The Carolina Panthers come into this Thursday Night Football duel with very little hope of actually beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, there are still some tremendous props on the board for this game that we can profit with, so be sure to check out our Carolina/Pittsburgh prop picks for Thursday!

Jonathan Stewart Over/Under 78.5 Rushing Yards
Let’s just be reasonable here, shall we? You’re asking Stewart to get to 79 yards against a defense which allows less than 65 yards per game on the ground, when Stewart splits his carries with RB Mike Goodson, and when his team is clearly going to be trailing the entire game? C’mon now. Let’s get real here, ladies and gents. Let’s get real. There’s absolutely no way that Stewart is getting to this number unless he busts a tremendous one early in the game. This is Pittsburgh, where the best running backs in the league essentially come to die. Bank on Stewart going Under 78.5 Rushing Yards (-150 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Thursday Night Football.

Rashard Mendenhall Over/Under 99.5 Rushing Yards
Carolina definitely doesn’t have a strong rush defense, ranking No. 23 in the league at 126.2 yards per game, but asking Mendenhall to get to 100 yards tonight is a tall task for a man that has just four games at the century mark on the ground this year. Though we know that the former member of the Illinois Fighting Illini has carried the ball a ton over the course of the season, we’re not so certain that, especially if this game gets out of hand, that Head Coach Mike Tomlin won’t want to give him a breather and use men like RB Isaac Redman to tote the rock some more. We’ll take our chances that Mendenhall stays Under 99.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Ben Roethlisberger Over/Under 1.5 TD Passes
This is perhaps the most interesting prop on the board on Thursday Night Football, as one would figure that there is no way that Big Ben doesn’t throw at least two TD passes against one of the worst teams in football. However, with potentially iffy conditions, we know that there are going to be some longer drives in this game. The Steelers aren’t one of these teams that needs to win games by three or four TDs just to prove a point. Wins are wins. Heck, against the Cincinnati Bengals in a very similar situation, Big Ben didn’t throw a single TD pass and the offense only had one TD. Though Roethlisberger does have three TDs in three games this year and one other game with at least two picks, we’re not so certain that that is going to happen again on this night. Don’t be shocked if the Panthers find a way to keep him Under 1.5 TD Passes (+110 at Hollywood Sportsbook) and gives us a huge cash.

The hot seat. Every coach finds himself on it at some point in his career. Some persevere, while others fold under the pressure. This year in the NFL, there are a number of coaches that are facing potential do or die situations. Check out who those coaches are, why they’re in trouble, what we can expect of them this year, and their odds to win the Super Bowl.

Chan Gailey, Buffalo Bills (+10000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Bottom line: When you’re not a good coaching hire in the first place, you’re always on the hot seat. Gailey was an awful coach at virtually every stop along the way in his career, and this is probably going to be no exception. It looks like he has decided that QB Trent Edwards is the man to try to take his team from the ranks of the worst in the league to respectability. No chance. Edwards is, at best, the fifth best quarterback in this division, and he is clearly not the answer. Gailey will probably survive regardless, but this year has the potential to be a bloody one. We’ve seen coaches dismissed after one year before. Gailey might be the next in line.

Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Playoffs or bust. That’s the ultimatum that has been handed down from owner Bob McNair to Kubiak this year for the Texans. This is the only franchise in the NFL that has never tasted the playoffs, and by now, the fourth year of his rule in Houston, the Texans should be making the playoffs, particularly with the type of talent that the team has. The only problem is that the schedule is an absolute nightmare this year. Houston has also already lost its second round draft pick and projected starting RB Ben Tate, which really only leaves RBs Arian Foster and Steve Slaton. This could be a bad situation if Foster doesn’t pan out. Still, the top rated passing attack in the NFL from last year is only getting better with every pass that QB Matt Schaub throws. Every year this team gets better and better. Last year was the squad’s first season above .500. This should be the year that the playoffs are reached.

Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars (+10000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Here’s a man that probably should have already been fired. Jacksonville has drafted poorly in recent years, and it is really catching up. The team simply isn’t that great. The decision to make QB David Garrard the starter a few years ago paid off in the short term but has crippled the franchise now that it really needs its boost, as the Jags are threatening to move to Los Angeles if ticket sales don’t pick up. Unless RB Maurice Jones-Drew intends on having a year like Chris Johnson did last season in Tennessee, don’t expect Del Rio to be heading anywhere but the unemployment line once the year is out.

Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): It’s hard to think that the Eagles would part ways with Reid after all of the playoff years that this franchise has had, but this is the same team that just dumped QB Donovan McNabb unceremoniously to a divisional rival in exchange for a bag of peanuts and a box of footballs. Reid needs to at least finish .500 this year with new QB Kevin Kolb, or he might be out the door. The Eagles are searching for a new direction, and the fact that Reid only brought the team to one Super Bowl and never won the big one could ultimately cost him. If the standard of his job is going to be measured on the playoffs, the City of Brotherly Love will be watching the last season of Reid on the sidelines in green.

Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears (+5000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Bears made the biggest splash of the offseason last year when they acquired QB Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos. Cutler failed miserably, and the team flat out stunk last season. Now, Chicago was back at it again this year, picking up DE Julius Peppers, the best free agent that the open market has seen in years in the NFL. An 0-3 start to the preseason with just 36 total points scored isn’t a good start if you’re looking to put good mojo into your team for your make or break season. Somehow, Smith, just like Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, finds a way to keep saving his job with one good year every so often. This could be that “every so often” year in the Windy City… but if it isn’t, it is high time that Smith goes.

John Fox, Carolina Panthers (+6000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Panthers know that this is probably going to be a down year, but Fox is just as much putting them on the hot seat as they are putting him there. The team did go out and dump QB Jake Delhomme after so many failed seasons, and they even brought in his eventual successor, QB Jimmy Clausen in the NFL Draft. However, Fox doesn’t want to wait for some rookie to groom. He wants to win and win now. The rushing attack is great with both RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart capable of rushing for 1,000+ yards. However, the defense lost the aforementioned Peppers and has a lot of work to do to return to respectability. The Panthers are clearly the third best team in this division, and the end result could be a long, long season in which Fox either gets fired before its conclusion, or tells the team that he is not renewing his contract at season’s end.

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The 2010 NFL betting campaign is just around the corner! In order to keep you up on all the action, Bankroll Sports has listed the Top 10 ATS teams from 2009, their 2010 Super Bowl odds, and our NFL predictions for them for this season!

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#1 Green Bay Packers (+1000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Pack posted the best marks in the league last year for NFL betting fans, going 11-4-1 ATS. They are going to be back with a fantastic offense loaded with talent. QB Aaron Rodgers is likely to reach the 4,000 yard barrier for the third straight season to start his career, which is a feat that even some of the greatest in NFL history never even remotely came close to. If DC Dom Capers’ defense can keep its head on straight and post some of the best numbers in the league once again, there’s no reason to think that the Green Bay won’t once again be on top of the NFL ATS power ratings.

#2 Atlanta Falcons (+2500 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): It’s impressive to think that the Falcons followed up a playoff campaign in 2008 with a non-playoff one in 2009 but still went a lofty 11-5 ATS. Could that bode even better for this year? HC Mike Smith thinks he has a winning formula, so he brought back the majority of players from last year’s 9-7 team. The only real key additions were LB Sean Weatherspoon, acquiring in the first round of the NFL Draft, and DB Dunta Robinson, who was picked up via free agency from the Houston Texans. Picking up Robinson was key, as it was the pass defense that really hurt this team late in games last season. Asking for 11 covers again this season might be a bit much, but Atlanta should post another great record this year.

#3 Indianapolis Colts (+600 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): As long as #18 is roaming the sidelines for the Colts, they are going to be a difficult team to bet against. One would figure that the oddsmakers would be incredibly tough on them week in and week out, but in spite of the fact that their numbers are almost always at least a tad inflated, they went a rock solid 10-5-1 ATS in 2009. This could be the year that Indy snaps back to earth if the NFL spreads keep as high as they have been in recent seasons. It has a brutal schedule, and QB Peyton Manning is going to have to contend with a new offensive coordinator, as Tom Moore has retired.

