The Way Things Will Be: NFL Football
By Jon Emerson

College football has been so interesting this year that some people have to be reminded that there is a professional version of the sport. If people haven't been paying attention, who can blame them? Thanksgiving weekend featured classic college rivalries such as Texas vs. Texas A&M and Ohio St. vs. Michigan, as well as the excitement of Nebraska vs. Colorado and Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma St. The NFL wasn't as spellbinding, with both the 2-8 Cowboys and the 0-10 Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day. That said, the NFL is heating up with a few surprising contenders, and a few interesting playoff races. The following are observations and predictions concerning the outcome of the season.

The NFC East
At the beginning of the season, it looked to this writer as if Philadelphia was going to breeze through its schedule and end up atop the division. If the Eagles were going to have a serious opponent, it was going to be the Giants, who made the Super Bowl last season, albeit by a kind of default.

The rest of the NFC East looked like lightweights. The Cowboys are at their weakest since the beginning of the Jerry Jones era. Jones, the ultimate meddling owner, has people wondering just what in the world he's done with the Cowboys, the league's strongest team for much of the 1990s. I don't know, but I will say this: somewhere, Jimmy Johnson is laughing.

The Cardinals and Redskins supposedly didn't have teams either. That may be true of the Cardinals, but the Redskins have surprised everyone, including their owner, who considered firing Marty Schottenheimer after their 0-5 start. The Redskins, however, have become the first team in NFL history to win five straight after losing their first five. Included in that was a 13-3 victory over Philadelphia in Veteran's Stadium, one of the most demoralizing NFL venues to play. (Cowboy fans will remember how the city of brotherly love cheered as Michael Irvin lay still on field.) My prediction: Washington overtakes Philly for the division title.

The NFC Central
So far the Bears (8-2), whom few saw as capable of doing so, have staved off Green Bay and retained their lead in the NFC Central. Green Bay (7-3), however, has beaten the Bears head-to head and played fairly evenly all season -- except for that near-loss to the miserable Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Other than those three teams, the division has been a bit disappointing. The Vikings, who appeared to be pretty strong during the pre-season, have floundered below .500. The same goes for Tampa Bay, whom some thought would mount a strong challenge for the division title. My prediction: Chicago holds off Green Bay.

The NFC West
The NFC's best conference is home to the team that will represent it in the Super Bowl. Doubtful is whether that team will be the 49rs or the Rams. The Rams have played well all year long; they have only lost twice, and one of those was in a fall to New Orleans by the razor-thin margin of 34-31. It is strange that while the Rams have raced out to an 8-2 record, they have turned the ball over 27 times, a statistic for which they are tied with Dallas for the league lead. According to QB Kurt Warner, this is because of the team's prolific offensive attack, which is tops in the NFC.

Tied with them are the 49rs (8-2). The difference is that St. Louis also has the top-rated defense, while San Francisco lags behind in the middle of the pack. The game between those two, Dec. 9, will be one to watch for obvious reasons. If St. Louis wins, the 49rs will have to set their sights on the wild card. In their own division, they will face a challenge from Atlanta (6-4), but will most likely be successful. My prediction: St. Louis takes the division.

NFC East: Washington
NFC Central: Chicago
NFC West: St. Louis
Wildcards: Green Bay, San Francisco

The AFC East
The worst division in the NFL (with the possible exception of the NFC East), the AFC East has three teams locked in a close race that could come down to the wire. The Jets and Dolphins are tied at the top (7-3) with the Patriots just behind them at 6-4.

All three teams rank low in overall defense and offense, except Miami, whose defense is third in the conference. Below these are the Colts, who have lost three straight games following a 4-3 start. Buffalo is at the bottom, and they'll be there a while. Ironically, it looks as though the division may get one of the wildcard spots. Whichever team finishes second will probably make the playoffs. My prediction: Miami's defense carries them above the Jets.

The AFC Central
Pittsburgh (8-2) has been in control all season, benefiting from a poor start by the defending champion Ravens (7-4), who began their run at a repeat title by promptly losing three of their first six games. Their vaunted defense of last season started off poorly, but has played well of late. Overall, their defense is now ranked just below Pittsburgh's. One little chink in the ol' armor was made painfully obvious, however, when they nearly lost to Jacksonville Thanksgiving weekend.

Just below the Ravens, but extremely dangerous, is Cleveland, which has a 6-4 record. Two of those victories came against Baltimore and two of their losses came against the Steelers and the Bears, which translates into a fairly strong team. It's possible that the Browns will overtake the Ravens and contend for a wildcard spot in the playoffs. The bottom three teams in the division - the Bengals, the Titans and the Jaguars - should all provide easy victories for the three teams at the top. My prediction: Pittsburgh ends up on top.

The AFC West
Oakland (8-2) has dominated the AFC West so far, with little opposition from anybody. They shouldn't have any problem staying on top, considering 6-5 Denver hasn't played consistently all year long. The Broncos should start praying for a wildcard spot, but probably won't get it. If any team in the west has a chance for that, it's the 5-5 Seahawks, who have given the Raiders their only division loss of the year and who have a relatively easy schedule to close the season. My prediction: Oakland maintains its lead without trouble.

AFC East: Miami, New York Jets
AFC Central: Pittsburgh
AFC West: Oakland
Wildcards: Cleveland

Super Bowl prediction: St. Louis vs. Oakland

Finals Schedule