Which of these 16 teams has the most big-play potential, the loudest fans, and the best underdog backstories?
We've all got a team that we were born rooting for, but at some point every fan likes to kick his/her legs up and throw on the ol' RedZone Channel. It's a football hodgepodge with a side of uncertainty that requires a snap judgment: Who do I root for? Let us help you out with a quick and easy-to-follow 2013 rooting guide to the teams of the NFC, ranked in rough order of projected quality (within each division).
NFC East: Washington Redskins
Pros:
– Robert Griffin III sends thank-you notes. (Have you ever sent a crapload of thank-you notes after a wedding? It's hard work! Good for him.)
– Alfred Morris is one of the better underdog stories to come along in a while. Not counting on making a team, much less becoming a star, he spent last season driving a 1991 Mazda.
– London Fletcher hasn't missed a game in 15 years. That's 240 games. HE'S A LINEBACKER.
– Say what you will about this franchise — and we're about to — but its fans are not short on passion.
Cons:
– The name is racist.
– What can we say about Dan Snyder that hasn't already been said about the Ebola virus?
Rob Carr / Getty Images
Dallas Cowboys
Pros:
– Tony Romo throwing to Miles Austin in the slot and Dez Bryant on the outside should, in theory, be the best or second-best WR/QB combo in the NFL. (Atlanta's in that discussion.) It certainly produces the most highlights, good and bad.
– And there's Jason Witten, who by Week 3 will have the second-most catches of any tight end in NFL history. Not too shabby, and if you squint you can almost make Witten into an underdog given how much more attention Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski get.
– If you're an unabashed frontrunner, their strength of schedule is eighth easiest in the league, and they could easily be 4-0 going into a Week 5 showdown at home against Denver (which has the easiest schedule this season).
– Tony Romo says, hey, what's up?
Cons:
– The ironically anti-democratic idea that any franchise can decide to call itself "America's Team" should make your skin crawl.
– You probably wipe the smudges off your own glasses. Not Jerry Jones!
Gus Ruelas, File / AP
