the fact that anything can happen over the course of the season is not a legitimate argument in terms of evaluating quality; it's a reality that everyone understands, but it isn't a relevant argument when comparing and contrasting teams' rosters in mid-May.

We know plenty of things about the NFL right now. There's a lot to learn, of course, but we aren't blind. Any objective balance of available information would conclude that those 4 teams are significantly above anyone in the NFC.

[Westbrook36]

I don't think the Ravens were better than the Bears last year. I'll go with the top three teams angle but after that, its a coin flip.

[Westbrook36]

OWU, your comments are shocking in the fact you keep including the Ravens. Are you kidding? Are we looking at the same ridiculous inconsistent offensive team?

[Peregrine]

Absolutely correct. The NFC has been weak for several years now. To the point you have 8-8 teams making the playoffs, while 10-6 teams are missing the AFC playoffs.

[OWUeagleMD]

OWU, your comments are shocking in the fact you keep including the Ravens. Are you kidding? Are we looking at the same ridiculous inconsistent offensive team?

The Ravens physically dominated the Colts in the playoffs and Steve McNair blew the game. Play that game 10 times and Baltimore wins it 8, maybe 9.

Now that they've replaced the worst starting RB in the NFL that team will only improve.

[eagles78]

Anything can happen over the course of the season. Right now it is mid-May and there is a sizeable stockpile of information with which a fan could evaluate the quality of teams across the league. Using that information, the Ravens, Chargers, Patriots and Colts are laughably better than every team in the NFC.

It may work out that those teams don't equal their potential. Relying on the fact that anything can happen over the course of the season is not a legitimate argument in terms of evaluating quality; it's a reality that everyone understands, but it isn't a relevant argument when comparing and contrasting teams' rosters in mid-May.

We know plenty of things about the NFL right now. There's a lot to learn, of course, but we aren't blind. Any objective balance of available information would conclude that those 4 teams are significantly above anyone in the NFC.All I'm saying is: The information we possess in January '08 holds about 1000 times more weight than the information we have to go by now. You can tell me that NE, Indy, SD, & Baltimore were easily the best teams in the league last year, but you can't tell me that they are also guaranteed to be the best next year.

[Westbrook36]

You have faith in McNair, who is one year older? One game is a very small sample size; especially when they lost that game.

They also lost Adalius Thomas who might have been their best player on defense.

[OWUeagleMD]

All I'm saying is: The information we possess in January '08 holds about 1000 times more weight than the information we have to go by now. You can tell me that NE, Indy, SD, & Baltimore were easily the best teams in the league last year, but you can't tell me that they are also guaranteed to be the best next year.

I can't gurantee anything. But based on the information in front of me, I spit on the notion that there is an NFC team worth the excrement of any of the 4 aforementioned teams.

[OWUeagleMD]

They also lost Adalius Thomas who might have been their best player on defense.

They breed linebackers.

[Westbrook36]

I think they are a good team; I just won't agree to the notion they are clearly better than anyone in the NFC. The other three teams you mentioned are.

[OWUeagleMD]

I think they are a good team; I just won't agree to the notion they are clearly better than anyone in the NFC. The other three teams you mentioned are.

Fair enough.

I love the fact that we only need to conceivably beat one of those teams to win the SB.

[Santana_Fan]

The Patriots are the best team in the AFC. They also have the best coach in the AFC.