lillloyd
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2010
- Messages
- 502
- Reaction score
- 776
God, what rubbish. What makes anyone believe the NFC is better? Evidence, please.
I'm one person that thinks the NFC playoff field this year is better than the AFC's, and that the NFC is trending upward. But I have to admit, my opinion was more gut than factual evidence. Your post made me do a bit of research, and here's what I came up with:
- QB play is huge in the playoffs, and the NFC's QB stable taken as a whole is much better than the AFC's relatively unhealthy and unproven group. Half of the NFC's group have won Super Bowls; half of the AFC's QBs are 1st year starters and/or rookies. Comparatively speaking, Rodgers/ Brees/ Manning/ Stafford /Ryan/ Smith reads like an All Pro team while Brady/ injured Ben /Flacco/ Yates / Dalton / Tebow reads like a JV team.
- NFC playoff teams also held a 6-2 edge against AFC playoff teams. The NFC as a whole held a modest edge (33-31) against the AFC in interconference play.
- Each team in the NFC field has momentum entering the playoffs, but the same can't be said of the AFC. In the NFC, SF has won 4 of 5 and 12 of their last 14; the Lions 3 of 4; the Saints have won 8 straight; Atlanta 3 of 4; the Giants 3 of 4; and of course GB 15 of their last 16. In the AFC, while NE has won 8 straight and both Pitt and Balt have won 6 of 7, many teams are struggling: Cincy has lost 5 of its last 8, and both Houston and Denver have lost 3 straight. Plus Pittsburgh's "momentum" is dubious since it has struggled with injuries and its offense over the past month.
- On balance the NFC field is simply healthier than the AFC field; certainly no NFC team has suffered significant injuries at key positions to the extent that Houston has, and to a lesser extent Pittsburgh.
- The NFC has won 3 of the past 4 Super Bowls.
None of this is to say that the AFC can't win the Super Bowl somehow. (It seems every year there's a major surprise or two). But I think there are only a couple of AFC teams with legit shots, and IMO the NFC field on balance is far superior.