#4 San Francisco 49ers (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): This is probably a make-or-break season in the coaching career of Mike Singletary. No man asks for more from his team, nor will anyone get more from his players than does Singletary. Still, in spite of the fact that he went an awesome 9-4-3 ATS in last year’s regular season, Singletary has still yet to take this team to the playoffs. With a quarterback rotation set in stone and one of the most talented offensive lines in the game, the 49ers have no excuses this year. As long as the oddsmakers don’t start putting up unrealistically high numbers on it, San Francisco is going to be a great bet, particularly as underdogs this season.

#5 Cleveland Browns (+10000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Browns closed out last season by winning four straight games both SU and ATS to finish the year at 10-6 ATS. The turnaround was sparked by the addition of GM Mike Holmgren to the staff. Holmgren decided to retain HC Eric Mangini, but he dumped both of his quarterbacks. If QB Jake Delhomme can reinvent himself and the Browns play as hard as they did down the stretch last season, they could challenge for a playoff spot in the AFC. The Steelers, Bengals, and Ravens need to be very careful when this team turns up on the schedule. The end result should be covers galore!

#6 Minnesota Vikings (+1000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): This is a team that is probably damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t. If QB Brett Favre does come back to Minnesota, it will likely be overinflated in most every game it plays due to the fact that Favre had an epic season last year. If he doesn’t come back, the oddsmakers are still probably going to overrate this team due to the fact that Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels flat out stink. Duplicating last year’s 9-6-1 ATS mark is going to be virtually impossible unless someone comes up with a truly Herculean effort.

#7 Philadelphia Eagles (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Fly Eagles, fly! Philly could be an interesting team to back this year if QB Kevin Kolb can step right into the role that QB Donovan McNabb vacated when he was traded to the Washington Redskins in the offseason. The Eagles could have a porous defense which holds them back this year though, which could make that 9-7 ATS mark from 2009 difficult to repeat. Still, a lot of NFL lines are going to be tight when this team takes on its competitors, so if you think Philadelphia can win nine games, you probably think it can cover nine spreads as well.

#8 New York Jets (+1200 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Last season, the Jets fooled a lot of teams, and the end result was a stellar 9-7 ATS mark. They marched all the way to the AFC Championship Game on the back of a strong defense and a rushing attack that ranked first in the NFL. Conventional wisdom suggests that the additions of DB Antonio Cromartie and DB Kyle Wilson could make this defense even more frightening, especially now that DT Kris Jenkins is healthy. Still, it’s going to take QB Mark Sanchez improving his game for New York to put up these types of results again.

#9 Denver Broncos (+6500 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Though many are down on the Broncos this year, we have to remember that most of the pieces to this puzzle are once again back in place. The big losses are WR Brandon Marshall, TE Tony Scheffler, and LB Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil, who led the team with 17 sacks last year, might be able to play at the end of this season after tearing a pectoral muscle in the preseason. However, the oddsmakers are seemingly making huge adjustments to this team. Yes, the Broncos collapsed down the stretch last year, but losses don’t mean failed covers. If the numbers get too large, improving on a 9-7 ATS record from ’09 is doable.

#10 Carolina Panthers (+5000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The same could be said about the Panthers and their 9-7 ATS record from last year. Losing QB Jake Delhomme might be addition by subtraction, as both Matt Moore and rookie Jimmy Clausen can’t do much worse than the former Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajun did last year. This season will once again revolve around the defense and running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The Panthers might be able to surprise, as several are down on their chances of making the postseason in what could be the final year for HC John Fox.

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As our expert handicappers continue to prepare for the upcoming football season, my fellow Bankoll Sports bloggers and staff writers will continue to find the best preseason odds and picks for all your football props and futures.  And, we will continue to offer up our picks.  My colleges have already broken down the conference previews and given you full explanations of what you might expect to see from the NFL in 2009. However, we will now take this a step further and make our over/under picks for how many wins some of these teams will accomplish this season, taking advantage of the odds that some of these books (including; Superbook / 50% cash signup bonus using this link & BetUS Sportsbook – 100% match play bonus when using this link) have posted.  As always, the Bankroll Sports website continue to bring to you free football picks picks that are sure to beef up your bankroll for the 2009 post season. 

