From oddsmakers to experts, people aren't giving the New York Giants the respect a Super Bowl champion deserves.
Eli Manning and Co. sneaked into the playoffs last year and then played their best football in January and February. For the second time in five years, they beat the favoured New England Patriots to claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
With nearly all their starters on defence returning and the core on offence back, the Giants have a legitimate chance to repeat. At least, they should be considered the team to beat in the NFC.
Apparently, that's not the case. In Las Vegas, 10 teams are listed ahead of the Giants in the Super Bowl odds. The Giants opened at 16-1 and have dropped to 22-1 at the Bovada Sportsbook.
So, who do opponents think is the best team in the NFC? Even teammates disagree.
"It was a coin flip whether the Giants even got into the playoffs," Philadelphia Eagles guard Evan Mathis said. "They played very well, obviously, and they deserved it, but Green Bay, with their experience, should be the team to beat."
The Giants went 9-7 last year and split with the Eagles.
Meanwhile, the Packers steamrolled to a 15-1 record and seemed on their way to winning their second straight Super Bowl before losing to the Giants in their first playoff game.
"The Giants are the Super Bowl champs, so they're the team to beat," Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans said. "Each year, each team, it's a new season. But the Giants hold the reign."
Maybe until Week 1.
"We know we've got to improve," Manning said. "We were 9-7 last year in the regular season. That's not good enough. We were a better team than that. Obviously, we showed that throughout the playoffs. We've got to have that urgency, that consistency, throughout the whole season, and play our best football for the 16 regular-season games."
The Packers might not place as much emphasis on the regular season after last year.
"We went through a great regular season, winning 15 games and doing a lot of things that hadn't happened here in Green Bay before, and got knocked out in the first round," NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers said. "It makes you realize the only thing that matters is winning championships."
There are other serious challengers in the NFC. The Eagles are looking to bounce back after failing to live up to enormous expectations last year. If Michael Vick can stay healthy, the offence should be dynamic with All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. An improved defence will be the key to Philadelphia's success.
And the West is no walkover anymore. The San Francisco 49ers were perhaps a fumble in overtime away from going to the Super Bowl.
NFC EAST
The Giants have an elite quarterback, a strong defence led by All-Pro Jason Pierre-Paul, and a Hall of Famecalibre coach in Tom Coughlin. But they've never won a playoff game the season after winning a Super Bowl. And, they'll have a hard time just getting out of a tough East.
In Dallas, the window could be closing on Tony Romo and the Cowboys. They lost four of five down the stretch last season to finish 8-8 and have won just one playoff game in 15 years.
There's plenty of reason for optimism in Washington because the Redskins finally have their franchise quarterback in Robert Griffin III.
NFC NORTH
The Packers had little roster turnover and were nearly invincible last year until running into the Giants. Rodgers and the league's No. 1 offence have a new weapon in running back Cedric Benson. But the worst-ranked defence needs to improve to make things easier. The Packers invested their first six draft picks on defence, so that should help a bit.
Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are reunited in Chicago, bolstering an offence that was potent until injuries hit last season.
The Lions learned to win last year, going 10-6 and making the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. They return almost all of their starters and have continuity on the coaching staff.
NFC SOUTH
The Saints lost coach Sean Payton to a suspension, but they still have record-breaking QB Drew Brees. The bounty scandal made for a tumultuous off-season, and the Saints are eager to just play football. Bringing in Steve Spagnuolo to run the defence could prove to be the biggest move.
Cam Newton's sensational rookie season has everyone eager to see more of Carolina. Newton is a special player who makes the offence a threat each time it has the ball. If the defence plays better, the Panthers could be a surprise team.
NFC WEST
Coach of the Year Jim Harbaugh led a team with an often-maligned quarterback that hadn't reached the playoffs in eight years to the doorstep of the Super Bowl. A stout defence returns all its starters, and Randy Moss is back in the league after a year off to upgrade a 49ers offence that once boasted some of the greatest players in history.
Rookie QB Russell Wilson beat out Matt Flynn for the starting job in Seattle. Neither will be throwing passes to Terrell Owens, but the new Seahawks QB can only upgrade an offence that ranked 28th. An already solid defence could be dominant with the addition of eight skilled rookies.
