Tacoma News Tribune Logo

Breaking down the playoffs | Tacoma News Tribune

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • About Us
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • Archives

    • News
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Government & Politics
    • Local News
    • Nation & World
    • Military
    • Traffic
    • Watchdog
    • Weather
    • Blogs & Columns
    • Matt Driscoll
    • Sports
    • College
    • High School
    • Mariners
    • Preps Stats
    • Seahawks
    • Sounders
    • Tacoma Rainiers
    • UW Huskies
    • Blogs & Columns
    • Dave Boling
    • Huskies Insider Blog
    • John McGrath
    • Mariners Insider Blog
    • Seahawks Insider Blog
    • Sounders Insider Blog
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Consumers
    • People in Business
    • New Businesses
    • Port of Tacoma
    • Real Estate
    • Opinion
    • Cartoons
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Op-Ed
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Living
    • Fitness
    • Food & Drink
    • Home & Garden
    • Religion
    • Entertainment
    • Arts & Culture
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • TNT Diner
    • Outdoors
    • Fishing
  • Obituaries

    • The Olympian
    • The Peninsula Gateway
    • The Puyallup Herald
    • Northwest Guardian
    • NIE
    • KIRO7

  • Classifieds
  • Place An Ad
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Mobile & Apps

Football

Breaking down the playoffs

    ORDER REPRINT →

December 31, 2013 12:00 AM

NFC SEED

STRENGTHS

Weaknesses

X-FACTOR

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The News Tribune

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

No. 1 Seattle (13-3)

Defense ranks 1st in NFL in yards allowed per game (273.6) and points allowed (14.4). Offense doesn’t make mistakes, with a league-best +20 turnover margin, and their 26.1 points per game is fourth-best in the NFC. Special teams are air-tight.

Suffered most penalties in the NFL (73.9 penalty yards per game). Offense is streaky and prone to some funks (11th in NFC in total yards at 339.0 per game).

Home-field advantage is huge; team is 5-1 in the playoffs all-time at CenturyLink Field since it opened in 2002.

No. 2 Carolina (12-4)

Led NFL in sacks with 60 and has second-ranked defense in the league (301.2 yards allowed per game, 15.1 points allowed). QB Cam Newton is a true dual threat (585 yards rushing, 3,379 yards passing).

Offense lacks dynamic playmakers outside of Newton, and finished 11th in NFC in scoring (22.9 ppg) and 13th in total yards (316.8 yards per game).

Team lacks playoff pedigree, making postseason for first time since 2008. Are they just glad to be here?

No. 3 Philadelphia (10-6)

Coach Chip Kelly’s offense was one of the NFC’s best, ranking first in yards per game (417.2) and second in points per game (27.6). RB LeSean McCoy (NFL-best 1,607 yards) and WR DeSean Jackson (1,332 yards) are special.

Defense is just so-so, ranking 13th in NFC in yards allowed (394.2), tied for eighth in points allowed (23.9) and ninth in sacks (37). QB Nick Foles makes his playoff debut.

How good are they? Six wins were against sub-.500 teams, and two more were against 8-8 teams. NFC East was a weak division, so winning it is no great accomplishment.

No. 4 Green Bay (8-7-1)

With QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Randall Cobb back from injuries, the Packers’ offense might be NFC’s best. They can run it, too, with Eddie Lacy (1,178 yards) and James Starks (493).

Weakest defense of the playoff teams, giving up 372.3 yards (11th in NFC) and 26.8 points per game (11th in NFC). Their best defender, Clay Matthews (thumb), is questionable for the playoffs.

Rodgers provided a huge lift in the season finale, delivering the game-winning TD on fourth down. If he gets hot, it might be enough to overcome the leaky defense.

No. 5 San Francisco (12-4)

The 49ers are balanced, ranking seventh in NFC in scoring (25.4) and third in points allowed (17.0). They are also the defending NFC champs, so they’ve been-there-done-that.

This is an older team that will have to win twice on the road just to get to the NFC championship game.

As QB Colin Kaepernick goes, so go the 49ers. In wins, he completed 61.4 percent of passes with 19 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. In losses, he was 50.0, 2 TDs and 6 INTs.

No. 6 New Orleans (11-5)

Coach Sean Payton leads an explosive offense after a yearlong suspension. The defense is much improved, ranking third in total yards (305.7), fourth in points allowed (19.0) and third in sacks (49) for the NFC.

Saints have no running game and must rely on QB Drew Brees to move the ball. They struggled on the road this season, too (3-5).

Like the 49ers, they’re an experienced crew but will have to get it done away from home. Already this season, they’ve lost at Carolina and at Seattle.

Darrin Beene, staff writer

  Comments  

Videos

Shaquem Griffin shares moment with young boy with one hand

Patriots fans brawl in streets during Super Bowl parade

View More Video

Trending Stories

New Tacoma restaurant will have huge schnitzel, fries and gravy, crowd friendly food

February 20, 2019 11:00 AM

Man killed in head-on crash with semitruck in Fife is identified

February 20, 2019 10:14 AM

Whistleblower who complained about medical examiner placed on administrative leave

February 21, 2019 03:57 PM

Man accused of shooting ex-wife outside Lakewood motel told her, ‘You made me do this’

February 20, 2019 09:47 AM

Undercover child sex sting leads to arrest of 22 men, many from the South Sound

February 21, 2019 04:28 PM
Local display advertising by PaperG

Read Next

Sports

New Orleans Saints release veteran safety Kurt Coleman

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 21, 2019 03:26 PM

The New Orleans Saints have released veteran safety Kurt Coleman after only one season.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The News Tribune

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE FOOTBALL

Kubiak missed coaching too much to resist job with Vikings

Sports

Kubiak missed coaching too much to resist job with Vikings

February 21, 2019 03:05 PM

Sports

Bengals hire Giants’ Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator

February 21, 2019 02:55 PM

Sports

Chicago Bears release tight end Dion Sims

February 21, 2019 02:33 PM

Football

Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway has marijuana charge dismissed

February 21, 2019 12:00 AM
As combine nears, some mock 2019 NFL drafts have Seattle Seahawks taking an offensive lineman

Sports

As combine nears, some mock 2019 NFL drafts have Seattle Seahawks taking an offensive lineman

February 20, 2019 11:21 AM

Sports

Browns sign WR Jaelen Strong, played for Texans, Jaguars

February 20, 2019 08:36 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Tacoma News Tribune App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Rewards
  • Pay Your Bill
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
  • Special Sections
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story