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Midseason All-Pro team Minnesota’s Jared Allen is a no-brainer, but who else earned awards from Evan Silva? NBC Sports

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Over in the NFC, the North has one dominant squad and two wild-card contenders. It also has an elan somewhat lacking in the other divisions.

Even some Cheeseheads would now have to admit watching that graybeard guy at quarterback for the Vikings is enthralling — especially after what Brett Favre has done to the Packers twice already. No game had more intriguing elements than Favre’s return to Lambeau Field, and he certainly delivered.

The Vikings as a whole are delivering, too, thanks to a superb pass rush led by Jared Allen, and the best running back in football, Adrian Peterson. But that doesn’t make Green Bay or Chicago an also-ran.

Consider that the Packers have lost only to Minnesota (6-1) and Cincinnati (5-2). The Bears have fallen to Green Bay, Atlanta and Cincinnati, all winners. In Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler, they have QBs as capable as Favre. They trail behind mainly because each has a major weakness on the offensive line that plays directly into Minnesota’s hands.

While the NFC East has three teams all capable of making the postseason, those teams’ dominance has gone missing.

New York started 5-0, then was routed by New Orleans and Philadelphia and outmuscled by Arizona. The Giants’ secondary is a sieve and teams are bulking up to thwart the pass rush that has become their only real line of defense.

Philadelphia and Dallas are an enigmatic 5-2. When at full strength, which has been very rare through seven games, the Eagles are dynamic on offense, efficient on defense. Then they throw in the biggest stinker of the year by any favorite, losing at Oakland.

The Cowboys are on a three-game roll and they’re finally pressuring quarterbacks. But the pass defense is mediocre and they have just nine takeaways; winless Tampa Bay has 11.

So, for now, let’s shift the spotlight from East to North.

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