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  • February 05, 2008 08:14 PM ET

The NFC East is the toughest division to win in in the NFL

bavaro89 (3-1-0) vs DJTG_2010 (85-27-3)
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giants, redskins, eagles, cowboys. if there's a tougher division out there, i haven't heard of it.


I'm going to go with the AFC North. Since the re-alignment in 2002, the division winners have been:

2002: Pittsburgh
2003: Baltimore
2004: Pittsburgh
2005: Cincinnati
2006: Baltimore
2007: Pittsburgh

See anything unusual in there? Three different division winners in the past 6 years. Same as the NFC East. Also, the AFC North has never had a repeat winner. The NFC East has. Got anything else to argue?

By the way, you're hearing of a tougher division...


i'm only just getting started.

first off, we're talking right now, in recent history, as in the last 2-3 years, which division is more difficult to win in. over the last 3 years, at least two teams in the nfc playoff bracket have been in the nfc east. in the last two years, a minimum of three teams, half of the nfc playoff bracket, have been from the nfc east.
2005: redskins and giants, with the cowboys finishing at 9-7.
2006: giants, eagles, cowboys
2007: giants, redskins, cowboys, with one team winning the super bowl, the other being the #1 seed. the eagles finished at 8-8, weren't eliminated from the playoffs until week 16.

each year, the teams from the nfc east are getting further and further into the playoffs. the giants and cowboys are two of the best teams in the nfc, the redskins are tough, and the eagles showed flashes of good play this year. the boys and giants are only getting better.

the steelers and the browns both had good seasons, with 10 wins each, but only the steelers made the playoffs, and they got beat in the first round.
teams in the nfc east went 40-24 this year
teams in the afc north? 32-32. .500 is not that good, my friend.


Well you never specified in your title that you were talking about the last 2-3 years, so that crap doesn't fly. I'm talking about since the realignment, aka the last 6 years. Sorry if that disappoints you.

The AFC North has never had a year where three teams finished under .500. This happened to the NFC East in 2004 when the Eagles went 13-3 and the Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants all went 6-10. Each division has had one Super Bowl winner, so they're even there.

Each team has had a team go undefeated in the division once, a testament to the divisions' toughness. In three of the six years since the realignment, the top team in total defense has come from the AFC North. Only once in that time period has it come from the NFC East. In 2007, the NFL's 8, 9, and 11 scoring offenses came from the AFC North, while the only NFC East team in the top 10 was the Cowboys.

It's hard to tell through the facade you are putting up through records, but is obvious that it is harder to win in the AFC North.

By the way, if it is so hard to win in the NFC East, why did all the teams finish at .500 or better? Wouldn't that mean it is easier to win?


youre correct that i didnt specify 2-3 years. what i said is that the nfc east IS the toughest division to win in in the nfl, not has been over the last some-odd years. were talking RIGHT NOW, because i said IS. (Sorry if that disappoints you) My reference to the last 2-3 years shows the following:

teams in the nfc east are improving, two four afc north teams are in decline. baltimore has serious questions at WR and of course QB, and has an aging defense that just doesnt perform to the caliber it used to. Cincinatti has a really disgruntled wide reciever, no defense to speak of, and serious problems concerning locker room leadership. the giants and cowboys are both improving with young players stepping up, the redskins could go either way, it hinges on QB jason campbell. the eagles aren't pushovers, and have emerging stars in RB Brian Westbrook, who did everything for them this year, and DE Trent Cole.

you seem unable to make up your mind over what makes a division tough. you say that each division had a team go undefefeated, which is a testament to divisional toughness, then you say that "if its harder to win in the nfc east, why did all the teams finish .500+?" conflictin


Ok, so try to follow me here. I'm going to try something a little different.

If it is the toughest division to win in, why do all the teams have winning records? If it is so tough to win in that division, why do all the teams have winning records? Shouldn't there be teams with worse records because it is so hard to win? If you get three teams in the playoffs and another at 8-8, doesn't that mean its easier to win in the division? That's just a quick thought and different philosophical look at things.

So anyway, the NFC East may be the toughest division in terms of teams and record wise (seriously, how many teams did each of those teams get blown out this season? Each one did at least once), but the AFC North is definitely the toughest to win in. Each team has the potential to win every game they are in. Each team has won the division or come extremely close (Cleveland).

All of you think it's the NFC East, but in my mind it is definitely the AFC North.

Comments (25) Add A Comment

February 5, 2008  08:15 PM ET
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DAM IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

February 5, 2008  08:15 PM ET
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AFC South is a possibility.

February 5, 2008  08:31 PM ET
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Definitely not the AFC North. A good argument could be made for the AFC South, though. Can't vote for that weak argument, Bavaro, you'll have to do better than that.

February 5, 2008  08:34 PM ET
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howd that work for ya?

February 5, 2008  08:47 PM ET
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AFC north?Really?Baltimore is terrible,Cincy is terrible.So it comes down to two teams.There are three teams out of the East in the playoffs two years now and every one had an 8-8 record or better.

February 5, 2008  08:48 PM ET
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"howd that work for ya?"

Much better.

February 5, 2008  09:39 PM ET
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Whoa, DJ losing a TD.

February 5, 2008  09:42 PM ET
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vote to 89,cause nfc east is harder to win

February 5, 2008  09:42 PM ET
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hurry up DJ, i got more to say.

February 5, 2008  10:14 PM ET
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texans going 19-0

February 5, 2008  10:34 PM ET
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both are wrong...AFC South. Indy, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston...3 of them playoff teams.

February 5, 2008  10:53 PM ET
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Let's look at JUST this year, DJ.

NFC East Standings:

Cowboys: 13-3
Giants: 10-6
Redskins: 9-7
Eagles: 8-8

AFC North Standings:

Steelers: 11-5
Browns: 10-6
Bengals: 7-9
Ravens: 5-11

Hm, two losing records in the AFC North, ZERO in the NFC East.

February 5, 2008  10:53 PM ET
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both are wrong...AFC South. Indy, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston...3 of them playoff teams.
Controversy is Alive | 02/05/08, 10:34 PM

THREE playoff teams from the NFC East...

February 5, 2008  10:54 PM ET
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^Cowboys, Giants, Redskin.

February 5, 2008  10:54 PM ET
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^Cowboys, Giants, Redskins.

February 5, 2008  11:28 PM ET
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I dislike everything from the east, but it is a difficult division.

February 6, 2008  12:20 AM ET
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ummm this is a hard one the NFC east is very hard to win but year after year 3 teams from that division go to the playoffs so...it is a toss up

February 6, 2008  08:36 AM ET
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ummm this is a hard one the NFC east is very hard to win but year after year 3 teams from that division go to the playoffs so...it is a toss up

dollarsigntheduck | 02/06/08, 12:20 AM

Two of the past four years, three teams from the NFC East have made the playoffs:
2004: Eagles
2005: Giants, Redskins
2006: Eagles, Cowboys, Giants
2007: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins

The AFC North can't say the samething.

2004: Steelers
2005: Bengals, Steelers
2006: Ravens
2007: Steelers

As you see, only a total of five playoff teams from the AFC North in the last four years whereas the NFC East has put a total of nine into the playoffs the last four years.

February 6, 2008  12:44 PM ET
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I would usually say the AFC South but seeing that the Supebowl Champ resides in the NFC East, i'll have to go with them for now.

 
February 6, 2008  03:48 PM ET
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You can't say any division is tougher than the other...sure there is better talent in some of the divisions but when it comes to smash-mouth football and the rivalrys therein....whatever division you play in can be awfully tough at any given time!

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