NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
MVP – QB Michael Vick
Player to watch – RB LeSean McCoy
Biggest Questions:
Dave Barr - Can Vick stay healthy enough to get Philly to the Big easy?
Nick Athan - Will this be Andy Reid’s last rodeo in the city of brotherly love?
2. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
MVP – LB DeMarcus Ware
Player to watch – CB Morris Claiborne
Biggest Questions:
DB - Can the Cowboys finally live up to expectations?
NA - Is there anyway Tony Romo gets another year in BIG ‘D’ if he has another December meltdown?
3. New York Giants (9-7)
MVP – QB Eli Manning
Player to watch – RB Ahmad Bradshaw
Biggest Questions:
DBDo the Giants have enough in a no-name linebacking corps to try and repeat?
4. Washington Redskins (2-14)
MVP – QB Robert Griffin III
Player(s) to watch – RB Evan Royster / Roy Helu Jr.
Biggest Questions:
DB - Can the Skins running backs take some pressure of off rookie RG3?
NA - Can Head Coach Mike Shanahan build a winner outside the shadows of John Elway?
NFC North
1. Chicago Bears (13-3)
MVP – RB Matt Forte
Player to watch – WR Brandon Marshall
Biggest Questions:
Dave Barr – Can the Bears offseason acquisitions catapult them past Green Bay in NFL’s best division?
Nick Athan - Can the Bears offense match the intensity of their defense?
2. Green Bay Packers (12-4)
MVP – QB Aaron Rodgers
Player to watch – RB Cedric Benson
Biggest Questions:
DB - Can the Packers defense keep up with Bears and Lions offenses in the North?
NA - Can Rogers rise above the enormous expectations that have fallen on his this year?
3. Detroit Lions (11-5)
MVP – WR Calvin Johnson
Player to watch – RB Kevin Smith
Biggest Questions:
DB - Can the Lions overcome shortcomings in their secondary to take next step?
NA - Can QB Matt Stafford continue to develop into a consistent signal caller?
4. Minnesota Vikings (3-13)
MVP – RB Adrian Peterson
Player to watch – QB Christian Ponder
Biggest Questions:
DB – Can Peterson stay healthy enough to help Ponder and Vikings growing pains?
NA - Is there any player on defense outside of Jared Allen, that can make plays for the Vikings?
NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints (12-4)
MVP – QB Drew Brees
Player to watch – DE Cameron Jordan
Biggest Questions:
Dave Barr – How much will the Saints miss Sean Payton?
Nick Athan - Will the suspended Saints be any good when they return from their NFL sentence?
2. Atlanta Falcons (9-7)
MVP – QB Matt Ryan
Player to watch – CB Asante Samuel
Biggest Questions
DB– Can the Falcons make a playoff run worthy of their talented roster?
Nick Athan - Won’t it be sad that the Falcons final game this season will end with the retirement of Tight End Tony Gonzalez?
3. Carolina Panthers (8-8)
MVP – QB Cam Newton
Player to watch – WR Brandon LaFell
Biggest Questions
DB– Can the Panthers defense make the same kind of jump the offense will?
NA - Will the Sophomore drought torpedo the rising career of Mr. Newton?
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13)
MVP – WR Vincent Jackson
Player to watch – RB Doug Martin
Biggest Questions;
DB – Will first-year head coach Greg Schiano wish he was back at Rutgers by season end?
NA - When does Grandview native Josh Freeman become a free agent?
NFC West
1. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
MVP – RB Frank Gore
Player to watch – WR Randy Moss
Biggest Questions:
Dave Barr – Can Alex Smith prove last season wasn’t a fluke?
Nick Athan - What happens to the locker room if Randy Moss isn’t the player the 49ers believe he can be?
2. Seattle Seahawks (6-10)
MVP – RB Marshawn Lynch
Player to watch – QB Russell Wilson
Biggest Questions:
DB – How long will it take the young talent in the Emerald city to mature?
NA - Can Pete Carroll finally shed the label that he can win big in the NFL with an unproven quarterback?
3. Arizona Cardinals (4-12)
MVP – WR Larry Fitzgerald
Player to watch – QB John Skelton
Biggest Questions:
DB – Who figures it out first -the offense or the defense trying to figure out the 3-4?
NA - Dave does it really matter if they figure out any of it?
4. St. Louis Rams (3-13)
MVP – RB Steven Jackson
Player to watch – DT Michael Brockers
Biggest Questions:
DB – How long will it take first –year head coach Jeff Fisher to right the ship in St. Louis?
NA - Like the Jaguars are the Rams on the clock for Los Angeles?
NFC Division winners – Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers
NFC wildcards – Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys
NFC Champion – San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl champion – San Francisco 49ers
2012 NFL Predictions - AFC
WARPAINT ILLUSTRATED MESSAGE BOARDS:
Do you think the 49ers can make it to the Super Bowl?
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