Ranking the top 5 NFC teams so far

The NFL season is more than halfway done and the playoff picture is starting to shape up. Teams are starting to stand out as contenders.

The NFC this year is especially stacked with talented teams. Teams are switching seeds left and right. These are the top 5 teams that represent the NFC.

No. 5: Green Bay Packers

The Packers are a very confusing team. On one hand, they have beaten solid teams like the Steelers and the Lions. On the other hand, they have lost to the Panthers and Browns while being held to 23 combined points in those two games.

The Packers also have to play without their star tight end, Tucker Kraf,t who tore his ACL in week 9. They are now looking to lean on their wide receiving corps led by Romeo Doubs.

However, even with all these flaws, this Packers team should not be slept on. Jordan Love is still a very good quarterback. His passer rating is 7th among all quarterbacks in the NFL.

The main attraction of this Packers team is its defense. It starts with their defensive front led by Rashan Gary and Micah Parsons. They have 13.5 combined sacks through nine games, and each has 7 tackles for loss.

Paired with their loaded secondary led by Xavier McKinney, this Packers defense is hard to get through for any offense. However, their offensive inconsistencies are stopping them from being any higher on this list.

No. 4: Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are an ELITE team on paper, but unfortunately, the game of football is played on grass. Injuries and inconsistent play calling are what are stopping this team from being the number one seed in the NFC.

Playcalling duties have been taken away from Offensive Coordinator John Morton after he only had Jahmyr Gibbs touch the ball nine times in the loss to the Vikings. Head Coach Dan Campbell has taken over play-calling duties and has looked pretty good so far.

The Lions poured more gas onto a burning fire that is the Washington Commanders in week 10. This was the second time this year that they had scored 40 points or more in a game. This offense can be elite when used right.

On the defensive side of the ball, if healthy, the Lions can be scary. Led by Aidan Hutchenson on the line and Kirby Joseph and Brian Branch in the secondary, this Lions defense can hold anyone down.

The concern is their health. Their secondary has been decimated by injury, but if they get healthy, the NFC better watch out.

No. 3: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are the second most confusing team on this list behind the aforementioned Packers. They are overflowing with talent, yet can’t seem to put a statement win together.

This inconsistency is more on the offense. First Year Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo is still adjusting to his new role and it is showing in his playcalling. He calls a very conservative game.

However, Saquon Barkley and this star-studded offense have shown flashes of the Super Bowl-winning team of last year. If the Eagles running back can show an ounce of his 2024 self, the Eagles would be Super Bowl contenders.

With Barkley comes Jalen Hurts, who is having a very efficient season. While he might not have a ton of passing yards, he makes up for it with his ability to keep the ball with the offense. He has one interception through ten weeks.

This team needs to fix up a couple of things if they are going to go back-to-back. However, there is still time to do just that, but for now, they sit at number three on the list.

No. 2: Los Angeles Rams

Somehow, at 37 years of age, Matthew Stafford is still playing football at an elite level. He currently has 25 touchdowns and only two interceptions at this point in the season. He is also 6th in passer rating among active quarterbacks.

The players who are catching Stafford’s passes are two of the best wide receivers in the game. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are putting up stellar numbers as a duo. Nacua is averaging around a hundred yards per game, while Adams is not far behind with around sixty-five yards per game.

This production is not to be outdone by their killer defense. Over nine games this season, they have averaged 19 points per game. That is 2nd in the entire league.

If the Rams can keep this train going, the NFC had better be ready for what’s to come

No. 1: Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are by far the most dominant team in the NFC at the moment. Over the past two weeks, they have scored 82 total points. Their offense is 3rd in points per game, scoring over 30 points a game.

It starts with their offense led by Sam Darnold. His quarterback rating is by far the best in the league, with an average rating of 77.6 per game. Match that with his 71 percent completion percentage, and you have a recipe for success.

He is helped by his star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Njigba has already passed the thousand-yard threshold and it is only week 10. He is the best wide receiver in the league right now and it isn’t even close.

Seattle’s defense should not be taken lightly either. Their defense has held opponents to 20 points or less in seven out of nine games this season.

With all these pieces in place, Seattle is looking like the best team in the NFC through week ten.

Will Saltzman is a first-year majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, email wns5056@psu.edu