Packers, Seahawks the clear frontrunners in the NFC
The Packers and Seahawks are the NFC’s top two after five weeks.
Over the past two decades, the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks have been among the most successful and consistent teams in the NFC. Now, they are leading the way again in 2020.
Since the start of 2010, Green Bay and Seattle has combined for a regular-season record of 211-115-3, with 16 playoff appearances, three Super Bowl appearances, and two championships.
They’ve also shared a great rivalry in that time, with a 4-4 head-to-head record since 2010, including 1-1 in the playoffs.
Five weeks into the regular season, there are only two teams in the NFC with a perfect record. They are — you guessed it — the Packers and Seahawks. Green Bay hasn’t played a fifth game as it was on bye week, while Seattle secured a one-point win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night.
Both teams have been led by quarterbacks playing at an MVP level. Green Bay and Seattle rank number one and two in the NFL respectively in points scored per game. The Packers are averaging 38 points, the Seahawks 33.8 points.
In four games, Aaron Rodgers has 1,214 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 128.4 passer rating. In five games, Russell Wilson has 1,502 yards, 19 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 129.8 passer rating.
The other contenders
The NFC remains competitive. Both the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears are 4-1. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals are all 3-2.
However, many of the other teams considered to be Super Bowl contenders have struggled out of the gate.
The defending NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers, are 2-3 and just lost 43-17 at home to the Miami Dolphins. They’ve been hit with injuries, but there’s no excuse for Sunday’s performance that saw Jimmy Garoppolo get benched.
The Mike McCarthy-led Dallas Cowboys were already struggling before Dak Prescott got injured. They’re now 2-3, although they do lead their division.
The Minnesota Vikings are already effectively eliminated from playoff contention after starting 1-4. The New Orleans Saints desperately need a win on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers after starting 2-2.
In a competitive conference, there’s a lot of uncertainty for many of the preseason Super Bowl contenders.
The Packers and Seahawks, however, continue to be the two frontrunners in the NFC, as we’ve seen often throughout the past decade.