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Which 2008 NFC Playoff Team Will Not Return in 2009?
Published by JM Van Horn on August 3, 2009
The start of NFL training camps is here and each team has the same goal, reach the playoffs with the hopes of being given the chance to play in the Super Bowl. Only six teams will have the chance to play in the NFC playoffs. Which 2008 NFC playoff team will not return in 2009?
Since 2004, just like the opposing conference, the NFC has had at least two new teas earn a playoff berth. On two separate occasions, there have been at least four new representatives vying for the chance to win the Super Bowl.
This most recently happened in 2008, when the NFC had four new teams reach the post season; Carolina, Atlanta, Arizona, and Minnesota along with two veterans of the playoffs, New York and Philadelphia. History has shown at least two of these teams will have to watch the playoff games rather than play in them.
When it is all said and done, which team will be on the outs?
After looking through the roster, schedule, and trends of the six 2008 playoff teams, the choice comes down between two likely suspects; the Atlanta Falcons and the Minnesota Vikings.
The Falcons have potential to be a one year wonder after their impressive turn around in 2008. But they do have a few things going for them, specifically a stud running back, Michael Turner, and a promising second year quarterback, Matt Ryan. The Falcons will need these two to continue to develop if they want to return to the playoffs in 2009.
One possible concern for the Falcons could be wide receiver, Roddy White, and his desire to remain absent from training camp as he tries to get a new deal. Despite this and the questions about their defensive line, the Falcons have better chances to reach the playoffs than the Minnesota Vikings.
Here are three main reasons why Viking fans will be disappointed when the 2009 playoffs begin.
Down the Home Stretch
One reason the Vikings reached the playoffs in 2008 was their 5 – 1 record during the last six games of the season and won the division by one game. The 2009 Vikings will have a tougher time if they are in a tight division race when the season reaches week 11.
Their last six games will consist of three on the road versus Chicago, Carolina, and Arizona while they play host to the New York Giants, Cincinnati, and Chicago. Realistically the Vikings will need to go 3 – 3 against four potential playoff contenders, something that appears unlikely.
Lack of Direction at Quarterback
The only good thing for the Vikings was that Brett Favre decided to stay retired for at least the start of the season. Had Favre decided to come back for another season, the distraction in the Vikings camp would have been enough to cause the team to lose focus.
Since Favre is gone, the Vikings are left with a quarterback battle between Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson. When it comes to their 2008 production, Jackson (95.4 qb rating, 1056 yds, 9 td, and 2 int) has the slight nod over Rosenfels (79.5 qb rating, 1,431 yds, 6 td, and 10 int).
Still is either of these quarterbacks good enough to improve upon the Vikings passing game that was ranked 25th in the NFL with 184.8 yards per game. Even though they have the best running back in the game, Adrian Peterson can only do so much.
Division Upgrades
Last year, the NFC North was arguably the worst division in the NFL. Vikings fans should not expect the same in 2009 thanks to what their opponents did during the off-season.
Chicago went and addressed the quarterback position by brining in a potential franchise quarterback, Jay Cutler. If Cutler can continue to produce like he did in Denver, the Bears will finally have a foundation at quarterback for the first time since Jim McMahon.
The Green Bay Packers addressed the defensive side of the ball, which was their fatal flaw in 2008. When you combine the two solid defensive starters they found in the draft with second year quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are poised to rebound from a 6 – 10 season.
Then we have the 0 – 16 Detroit Lions who went through a major overhaul during the off-season, from head coach on down. Of their divisional opponents, the Lions gave the Vikings the most trouble during both of their games. The Vikings beat the hapless Lions by a total of four points.
The Vikings will be hard pressed to follow up their 2008 division record of 4 – 2 in the coming year. The Vikings will have a tough time breaking .500 in their division, a recipe for disaster when it comes to the playoff picture.
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