Silverman: Expect Cowboys, Giants And Packers To Challenge For NFC Superiority

By Steve Silverman
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The Atlanta Falcons are not going to get over their Super Bowl LI defeat any time soon. Sure, they are young and talented, but this one is going to stew in their consciousness for a long time.

If Dan Quinn believes his team is going to get over this and pick up where it left off, he needs to get over that thinking. Neither of the last two Super Bowl losers has gotten back to their previous levels, and the same fate is likely to impact the Falcons.

MORE: Francesa Blasts Falcons' Quinn For Some Of 'Dumbest' Calls In Super Bowl History

MORE: Francesa: Falcons' Quinn Still Hasn't Learned Lesson After Botching Super Bowl LI

The Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs each of the last two years after their shocking and painful defeat to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, but they did not play with their previous swagger in 2015 or 2016. The Carolina Panthers fell apart last season and made their home in the NFC South basement.

The Falcons have too many issues on defense to bounce right back from their loss to the Patriots. Additionally, Matt Ryan, their MVP quarterback, had issues with consistency and interceptions prior to 2016, and it seems more likely that he will return to that form than the dominating way he played the position this year.

Ryan completed 69.9 percent of his passes, and threw for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 2016. However, Ryan's TD-interception ratio over his three previous seasons was 26-17, 28-14 and 21-16.

All three were within the same range, and while he may not sink that far in 2017, he's not going to throw another 38-7 on the board. Ryan was unable to come through with one more fourth-quarter first down when it would have given his team the Super Bowl, and he doesn't inspire the same kind of confidence as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or Eli Manning.

Quinn may also be in over his head at trying to rescue this team. He was the defensive coordinator of the Seahawks when they lost to the Patriots two years ago, but he got out of Dodge after that game and became the Falcons' head coach. He passed all the tests up until the fourth quarter of last Sunday's game, but now he must turn into a master psychologist.

The Falcons' difficulties should open up the NFC for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

The Cowboys found their stride this past season with their gold-dust twins Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott leading the way. The Cowboys received a break when veteran quarterback Tony Romo got injured over the summer and Prescott had to take over. And if owner Jerry Jones is smart, he will deal Romo in the offseason for draft picks or a package that also includes a veteran player.

Prescott is the real deal because he maintained his poise from start to finish, and that's what all offensive coordinators are looking for from their quarterbacks. Elliott was the leading rusher in the league this year, and he does not look like he is going to give up that title any time soon. He has the speed to go the distance, along with shocking power.

The Cowboys could upgrade on defense and at wide receiver, but they should be able to build on last year's success.

The Giants should be right on the Cowboys' heels once again, and could even pass them based on their 2-0 record against Jones' boys in 2016. The strides made by the defense a year ago were dramatic, and that momentum is due to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the development of Landon Collins, and the addition of free agents Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins.

MORE: Report: Giants Re-Sign Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo

Few teams have ever hit the motherlode in free agency like the Giants did last winter, and they should be even better on defense than they were in 2016.

The Giants must find a running game in the offseason, and they would be wise to find a way to select Dalvin Cook out of Florida State. The Giants have the No. 23 pick in the draft, and they will likely have to move up to get him. General manager Jerry Reese needs to make that happen.

The Packers have the best passer in the game in Rodgers, and he proved himself once again in the second half of the year when he rallied his team from a 4-6 record to an eight-game winning streak, including two victories in the postseason, before running out of gas in the NFC Championship game.

The Packers need help on defense and with their running game, but there's no overstating what Rodgers can do. He is probably a bigger asset than Brett Favre was when he was in top form, and that is nothing more than dramatic good fortune for the Pack.

Who else in the NFC is going to rise up? The Washington Redskins could be competitive and the Philadelphia Eagles are moving in the right direction in the NFC East, while the Detroit Lions may be able to take the next step after running out of gas late in the 2016 season.

The Seahawks, Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals are yesterday's news and, in my opinion, should be written off.

Obviously, the offseason of free agent signings and draft choices could change these positions, but assuming they do what's necessary the Cowboys, Giants and Packers have the best chance of representing the NFC in Super Bowl LII.

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