J.V. B-side. Rec league. Semi-pro. The No Fun Conference. These are just a few of the names that football pundits have called the NFC in recent years, and, until now, they’ve had good reason.
Before the New York Giants’ monumental upset of the New England Patriots this past January, the AFC team had won eight of the previous ten Super Bowls. But three weeks into the NFL season, the traditional AFC powerhouses—New England, San Diego, Indianapolis—have looked anything but stellar, compiling a combined 4-5 record. Meanwhile, the preeminent favorites of the so-called second conference—New York, Dallas, Green Bay—are 8-1, with the one loss coming from the Cowboys’ victory over the Packers on Sunday night.
So what does it all mean? It’s never too early to make predictions, and I am willing to posit a bold claim: the NFC has reclaimed its place as the premiere conference in American football.
I know what you may be thinking: Tom Brady’s injured, the referees stole a game from the Chargers in Denver, and the Colts have been plagued by injuries and a tumultuous off-season. Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but the NFC favorites (excluding the 3-0 Cowboys) have had their share of setbacks as well.
The never-ending Brett Favre saga in Green Bay had many questioning the Packers’ ability to compete in 2008, but new quarterback Aaron Rodgers has hushed the critics, completing 65% of his passes over the course of three games without throwing a single interception. And while losing reigning MVP Brady was a devastating blow to New England’s playoff chances, some wrote the Giants off before the season even began when Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora (season-ending knee injury) followed future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (retirement) to the sideline.
To be fair, San Diego’s season looks to be on the upturn after a 48-29 rout of the New York Jets, and the Patriots grinded out two wins before being burned by Miami this past weekend. Still, there is no doubt the NFL landscape is changing. Tennessee, Denver, Baltimore, and Buffalo are the only remaining undefeated teams in the AFC, an indication that a youth movement may be settling upon the once-dominant conference. Of those four teams, only one—Tennessee—has a quarterback who has started a playoff game, and that quarterback is Kerry Collins, who began the season as Vince Young’s back-up.
Of course, with thirteen regular season games left, those struggling AFC dynamos have plenty of time to right the ship. Just don’t expect them to post the 12-4 and 11-5 records that were once the standard for an AFC team to guarantee its spot in the conference playoffs. In the newly incarnated No Fluke Conference, though, those gaudy numbers may be required for any team hoping to reach Super Bowl XLIII.
Let Walker give you a nickname at wjl8@georgetown.edu.
