NFC in 2018 is definition of both domination and parity

It’s been building for a while now, but the NFC’s takeover as the better NFL conference is complete. Somehow, though, it’s looking more like anyone’s game as to who might make the playoffs — let alone come out on top — from the conference this season.

One can make an argument that every team in the NFC has a chance to make the playoffs.

Go ahead. Take a look.

A case to be made for everyone

In the West, there are the Rams' new "super team," the up-and-coming 49ers with Kyle Shanahan and Jimmy Garoppolo and the Seahawks, who still remain a threat with Russell Wilson despite some key offseason departures.

The North should feature a battle for the top spot with Aaron Rodgers coming back for the Packers, Kirk Cousins taking his talents to a Vikings team that just made it to the NFC championship game and the Lions, who have a talented roster and a new head coach.

The South is one of the toughest divisions in all of football with three 2017 playoffs teams — Saints, Panthers and Falcons — brimming with top quarterbacks, head coaches and talent on both sides of the ball.

And in the East, there are the reigning Super Bowl-champion Eagles, the young and talented Cowboys and the Giants, who despite a rough 2017 season have a roster loaded with stars and playmakers.

The four teams not mentioned — Cardinals, Bears, Buccaneers and Redskins — are the least likely to make the playoffs. But even they can present reasons why it shouldn't be shocking to see them break into the postseason.

If Sam Bradford stays healthy, he, a solid defense and David Johnson could do the trick in Arizona. A big leap from Trubisky and the Bears’ revamped offense would be no shocking feat. A Bucs team on the cusp of being the next breakout team could finally have its year. And with an efficient, veteran quarterback in Alex Smith and plenty to work with on the rest of the roster, Washington has a shot, too.

Quick turnarounds are possible

Still not convinced each NFC team as a realistic chance to make the playoffs this season? Look no further than Philadelphia for an example of how quick a team can turn things around.

All the talk in the NFC East at this time last year surrounded the Cowboys and Giants. The Eagles were slated as maybe the third or fourth best team in their own division after going 7-9 in 2016. The rest of course is history, and Philly proceeded to go 13-3 behind a terrific sophomore season from Carson Wentz that ended in a Super Bowl won with backup Nick Foles playing quarterback.

Last year’s Rams squad is another example. In 2016, they were a disastrous 4-12 with a fired head coach in Jeff Fisher and a No. 1 overall pick in quarterback Jared Goff slapped with the “bust” label. Fast-forward a few months, and Sean McVay and Goff were leading their team to an 11-5 record, a division championship and the franchise's first playoff appearance since 2004.

The Panthers and Redskins from 2014 to '15, the Cowboys and Giants from ’15 to ’16 and then the Panthers again from ’16 to ’17 are even more proof of how quick teams can go from worst to first.

The team-building model of drafting a franchise quarterback and then spending big to surround him with weapons and defensive help is already in place, and teams like the Eagles and Rams are proof it works. Teams like the Bears are choosing to follow suit.

Parity reigns supreme

Even though the NFC is loaded with potential and talent, that doesn't mean familiar teams will be reaching the title game. The NFC actually has been a model of parity.

The Lions are the only NFC team that has not appeared in a Super Bowl, and the Seahawks are the only such team to make back-to-back appearances in the big game since the Packers did it after the 1996 and '97 seasons. Since 1999, the NFC has seen 12 different teams make Super Bowl appearances. The AFC in that span has seen just six different teams reach the Super Bowl, and two of those were led by one QB in Peyton Manning.

The idea that the NFC outweighs the AFC in competitive nature and quality teams has been building for a few years. In both 2016 and '17 there were just four teams in the NFC with fewer than seven wins. Last year alone saw three 9-7 squads fail to make the playoffs — thanks in part to the NFC South fielding three teams with double-digits wins.

The reality is the records at the end of the season won’t show the conference's true dominance. Each NFC team plays 12 games against other NFC teams, so they’ll be beating each other up trying to nab a coveted playoff spot.

But make no mistake, the NFC is loaded with talent and potential playoff teams, from the Eagles to the Bears. It's truly anyone’s game.