We are halfway through another NFL season, and as always, you have no idea what will happen next.  Of course, many are still trying to figure out how this year has gone the way it has so far, and no one has a good answer.  This year has shown perhaps more parity then ever before.  And unlike most years, there isn't that one team that EVERYONE is afraid of.

Sure, you have the Giants and Titans, who right now are easily the two top teams.  But there is still plenty of season left.  Will the Giants and Titans will stay strong?  Will another team join them at the top?  How will each division turn out?

Now, let us take a look at the NFC:

NFC East

Not shockingly, the NFC East is once again a very powerful division.  And while it's still early, there's a chance that once again, both wild cards come from there.  But there is some surprise with this division.  Dallas seemed to be according to many, the best team, while Washington seemed to get dumped on.

But yet, Dallas is at the bottom, and Washington is 2nd.  The defending champion Giants are 7-1, and have looked like the NFC's best.  But they hold a 1.5 game lead over Washington, (Last to get a bye) and a two game lead on Philly, plus a 2.5 game lead over Dallas. (Same bye deal)

So right now, the Giants are somewhat comfortable.  But a loss this week to Philly, and chaos ensues.  The Giants hold their own fate, but the path isn't easy.  They still face Washington and Dallas on the road, and Philly again.  Baltimore, at Arizona both look like wins, but the Giants did lose to the Browns.  They also have the Panthers, who look tough, and end at the Vikings.  As tough as they are, I think they loss at least twice in there, maybe three times.  Would 12-4 win the division?

With the Eagles, to win the division, winning this game against the Giants this week is freakin' huge.  A one game difference would be nice.  Going on the road to Cincy and Baltimore is tough for the road part, but both are winnable.  Arizona and the Browns both seem like wins.  But they still have to play in New York, in Washington, and again against Dallas.  It looks like they could go 6-2 to finish, but it also looks like it could be 3-5.  I think they find the median somewhere in there.

Washington's schedule has some good and bad.  The good is that the remaining division games are all at home, and that the non-division opponents aren't the toughest.  The bad is that all of those non-division opponents are long road travels.  But even with the travel, there is no reason they don't go into Seattle, San Fran, and Cincy and leave with 3 wins.  At Baltimore won't be easy, but they still get Dallas while they're injured.  I think they could go 12-4 at best; the week 13 against New York is huge.

And then we have Dallas, the enigma of the group.  They've been absolutely ravaged by injuries, which has cost them some games.  If they don't get healthy, they probably miss the playoffs.  But Tony Romo, Felix Jones, Terrence Newman and Kyle Kosier are all expected to return week 11.  Even at full strength, playing at Washington as the first game back is harsh.  They still have at Philly, at Pittsburgh, and the Giants.  The other 3 games, Seattle, Baltimore and San Fran all at home, are wins.  But will it be too little too much?

Division Winner Pick: Giants  (Note, more on the other three teams in the wild card breakdown)

NFC North

This division right now is a virtual toss up.  The Vikings were expected by many to be very tough, and they're an inconsistent 4-4.  Many had mixed feelings about the Packers, some expected big, some expected small.  So it's fitting they're 4-4.  Ironically, the Bears, who no one had doing squat, are the division leader at 5-3.  All of these teams seem delightfully average.

The Bears could really be hurt by the recent injury to Captain Neckbeard.  Unfortunately for his replacement in Sexy Rexy, it's a brutal stretch of the schedule.  Tennessee, then THREE STRAIGHT road games in Green Bay, St. Louis, and Minnesota.  Going 2-2 in that stretch is a victory in my opinion.  They get three straight home after that, but the Jaguars, Saints, and Packers, even in Soldier Field, are still toss ups.  Then they finish against the Texans in Houston.  Not an easy stretch, and it looks like a tough task to get over the .500 mark.

The Packers, having the Bears twice, can partially determine their own fate.  This week, they have the tough task of going to Minnesota, a HUGE game.  At New Orleans and at Jacksonville are both very tough draws, and even at home, Carolina is a tough one.  Hosting Houston should be a win, and they end with a freebie against the Lions.  Like the Bears, it looks like a tough road to get over .500.

The Vikings winning against Green Bay this week would be huge.  Since they then go 4 out of 5 on the road.  And it's not easy.  At Tampa and Jacksonville, the Bears at home, and at Arizona, with a Lions freebie;  Then, at home to the Falcons, which could be interesting, and then ending with the Giants.  Yikes.  Again, getting above .500 seems incredibly tough for them as well.

