Hanging in the Balance

Who’s the best team in the NFC?

Is it the high-scoring New York Giants, or Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons? Is it the streaking Seattle Seahawks, or the reborn Carolina Panthers? Is it the Philadelphia Eagles, who are hoping last week’s loss was just a momentary step back, or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are waiting for Cadillac Williams to take another step forward?

Not so long ago, the NFC was divided into two distinct groups: the Eagles, and everyone else.

Now it’s as competitive a conference as any in recent memory. Heading into the season’s midway point, 10 teams in the NFC are .500 or better and each has at least two losses. The Panthers have four consecutive victories, the Bears and Seahawks have three, and the Giants, Falcons and Rams have two.

“Last year people said there were no good teams in the NFC,” said Rich McKay, president of the Falcons. “How quickly times have changed.”

Nowhere is parity more evident than in the NFC East, in which every team has a winning record and only Dallas has a home loss. The Cowboys are 3-1 at Texas Stadium.

The Giants are averaging a league-high 29.9 points a game -- a statistic that probably won’t be hurt when they play at San Francisco today -- and have the NFC’s hottest up-and-coming quarterback, Eli Manning. He has thrown touchdown passes in eight consecutive games. The last Giant quarterback to string together that many was Phil Simms, who had a 10-game touchdown streak in 1988-89.

Simms’ son, Chris, will start at quarterback for Tampa Bay today when the Buccaneers play host to Carolina. The Buccaneers, the only NFL team that has yet to play a division game, have cooled on offense in recent weeks but have not allowed a touchdown pass in six of seven games.

One of Tampa Bay’s bigger challenges today will be neutralizing Carolina receiver Steve Smith, the league’s offensive player of the month after roaring through October with 27 receptions for 455 yards and four touchdowns. Once among the NFL’s most troubled teams, the Panthers’ biggest controversy these days surrounds their pregame stadium music, which players think is too stodgy.

“We’re going out there to start a fight with rules and we’re listening to music that makes you go to sleep,” injured defensive tackle Kris Jenkins complained.

At least it’s more harmonious than the stuff coming out of Philadelphia the last few days. The Eagles, who have played in the last four conference title games, are trying to regain their balance on the heels of a blowout loss at Denver. Receiver Terrell Owens made headlines this week when he said the team would be more successful with Green Bay’s Brett Favre at quarterback. He also criticized the Eagles for not making more of a fuss about his 100th career touchdown reception.

“They claim to be first class and the best organization. It’s an embarrassment,” Owens told ESPN.com. “It just shows a lack of class they have.”

He later apologized for his comments in a prepared statement, saying he wasn’t aware the team typically does not recognize individual achievements.

While it’s hard to ignore the individual achievements of Vick, it’s really been the running game and a smothering defense that have the Falcons rolling. In nine of the last 15 games, the team has run for at least 200 yards, much of which has come from Warrick Dunn, who’s averaging a career-high 5.4 yards a carry.

Then there’s Chicago’s new Midway Monsters, who have elicited comparisons to the Bears’ Super Bowl defense of 20 years ago. And there’s Seattle’s offense, fueled by running back Shaun Alexander. He faces Arizona today, a team he has burned for seven touchdowns in their last two meetings.

Not to be forgotten are the Cowboys, among the season’s most surprising teams and a legitimate playoff contender. Heading into their off week, they’re in second place in their division and are coming off a throttling of Arizona.

Coach Bill Parcells is hardly excited. He knows how difficult the NFC can be.

“Give me about three or four more in a row,” he said, “then I’ll be starting to get my ears up a little.”