Separating NFC contenders and pretenders after Week 7

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By FOX Sports NFL AnalystIs anyone clearly good in the NFC outside the ? After seven weeks of the season, the undefeated Eagles sit clearly alone at the top of the NFC hierarchy.But who comes next? Let's examine the teams who were in action in Week 7 to see if they should be considered a contender or pretender. (The 5-1 and 3-3 joined the Eagles on a bye week). (5-2)Why they are a Alex Highsmith Jersey contender: This is a talented roster with above-average players at key positions. returned to the lineup Sunday, and while he didn't light it up against the , we saw some glimpses of what Dak can be when he gets back into the flow of things. The Cowboys have a top-five offensive line and po sibly the best pa s rush in the NFL with and . The Cowboys pa s defense is good, not elite, but can be a lockdown corner at times. Having those pieces be above average QB, OL, pa s rush and defensive back will always give a team a chance to win each weekend.Why they might be a pretender: The Cowboys appear to be a system team, just like most around the league. That system is succe sful, I'm not questioning that. But so far they've had a specific way to win. Defense, rushing the ball and limiting the opportunities for their quarterback to "screw up." Now with Prescott back in the lineup, they should not have to worry about the "system" as often. If the defense breaks down, they can score enough points to win those games. (6-1)Why they are a contender: Coaching. That's the only way to explain the Giants continued succe s this season. Their offense is designed around a quarterback in Daniel Jones who they want to avoid putting in bad situations and who is throwing to a bunch of wide receivers who likely shouldn't be starters along with an interior offensive line that's not very good. Their defense entered the weekend ranked 30th in DVOA, but the unit doesn't allow a ton of points. Yet every week I look up at the score bug or the TV late in the fourth quarter and the Giants are within striking distance or have a short lead. The only explanation is they are a well-coached, disciplined football team that does not make mistakes or self-inflict wounds. They battle the entire game and they make their own luck. Kudos to the staff. Three more wins over the final 10 weeks and they are a wild card team.Why they might be a pretender: In the nicest way po sible what do they do well? Like what part of their play are you saying "The Giants are above average at this". Maybe the rushing game, using Jones' ability to scoot as part of the offense. They aren't strong on the offensive line, especially inside, and now at right tackle with Evan Neal injured. They don't stop the run, stop the pa s or rush the pa ser all that well. They do limit points, which feels like a house of cards. Again, entering this weekend, Pro Football Focus graded New York's pa s rush 26th, their coverage 27th and their rushing defense 26th. Most other teams near the Giants' level of grades or efficiency are bottom dwellers in the NFL. Again, the math adds up for a playoff berth, but they are an odd team. (4-3)Why they are a contender: The offense is entertaining and scores a bunch of points. Seattle entered this weekend as the fourth-most-efficient offense in the league, then went into and scorched the for 37 points. Quarterback is having a career resurgence, and the Seahawks' rushing attack is excellent. Rookie Kenneth Walker, who is now the primary back, rushed for 168 yards against the Chargers on Sunday. He's got 44 carries for 265 yards over the past two games. The Seahawks offense appears to be for real and here to stayWhy they might be a pretender: They've played a soft schedule, and in the one game against a quality opponent (the 49ers), they got smoked. You can only play the teams in front of you, and maybe the Chargers are considered a quality opponent, but Seattle has played bad teams , , Lions, Saints and . Even with this schedule, their defense has struggled, though they've played better the last two weekends. Their soft schedule might not matter much, as they are close to a playoff berth with just a .500 finish to the season. However, they get the 49ers again, the twice, the , and the Buccaneers. If the offense slows down just a bit, the defense is probably going to allow a ton of points. We shall see. (3-4)Why they are a contender: In theory, the Packers offense can stop being held hostage by the quarterback and go back to being a functioning unit. They do not run the ball enough and is just not making the nece sary adjustments to his game to match his receiving core. The excuse about the lack of weapons ring hollow when teams without elite weapons and/or playing with backup quarterbacks can move the ball. And gue s what, Aaron Jones is your elite weapon and the Packers do not Kordell Stewart Jersey use him enough. Only eight rushing attempts for Jones and 17 total touches for the game in Sunday's lo s to the .Why they might be a pretender: It's probably bad busine s to count out the Packers and Rodgers, but the offense is struggling to score points this season. It feels entirely po sible the offense might finish the year not being very good compared to what they've come to expect in Green Bay. Rodgers has no connection with any receiver outside of . The Packers do not attempt to push the ball downfield often because of this. It's getting increasingly difficult for them to generate explosive pa sing plays, which is much needed when your offense is running in place. There seems to be some feuding behind the scenes with Rodgers and head coach/play caller Matt LaFleur. Lastly, the offensive line continues to be plagued by injuries, which isn't helping Rodgers get comfortable in the pocket. (3-4)Why they are a contender: They have . This one is simple. Yes, the Bucs are not playing well on offense. But how many times have we seen Brady be counted out before he rallies his team to victories? It's happened throughout his career, and it helps that the Bucs play in an awful division. They might win the division with seven wins, and then suddenly they are hosting a playoff game. HoweverWhy they might be a pretender: Brady does not have Bill Belichick to help pull this team out of a slump. They are a squad that seems lifele s right now. Dropped pa ses. Poor protection. Zero rushing offense. Terrible and often unimaginative playcalling. Brady appears le s engaged in the preparation proce s, taking a day off during the week from practice. Now, in a vacuum that Zach Banner Jersey is fine. Older players routinely get days off. But Brady has built his life around his intense schedule that optimizes his performance on the field. This season he's doing something different.I'm not surprised the offense isn't going as well this season. (3-4)Why they are a contender: Health. The Niners are beat up and slowly getting themselves healthy. When everyone does return, the Niners have a top defense in the NFL with a fierce pa s rush that will scare any opposing quarterback and pa s-protecting unit. When the secondary is healthy, they will work in concert with the pa s rush to stop opposing offenses. With returning from injury to his left tackle spot, the Niners offensive line is much improved. This roster is great when healthy.Why they might be a pretender: . He's not that good. On his best day, he's average. He has trouble when his first read isn't open. He seems to not care about having answers to pre sure. The 49ers traded for running back this week to help their run game. A solid run game takes pre sure off the quarterback. It allows the Niners' play-action pa s game to open up, which makes it easier on Jimmy G.Geoff Schwartz played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. He is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter NFL trending in this topic
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