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Check our what the writers and I have come up with for our 2009 NFL team win totals.

Free Pick #1: New Orleans Saints

Over 9 Wins -115
Under 9 Wins -115

The New Orleans Saints return the NFL’s best offense from 2008. Drew Brees racked up over 5,000 yards to lead the best passing attack in the NFL. The Saints offense will again be among the best in the NFL this season, but they still have concerns on defense. The defense ranked in the bottom 7 in scoring defense last season allowing nearly 25 points per game. However, the defense should be much improved this season. Defensive ends, Charles Grant (triceps) and Will Smith (hernia) both played with injuries last year and the Saints struggled to get and pressure at all on the quarterback. Both of these key players should be healthy heading into the season, making the defensive front stronger. Also, the secondary will get the addition of Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins. Despite not having any experience, Jenkins will play immediately. The Saints also added CB Jabari Greer from Buffalo to their secondary that gave up 221 yards per game. New Orleans may not have one of the best defenses this season, but they should be highly improved. Even with the horrible defense in 2008, the Saints were a factor in nearly every game. Their 8-8 record can be a bit misleading considering 6 of those losses were by 5 points or less. Expect some things to fall their way this year and watch for a breakout season from the highly talented New Orleans Saints.

Pick – Over 9 Wins

Free Pick #2: Chicago Bears

Over 8 ½ Wins -140
Under 8 ½ Wins +110

Basically if you are going to try and get me to believe the Bears will win less games than they did in 2008 I would love to hear your explanation. Chicago landed one of the best young quarterbacks in the game over the off season in Jay Cutler. The problems that have plagued the Bears for the last few years are finally over behind center. Sure, the Bears may not have any big play-maker at wide out like most experts like to say or is that argument legit? Devin Hester has tremendous speed but we have never been able to see how effective his speed is because there has not been a quarterback that could hit him down field. Cutler can make all the throws on the field including the bombs down field so we will really get to see what the receiving core can do. Plus there are some talented young receivers in the stable as well. The Bears defense is popularly known for being strong every year. The defense did not have the season expected on paper in 2008, but a lot of that could be blamed on the offense which gave up 27 turnovers. There is just no way the Bears will be worse than last season with Cutler behind center. In fact they should be focusing more on the winning the NFC North than having to worry about improving their record.

Pick – Over 8 1/2

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Free Pick #3: Detroit Lions

Over 4 ½ -125
Under 4 ½ -105

This line maybe a sucker bet, but I will bite. The Detroit Lions will definitely be improved behind new coach Jim Schwartz. The Lions loaded up on talent during the NFL draft landing the number 1 overall pick with quarterback Matthew Stafford and also grabbing tight end Brandon Pettigrew late in the first round. However, they still have the worse offensive line in football and they are not going to be able to protect Stafford. The offensive line gave up 52 sacks in 2008 and they have yet to sign the first player that could turn that around. Plus the biggest problem last season was not only the offense, but perhaps even bigger the problem lie on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions allowed 404 yards per game last season by far the worse in the league. Detroit also ranked dead last in scoring defense allowing 32 points per game. The Lions added some players on defense like cornerbacks Phillip Buchanon (Tampa Bay) and Anthony Henry (Dallas). Detroit also drafted Louis Delmas (Western Michigan) to add support in the weak secondary. However, these players are not the ones that will turn things around. They still have major issues up front and stopping the run. I believe the Lions win a few games, but 5 wins may be a bit too optimistic.

