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NFL 2018 Predictions: Minnesota Vikings top Eagles as NFC’s best

By Dan Salem

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 21: Jerick McKinnon #21 of the Minnesota Vikings uses a stiff arm on Mychal Kendricks #95 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 21: Jerick McKinnon #21 of the Minnesota Vikings uses a stiff arm on Mychal Kendricks #95 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The NFC is stacked at the top for the 2018 NFL season, meaning five or more teams have a shot at being the best. Yet the Vikings now hold the edge.

When running through the AFC, we found it hard to come up with a definitive contender to bounce the New England Patriots off of the throne. This was the case even though the Patriots’ roster doesn’t seem to be anywhere close to an elite level. Instead of excellence, the AFC could be filled with half a dozen or more “pretty good” squads during the NFL 2018 season.

We don’t feel the same way at all about the NFC. The top of this conference could be quite a battle, with a dozen wins not even being good enough to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs. It won’t be easy, but someone will be first. Who will be the best team in the NFC this season?

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the NFL 2018 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

I count five NFC teams with chances of being great and another four or five on the level of the top of the AFC. Obviously, 10 NFC teams aren’t going to finish better than anyone in the other conference. That isn’t mathematically feasible. But the ceilings of these NFC teams are just so much higher.

As we attempt to zero in on the best team in the NFC, it’s worth separating really good teams who will probably not make this discussion. The 49ers, Panthers, Saints, Giants, and Cowboys could all challenge 10 wins. They could all win their respective divisions if things fell right. Some even double as the best bets in their division thanks to longer-than-sensible odds.

But the real contenders for a Super Bowl berth are Philadelphia, Minnesota, Green Bay, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. This is the quintet, and it’s hard to make distinctions.

To me, the Packers seem to have the weakest roster of the bunch. They may have the best individual player, but this isn’t the NBA. That only matters to a point. I am also scared off by Atlanta’s unevenness. Why did the offense feel so off last year even while it produced? And the ceiling defensively is simply too low to be in this conversation.

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That leaves the heaviest of heavy hitters: the Eagles, Vikings, and Rams. They might fail to reach expectations as the actual season plays out, but any of the three could go 15-1 in my mind. Which squad looks the best on paper?

Right off the jump, any of these three could finish this season with the best defense in the NFL. They are that talented. On offense, Carson Wentz‘s unknown availability for Week 1 has to knock Philly down a peg. It may be a few games before he is 100 percent. And then there is the possibility that he is never the same player physically. I’m similarly worried about Jared Goff and the Rams’ ability to be as good offensively as they were in 2018. Defenses will surely adjust to some degree. I’m overly fond of Kirk Cousins, which some may disagree with. If so, they would knock Minny back for it, but I don’t. Of course, the Vikings likely have the worst offensive line of these three teams. Finding an edge is hard indeed.

As a side note, as discussed when doing our divisional breakdowns, the Eagles and Rams are particularly terrible bets. Their odds are so low as to make them unnerving picks. Minnesota isn’t so bad because of the looming threat of Aaron Rodgers to take it down. That also makes the Vikings the best bet to come out of the NFC. They have the longest odds among this royal trio.

Is it that simple? Should it be that simple? It feels like a cop-out, but that would be taking something away from the Vikings. They could be elite. Cousins is surrounded by premium receivers. Dalvin Cook also returns, coming off a splendid start to his career before going down with a knee injury. On defense, Minnesota has stars at all three levels. League-average offensive line and special teams can’t submarine the rest of this roster.

Dan Salem:

“Good enough” will not cut it in the NFC this season. Greatness is mandatory to win this conference, but our top five differs by a single team. I would replace Atlanta with New Orleans because of exactly what you noted. They are uneven, while Drew Brees seems to always hit his numbers. That being said, I do not believe the Saints are the best team in the NFC for the NFL 2018 season. It still comes down to Philadelphia, Green Bay, Minnesota and Los Angeles.

As someone who calls Los Angeles home, I would love to anoint the Rams atop the NFC. They were great in 2017 and have shown no indications of being a one year wonder. I fully expect them to win the NFC West again, but I do need to see a repeat performance before I can pick them ahead of two proven quarterbacks and the defending Super Bowl champions. No one in the NFC has an easy schedule, yet the NFC West lacks a true “bad” team at the bottom. Nearly every other division has one. I do not believe Arizona fits the description, making the Rams’ road to the top of the NFC a bit more challenging.

My gut instinct tells me Philadelphia is still better than Minnesota, even though their quarterback situations have swapped. I don’t know if the Nick Foles/Carson Wentz combo will be utilized in 2018, or if either player will be on the same level as before. Wentz is almost in the same spot as Goff, yet he’s coming off an injury. So is Aaron Rodgers, but we have a larger sample size in Green Bay. Kirk Cousins finally has what appears to be a complete team around him and he will excel with the Vikings. This is a really tough call. How much does the quarterback really matter?

I have to eliminate Green Bay because the Packers simply have too many unknowns. Their defense is not elite and that costs them at least two wins, the difference between first and third in the NFC. Since I predicate myself on making picks based on healthy players, I will assume Wentz returns to the Eagles at 100 percent for Week 1 of the season. He comes back at the same level as before, our best case scenario. This makes the Philly offense and Minnesota’s offense on par. Their defenses are both elite as well. Ultimately my pick comes down to who wants it more, and that team is the Vikings.

Next: NFL 2018: Most overrated player on each team

Minnesota has a chip on its shoulder after losing decisively in the NFC Championship to Philadelphia. They have a new quarterback who has been consistently counted out over his career. The Vikings want to be the best more than ever and prove they are not a fluke. The reverse is true in Philadelphia. While they are still a great team, they just won the Super Bowl and ended a tremendous championship drought. If there was going to be a hangover, its here with the Eagles. They make the playoffs, but not as the conference’s best. That honor belongs to Minnesota.

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