Another week has come and gone which means the NFL season is another week closer. With a lot of focus among fans and experts on the AFC going into the 2024 campaign, people can’t forget about the NFC and what it would have in store this season. A few teams are on the rise while some look to build on what has already been built. Today, let’s rank the four NFC divisions from the strongest to weakest.
NFC Divisional Rankings
NFC North
Like the AFC, the strongest division in the NFC resides in the North. This division was dominated by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers for a while. However, that dominance ended in 2022 when Green Bay finished 8-9 and missed the postseason. Fast forward two years later and after a playoff birth with Jordan Love in 2023, hope has been restored. Entering 2024, this division has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL. The Detroit Lions are looking to repeat their 2023 success and promising new beginnings in Chicago have Bears fans believing once again.
After a heartbreaking loss in the NFC Championship game five months ago, Detroit got right back to work in the offseason adding quality defensive pieces. These included D.J. Reader, Carlton Davis, and first-round pick Terrion Arnold. On top of that, core offensive pieces in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell inked long-term extensions to remain in the Motor City. Jordan Love and the Packers enter the 2024 campaign as one of the more talked about teams. Their young nucleus on offense of Love, Chrisitan Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed will only get better.
After many years of disappointment in the Windy City, Bears fans believe again. Chicago headlined by their rookie signal caller Caleb Williams will have weapons all over the field to work with. Some of those will include D’Andre Swift, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and rookie Rome Odunze. If Williams is the real deal, Chicago is going to be nearly unstoppable. The final piece to this division is the Minnesota Vikings who enter the year with limited expectations. Despite inking Justin Jefferson to a long-term deal, questions remain at quarterback.
It’s safe to say this division is the best in the NFC and if things go as planned there could be a strong case to be made that this division will be the best in football. Three playoff teams coming out of this division in 2024 is a real possibility. If that happens it will be the first time the NFC North sends three teams to the dance since the division shrunk to four teams in 2002.
NFC West
The NFC representative in the Super Bowl has come out of the NFC West in four of the last six seasons. One of those four seasons ended in an NFC West Super Bowl Champion being crowned in 2021 when the Los Angeles Rams look home the Lombardi. On top of that, in six straight seasons dating back to 2018, the division has sent at least two teams to the playoffs including three playoff tickets punched from the west in 2021. To put it simply, this division has remained one of the strongest and most consistent in the NFL.
Over the last two seasons the division crown has belonged to the San Francisco 49ers and heading into 2024 the Super Bowl runner-ups are favorites to take home the division crown once again. Despite trade rumors swirling around Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, it seems the two will remain in San Fran. This means one of the most lethal offenses in football will remain intact with other important pieces in Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle all set to have big seasons once again in 2024. Despite losing Aaron Donald to retirement in the offseason, the Los Angeles Rams are still expected to put a playoff contender on the gridiron. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is surrounded by a variety of dangerous weapons in Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams, and Tyler Higbee.
The other two teams in the division are flying under the radar entering 2024. New times have arrived in Seattle after the Seahawks moved on from head coach Pete Caroll in the offseason. Mike McDonald and Geno Smith will look to get Seattle back into the postseason after missing out in 2023. After a brutal four-win season last year, things are looking up for the Arizona Cardinals. Kyler Murray will be healthy to start the season and first-round wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. gives Murray and the Cardinals offense a much-needed weapon.
Overall, this is a tough division to face for opposing teams. While it isn’t as deep as the NFC North, the West has a proven track record over the last six seasons, and expect that to remain the same when week one rolls around.
NFC East
Over the last few seasons, the NFC East has been one of the most inconsistent divisions in football. Some years it has been known as the NFC Least, while other years it has been known as the NFC Beast. Either way, since 2010 this division has produced three Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl champions. The New York Giants took home the Lombardi in 2011 and the Philadelphia Eagles won in 2017.
Over the 14 years since 2010, the division has primarily seen two teams consistently atop the standings, one of those teams is in the city of Brotherly Love while the other is located in the Lone Star State. In 10 of the last 14 seasons either the Eagles or the Dallas Cowboys have won the division and entering 2024 they are the two front runners once again. In Dallas, they are riding with their star quarterback Dak Prescott and dangerous weapons in CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson. While defensively, Micah Parsons will look to continue his pursuit of giving every quarterback nightmares. After a disappointing Wild Card exit in 2o23, the Philadelphia Eagles revamped a defense that was on life alert for most of last season. The additions of Bryce Huff, Devin White, Quinyon Mitchell, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson have pumped life back into the defense. They will combine with an offense full of lethal weapons and a top-tier quarterback.
Where this division falls off amongst the rest is at the bottom where the New York Giants and Washington Commanders combined for just 10 wins last year. Unfortunately for each fanbase, even with new young talent on offense for both teams, they are still far away and many questions loom. Overall, this is a division that is very dangerous at the top, especially in the regular season but the bottom is concerning.
NFC South
Over the last two seasons, the NFC South has fallen to be one of the weakest divisions in football. In 2022, the 8-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the division and they followed that up with a 9-8 2023 campaign that also won them the division. Tampa Bay is the only team from the division to make the playoffs in the last two seasons. Last year, it was the only division whose winner had less than ten wins. However, entering 2024 the tide could be changing in the South.
In the offseason, the Atlanta Falcons sent shockwaves throughout the league when they signed 4x Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal. This move has pumped life back into Falcons fans. With the addition of Cousins, he will join an offense that includes Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Kyle Pitts. On paper, it is arguably the best in the division. As for the defending division champions in Tampa Bay, they will look to run it back with a similar core this season. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans will lead the way on offense, while on defense Lavonte David and Antoine Winfield Jr. will look to slow down their opponents.
Despite the top of the division getting stronger, the bottom is still an eye soar. The New Orleans Saints enter the 2024 campaign with little to no weapons for Derek Carr and the Carolina Panthers are in the dog house. Overall, this division isn’t nearly as strong from top to bottom as the others and the previous records show. However, if there was ever a year for that narrative to change it’s this season.
Main Image: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