Pick – Under 4 ½

Free Pick #4: Baltimore Ravens

Over 8 ½ -175
Under 8 ½ +145

The odds on this line may not be the most profitable, but I believe this bet is probably the best of them all. I had the Ravens to upset the Steelers this season in the AFC North despite getting beat 3 times by the Steelers in 2008. The Ravens defense ranked 2nd in nearly every category behind Pittsburgh last season. They may have some aging veterans on that side of the ball, but I would expect no less than a top 3 defense again this season. Rookie Joe Flacco had a tremendous season behind center and it will be interesting to see if he can continue to progress. Flacco really controlled the ball well towards the end of the season and you could also see the confidence building behind Flacco through the play calling. The Ravens attempted a good bit of deep balls towards the end of the season and I’m guessing they will attempt even more early this season. WR Derrick Mason is one of the best in the league even though he may not get the credit he deserves. LeRon McClain led the team in rushing with 902 yards in 2008. However, McClain will be making the move to fullback this season. Willis McGahee and Ray Rice will get the bulk of the carries in the backfield. However, having McClain in the back field as well should give defenses extra concern in the running game. The Ravens may become a much bigger offensive force this season and that is one reason I predicting them to take down the AFC North. The defense would have to fall apart and the offense become motionless for the Ravens to be held under 9 wins.

Pick – Over 8 ½

Free Pick #5 (Best Bet): Carolina Panthers

Over 8 ½ -105
Under 8 ½ -125

I have the Carolina Panthers listed as a team that could really be in some serious trouble this season. Do not get me wrong, they do have some talented personnel that can perform. However, they are a team with a lot of issues. One of these issues is quarterback Jake Delhomme. I have believed Delhomme has held this team back for years. My theory was backed up in the playoffs last year against Arizona when he threw 5 interceptions. If it wasn’t for the playmaking ability of Steve Smith, the passing game in Carolina would be non-existent. The Panthers strength last season was the ground attack led by Jonathon Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. The two combined for nearly 2300 yards as one of the best duos in the league. The offensive line should get a lot of that credit for the strong running attack. Carolina will have another strong front five again this season. However, the offensive line will have very little depth heading into this season, meaning if the big guys start going down, then so will the running game. Another reason the unit maybe heading for destruction in 2009, is their very poor run defense. The rush defense allowed over 120 yards per game ranking in the bottom of the NFL. Star defensive end Julius Peppers signed a one year deal even though it was obvious he wanted out of town. However, the Panthers franchised Peppers for a one year deal worth just under 17 million. Rookie Everette Brown will be the long term replacement for Peppers, but it will take him a while before he is terrorizing quarterbacks and turning heads. The defensive front could really take a step back this season which is a bad combination with the already shaky secondary. Those combinations on offense and defense will just be too much for the team to overcome this season. History shows that the NFC South usually flip flops every season. The Panthers may have won the division in 2008, but do not be surprised if they are at the bottom of the NFC South in 2009.

Pick – Under 8 ½

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Early this week we broke down the entire AFC playoff race. Now we take a look at the NFC playoff picture and where each playoff contender stands. Who possibly could be the best team and which teams could make a deep run in the postseason.

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New York Giants (11-2) – The Giants own the best record in the NFC and the 2^nd best record in the NFL. They have officially clinched the NFC East and are one game away from a first round bye. New York took a blow from the Philadelphia Eagles last week in a 20-14 defeat. Star WR Plexico Burress is out for the year after the gunshot wound and weapons charges he is currently facing. Will the distraction be enough to derail one of the NFL’s hottest teams? The former Super Bowl Champions have backed up last year’s season well and are favorites to win the NFC. However, one must wonder if New York may have peaked too soon?

Dallas Cowboys (8-5) – The Cowboys looked in good position last week to score a huge victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then the Steelers routed 17 straight points in the final 7 minutes of the game to beat Dallas. The loss really hurt the Cowboys chances at making the postseason given they have a really tough schedule the rest of the way. Many believe Dallas has to win out to make the playoffs, but I believe they still have a good shot if they win at least two of their last 3 games. The Cowboys will hold the tie-breaker over Tampa Bay and Atlanta if those teams were to end with the same record. Still Dallas has to play New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Two wins may be asking enough much less three.

Washington Redskins (7-6) – The Redskins are mathematically still in the hunt even though their chances do not look good. Washington is in dire need to win out or the playoff hopes will be gone. Even if the Redskins do win out they could still need some help from other teams to advance. Washington has a fairly soft schedule the rest of the way but they have a classic NFC East battle with Philadelphia in a few weeks. The Redskins have lost 4 of their last 5 games and the offense has been missing in action. The Redskins have a tall mountain to climb in this one and will most likely not being playing after the regular season.

