Who's the Favorite in the NFC?

Another football Sunday has almost come and gone, and the ever-changing perception of who is the best team in the NFC is as muddled as ever. The Bears seemed to have a strangehold on that title through the first half of the season. Then the Tony Romo-led Cowboys took the NFL by storm for a few weeks, being "annonted" (to the dismay of Bill Parcells) best team in the conference. But as soon as you could say, "How bout them Cowboys," the Saints dismantled Dallas last week in a dominating 42-17 win on the road.

So after this week's games, who's in the driver's seat in the NFC? I'll rank the six teams that currently hold playoff positioning in order of worst chance to advance to the Super Bowl to best:

6. New York Giants: They're currently in the sixth slot in the conference after losing to the Eagles moments ago. If Michael Strahan is able to come back from his injury, it'll be huge for this team, but in the end, the fate of the Giants rests with Eli Manning, and he has yet to inspire any confidence in his late-season play over his three-year career.

5. Seattle Seahawks: Though it's a long-shot, the 'Hawks may yet be left out of the playoffs entirely and lose the division title if they lose their final two games and the 49ers win out. Seattle's been hit hard with injuries to key players this year and currently have no momentum on their side. At this point, this looks like a one-and-done team in the playoffs.

4. Philadelphia Eagles: Speaking of momentum, Philly has a lot of it right now, having won three consecutive games with Jeff Garcia at the helm. Their defense, led by their ferocious secondary, is still as aggressive and opportunistic as ever, and offense has gotten into a real groove recently. The Eagles right now look like a darkhorse that could make a run in the playoffs.

3. New Orleans Saints: The Saints have the advantage of having the best QB in the NFC in Drew Brees, and a multitude of weapons on offense including Reggie Bush, but their run defense remains iffy. They're capable of going all the way, but I have a feeling that the Dallas game might have been the best game they'll play all season, and if they play the Cowboys in the playoffs, you can bet Parcells and company will be ready and angry.

2. Chicago Bears: Based on record, (12-2) you can argue that the Bears actually deserve the mantle of favorites. However, it's been much more of a roller coaster ride than the record indicates. Their biggest wins have come against overrated Seahawks and Giants teams, and they've had to sneak out wins against some of the dregs of the league in Arizona and today against Tampa Bay. Homefield advantage throught will help, but is no guarantee of a Super Bowl berth.

1. Dallas Cowboys: I'm hating myself as I type this, but rationally, I still think that the Cowboys are the most dangerous and most balanced team in the conference. They're as explosive as anyone on offense, and have the ability to get it done on defense. But even they are a flawed team. Their last two opponents, the Falcons and Saints, have hung 28 and 42 points on the defense respectively, and the secondary is prone to getting beat deep. On offense, you never know what you're going to get from Terrell Owens, who could drop an easy pass as easily as he could break a long one for a touchdown. Even so, they're less flawed then their competitors in my opinion, and may have re-established themselves as the NFC favorite with their win over Atlanta last night.

The Charmed Life of the San Diego Chargers

Maybe it's just good karma going their way after the Ryan Leaf draft pick in 1998 went so horribly wrong and shackled them for several years. More likely, it's shrewd and forward-thinking decision-makers. Whatever it is, the San Diego Chargers are at 9-2 after today's win against the Raiders, and hardly has there been a week when it has been more evident the genius of their general manager A.J. Smith and his predecssor, the late John Butler, in putting this formidable team together.

The story starts in 2001, when Smith, then the assistant to Butler, and the Chargers had the top pick in the draft in hand. They seemed to be poised to take Michael Vick, the once-in-a-lifetime, make you do a double-take quarterback out of Virginia Tech. He was supposed to be the quarterback who would usher in a new era of NFL offense, changing the way the game was played. He was a slam-dunk choice, kind of like Reggie Bush was supposed to be in the 2006 draft. Of course, the Chargers defied convential wisdom and passed on Vick, trading the pick to the Falcons, and gaining the opportunity to draft TCU RB LaDainian Tomlinson at #4 overall and Purdue QB Drew Brees with the first pick in the second round. While everyone agreed that they got a couple of good players, the Chargers were lambasted for passing on a chance that they would never have again. At the time, people labeled it an overly-cautious move by the Chargers, who were still smarting from the Leaf debacle just a few years earlier.

Turns out Butler and Smith knew what they were doing. Fast forward 5 years later, and Drew Brees gave the Chargers two Pro Bowl caliber seasons before moving on to New Orleans, where he now leads the NFL in passing yards and is on the short list of MVP candidates. And wouldn't you know it, the leading MVP candidate in the league this year is that other 2001 Chargers draft pick, LaDainian Tomlinson. LT is on pace to break the single-season touchdown record this year, and with a couple more good years, can legitimately be considered among the greatest running backs in NFL history.

Vick on the other hand, who had success earlier in his career, leading the Falcons to the NFC Championship Game two years ago, has fallen on tough times. His raw athletic talent is still very much there and something to behold. However, he constantly faces questions about his quarterbacking ability in the pocket, and seems to be playing in an offensive system ill-suited to his talents. Today, his Falcons were beaten handily by Brees' Saints, a game that was capped off by Vick giving some Atlanta fans the finger as he stomped into the locker room.

Part 2 of the assemblage of the Chargers happened in 2004, when again, the Chargers had the top pick in the draft. When Eli Manning made it clear that he would not suit up for San Diego, the Chargers were able to swap Manning to the Giants for NC State QB Philip Rivers, in addition to the 2005 draft pick that would materialize as DE Shawne Merriman. Who's laughing now? Rivers, who has had to endure questions about his ability as an NFL QB because of his awkward throwing motion, has thrived in his first year as starter, while Manning is looking shakier by the week as the Giants continued their recent slide with a shocking 24-21 come-from-behind loss to the Titans, a loss that was due in no small part to Manning's critical interception late in the game with the score tied. Meanwhile, Merriman is in the midst of a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, but before he was busted, he was looking like a prime candidate for league Defensive Player of the Year.

And wouldn't it be ironic and quite a jab to the Manning family if San Diego was able to overtake Indianapolis and their QB, Peyton Manning, and reach the Super Bowl this year? Who would have thought that the team that drafted Ryan Leaf might reach a Super Bowl before a Peyton Manning-led team did? Very interesting indeed....