The way it looks, 9-7 might very well win this division.  None of these teams seem impressive enough to go on a big run to get to a 10 win season.  Ultimately, I see one of these teams pulling off 9 wins...

Oh yeah, I probably should mention the Lions...umm...they suck,

Division Winner Pick: The Packers pull it off

NFC West

This division is such a sorry joke, I hardly want to even talk about it.  The Seahawks have won this pathetic division the last few years as a result of everyone else simply wanting to lose more.  Now, Seattle is awful, along with the Rams and 49ers, who are equally awful, each at 2-6.  It's not often such an inept franchise as the Cardinals are in the drivers seat.  But even at 5-3, I think the Cardinals could probably forfeit the remaining eight games, and probably STILL WIN THIS DIVISION. 

Division Winner Pick: Cardinals

NFC South

This has surprisingly been a strong division this year.  And each year, it seems like someone different wins this division. The Panthers are 6-2, Tampa is 6-3 heading to the bye.  The Falcons have turned the corner at 5-3, and then the one team everyone loved in this division, the Saints, are the worst at 4-4.

The Panthers have been strong so far in most of their games, other than the two losses.  They have the Raiders and Lions up next, so they'll be 8-2.  Then at Atlanta and at Green Bay aren't easy by any stretch.  They get Tampa again, this time at home, and the Broncos at home.  But ending on the road against the Giants and Saints isn't a fun stretch.  Of those final 6 games, 3-3 would probably work well for them.  But those road games are tough, and could be the difference between 11 wins and 9 wins.

The Buccaneers have an interesting road ahead.  Minnesota off the bye is certainly winnable, but not easy.  The Lions is a win, so they could very well by 8-3.  The Saints, at Carolina, and at Atlanta will be there chance to try to break away from the division.  They end at home twice, with the Chargers and Raiders.  The stretch of division teams is the key.  But like the Panthers, they look like they could win from 11 to 9.

The Falcons have been a real surprise team, going from worthless last year to seemingly good.  But although they have nice wins against Green Bay and Chicago, the other 3 wins were the pathetic Lions, Raiders, and Chiefs.  And their remaining schedule isn't easy.  The Rams and Chargers are the two below .500.  They do get the next 3 all at home, but New Orleans, Denver, and Carolina are all tough opponents.  Add that they still have the Saints again on the road, at Minnesota, and Tampa, the path isn't easy.  Ultimately, I think the Falcons fall back down to earth, and finish 7-9.  8-8 at best.  But either way, that certainly wouldn't be a disappointment for that franchise.

Then you have the Saints, who like usual, are insanely inconsistent.  Off the bye they go to Atlanta and to Kansas City.  Two games they should win, but I think they'll split.  Then the Packers, at Tampa, the Falcons again, at Chicago, at Detroit, and Carolina.  I'd be surprised if the Saints went above .500.  But I don't think they go much lower than .500.  I'd say a 7-9 or 8-8 finish for them.

Which gets back to Carolina and Tampa.  Who wins that battle?  Tampa flattened the Panthers in Carolina earlier this year, and I think they'll win the rematch as well, which gives them the division. 

Division Winner Pick: Tampa Bay

Wild Card Battle:

This is a bit hectic for sure.  You have the NFC East vs the NFC South vs the NFC West.  If you remove my division winner picks, you have Washington at 6-3 at the top.  Carolina at 6-2, Philly, Chicago, and Atlanta at 5-3, Dallas at 5-4, and the Saints and Vikings at 4-4. 

The Saints, Falcons, Bears, and Vikings all look like .500 or lower teams, so I boot all of them.  That leaves four.  And I think the Redskins will get 11 wins I think, which will be plenty to secure a spot.

That leaves the Panthers, Eagles, and Cowboys for that last spot.  I think the rough patch Dallas hit with the injuries will be too much to overcome.  I think they'll only get to 9 wins, and will fall short of Philly and Carolina.

When it comes down to it, I see both teams winning 10 games.  The tiebreaker is conference games, and I think the toughness of the NFC East will ultimately cost the Eagles.  The Panthers BARELY get the tiebreaker, and the 6 seed.


Wild Card Winners: Redskins and Panthers

So here is my NFC Playoff Outlook:
1. Giants (13-3)
2. Buccaneers (11-5)
3. Cardinals (10-6)
4. Packers (9-7)
5. Redskins (11-5)
6. Panthers (10-6)

So there you have it.  The NFC is much more confusing then the AFC, and really, could go a million different ways.  Because EVERY TEAM (minus the Lions and the non-Cardinal NFC West) has a chance at a playoff spot if everything falls into place.