Philadelphia Eagles (7-5-1) – Ironically a tie is better than a loss. Philadelphia stands much better chance to make the playoffs with that tie and they are playing well right now. The Eagles defeated the Giants last week and blew out Arizona the week before. Their last 3 games are against Cleveland, Washington, and Dallas. The Eagles will be favored to win the first two and the battle with Dallas could very well decide which one of those teams earns the final wildcard spot. The Eagles really need to run the table because a loss would most likely eliminate all chances they have.

Minnesota Vikings (8-5) – The Vikings had a slow start to the regular season losing 3 out of their first 4 games. However, Minnesota rebound nicely and now has won 5 of their last 6 games led by running back Adrian Peterson. The Vikings benefit from a weaker conference and hold a one game advantage of the Chicago Bears. Minnesota has a tough road ahead taking on teams like New York Giants, Arizona, and Atlanta to close out the season. The best option for the Vikings is to hope the Bears can not close the gap in the NFC North.

Chicago Bears (7-6) – Despite having a record barely over .500 the Bears still have a good chance to win the NFC North. Chicago has struggled to post the necessary points to keep up with a few teams and they need to catch on surge on the offensive side of the ball. While they definitely have the softer schedule compared to the Vikings, the Bears will have to win at the very least two games to have a chance. If there happen to be a tie with Minnesota, the Bears would lose to the tie-breaker making their chances even dimmer.

Carolina Panthers (10-3) – The Panthers captured their biggest win of the season last Monday night manhandling the Buccaneers 38-23 in route to nearly 300 yards on the ground. The Panthers have emerged out of the NFC South and are playing very well. Carolina has the tools similar to Tennessee in the AFC in a very dangerous ground attack and a superb defense. Notice how the Titans are doing in the AFC, this type of football works. Despite the strong record the Panthers still can not afford to slip as Tampa could hold the tie-breaker by the end of the season with a better in conference record. Still, Carolina will most likely be in the playoffs and will probably find a way to win the division. The Panthers have the ingredients to beat anybody in the NFL and primed for a deep run in the postseason. If the Panthers manage to win out, they will get home field advantage throughout the playoffs which would be huge considering they have not lost at home all season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-4) – The Buccaneers could have really helped themselves with a victory over Carolina last week. Now they will take on the Atlanta Falcons in a game of equal importance. The Bucs had won 4 in a row prior to last week’s loss and they need to rebound and score a victory. The Buccaneers last 3 games involve two AFC opponents. This could really help because even if they loss it would be an out of conference loss which would help in tie-breaking scenarios. Tampa Bay will be favorites to win two of those games convincingly and a win over Atlanta would pretty much seal the deal. The Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta game could be an elimination game for both teams.

Atlanta Falcons (8-5) – The Falcons suffered a disappointing loss last week 29-24 from the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta still has a reasonable chance to make the playoff, but absolutely must beat Tampa Bay this weekend. Rookie QB Matt Ryan is a superstar in the making and is getting better week by week. Atlanta has a legitimate chance to win out and they may just have to because two wins may not be enough. Since week 4 every loss the Falcons faced, they have bounced back with two straight wins. Well this time they will need to bounce back with 3 straight wins. A loss to Tampa Bay however will end all hopes.

Arizona Cardinals (8-5) – Arizona clinched the NFC West last week with a win over the St. Louis Rams. Kurt Warner has led the Cardinal offense that has become one of the best in the NFL. Arizona offense can give any opposing defense nightmares. The Cardinals are another team that benefits from a weak conference, but they can be a legitimate threat. The Arizona defense has in return struggled this season giving up 25 points per game. If the defense could come on strong and catch a late season surge, this could be a very dangerous football team.

The following teams are completely eliminated from the NFC playoff picture: Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

The following teams aren’t eliminated but have absolutley no chance: New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins

The following teams are not even worthy of mentioning: “The Winless Detroit Lions”