I recently posted an article that evaluates the 2010 Carolina Panthers’ draft (www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/post-draft-analysis/nfc-south-post-draft-analysis/north-carolina-panthers ).

Carolina made a poor decision when they resigned Jake Delhomme prior to the 2009 season.  Delhomme proved that his propensity to turn the ball over was not just an aberration.  The Panthers released the 35-year old Delhomme after last season.  The problem was the team only had the unproven, Matt Moore, at quarterback.  Moore played well in the 5 games that he started last year.  However, it made no sense for Carolina to hitch their wagon to such an inexperienced player who did not have a stellar collegiate career.

The 2010 NFL Draft was not deep at the quarterback position.  There were only two quarterbacks (Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen) in the draft that most teams evaluated to have a decent chance of developing into legitimate starting quarterbacks in the NFL.  Carolina figured that with their first selection being the 48^th pick overall that they had no chance at either quarterback.  Clausen dropped right to Carolina largely due to questions about his leadership skills.

Sometimes during the draft process teams focus too much on the potential weaknesses a player may have.  Prospects can be nitpicked to death.  The result is teams can overlook what a player can do well.  Clausen has a lot of ability and no one accused him of being lazy.  He finds himself in a positive situation in Carolina.  The Panthers have a quality offensive line and a top running game.  Clausen does not have to start right away.  He is only a mid-2^nd round draft choice and does not have the pressure of being a top 10 pick who is supposed to be a savior.  It will be interesting to see how well he develops in the coming years.

Who is the best team in the NFC?  A couple of weeks ago most would have said the Giants.  You can make a case now that Carolina and maybe Dallas are just as likely as the Giants to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

The Giants offense has clearly taken a step back with the season-ending suspension of wide receiver, Plaxico Burress, and running back, Brandon Jacobs, missing some time with an injured knee.  New York will get Jacobs back, but it remains to be seen if he will really be 100%.  The Giants are trying to replace the big play element that Burress provided with Domenik Hixon.  The 3rd year wideout is not up to the task.  He dropped a sure touchdown on a perfectly thrown bomb in a loss to the Eagles.  This past Sunday he failed to catch a pass down the sideline near the goal line late in the game that could have been a momentum changer and put some pressure on Dallas.

Carolina (11-3) is now tied with New York for the best record in the NFC.  They will square off this Sunday in New York to decide home field advantage in the playoffs.  The Panthers are red-hot right now and are fueled by probably the best running back tandem (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) in the NFL.  Carolina also features a wide receiver (Steve Smith) that draws double-coverage, which the Giants no longer have.  Carolina’s off-season rebuilding plan has worked to perfection and they have thrown their hat in the ring in the fight for NFC top billing.

Dallas made a statement with a dominating defensive performance in their 20-8 victory over the Giants.  A resurgent defense is a big reason why the Cowboys have won 4 of 5 and are back in the playoff hunt.  I have to give Wade Phillips credit for taking over the defense at mid-season and finally turning the unit into a force.  Phillips was hired to succeed Bill Parcells because of his expertise with running the 3-4 defense.  His version of the 3-4 was more of an aggressive, attacking unit that produced a lot of sacks compared to Parcells’ conservative 3-4.  The Phillips version of the 3-4 has arrived and Dallas is dangerous because of it.  Dallas has the best pass rush (53 sacks leads the NFL, 20 the past 3 games) in the game right now.  What is impressive about the Dallas pass rush is the number of players they have who can put pressure on the quarterback.  DeMarcus Ware is the headliner (19 sacks, tops in the league), but Greg Ellis, Jay Ratliff, Bradie James and Anthony Spencer all can get to the quarterback as well.  If Tony Romo can avoid turning the ball over then Dallas will be tough to beat.