NFL-Brief profiles of National Football Conference teams

(Reuters) - Following are brief profiles of the 16 teams in the National Football Conference (NFC) ahead of the 2014 National Football League (NFL) season: - - ATLANTA FALCONS Head coach: Mike Smith 2013 record: 4-12 (One year removed from a 13-3 finish and a division title, the Falcons never won consecutive games all season and finished tied for last in the NFC South.) Biggest change for the Falcons this season will be how they use the tight end position giving the offseason retirement of Tony Gonzalez, who was a key target for quarterback Matt Ryan. - - ARIZONA CARDINALS Head coach: Bruce Arians 2013 record: 10-6 (Got strong play from their defense most of the season but it was not enough to overcome the team's tendency for slow starts.) Carson Palmer will have some new targets to throw to as Ted Ginn was added in free agency while a draft pick was used on Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas. Eight-time Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who battled injuries last season, is also expected to bounce back this year. - - CAROLINA PANTHERS Head coach: Ron Rivera 2013 record: 12-4 (Overcame a slow start to the season to secure the NFC South title, along with a first-round bye, and their first trip to the playoffs since 2008 but fell to the visiting San Francisco 49ers in their playoff opener.) Quarterback Cam Newton and the team's defensive front seven will be counted on to carry a team that enters the season with lofty expectations to build on last year's campaign. But key losses on the offensive line and secondary could prove costly. - - CHICAGO BEARS Head coach: Marc Trestman 2013 record: 8-8 (Four losses in the team's final six games kept the Bear out of the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.) Expected to be in the mix for the NFC North title but there are plenty of questions surrounding the defense. The departure of capable backup quarterback Josh McCown could also hurt should starter Jay Cutler go down with an injury. - - DALLAS COWBOYS Head coach: Jason Garrett 2013 record: 8-8 (Fell to a division rival with a playoff berth on the line for a third consecutive year and finished with a .500 season for a third straight season.) Quarterback Tony Romo has recovered nicely from back surgery and looked healthy in his preseason appearances but the defense is a major concern given the departures of DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher and a season-ending injury to linebacker Sean Lee. - - DETROIT LIONS Head coach: Jim Caldwell 2013 record: 7-9 (Lost six of their last seven games despite holding a fourth-quarter lead in each, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year and leading to the firing of head coach Jim Schwartz after five seasons.) A new head coach will be handed the task of trying to instill a winning mentality on a team that boasts plenty of talent and potential but has been undone by a lack of discipline in recent years. - - GREEN BAY PACKERS Head coach: Mike McCarthy 2013 record: 8-7-1 (Clinched the NFC North title with a 48-yard, last-minute touchdown pass in the regular season finale but lost the next week's wild-card playoff game to the San Francisco 49ers on a field goal as time expired.) One of the early favorites to win the Super Bowl, the Packers are coming off a season where they managed to win the division despite playing without injured starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers for half the campaign. - - MINNESOTA VIKINGS Head coach: Mike Zimmer 2013 record: 5-10-1 (Hampered by injuries, most notably to running back Adrian Peterson, the team failed to win a game on the road all season, leading to the firing of head coach Leslie Frazier a day after the regular season ended.) The Vikings possess the game's best running back in Adrian Peterson but a new coach and essentially having to play on the road all season while their new stadium is being built could keep them stuck at the bottom of their division. - - NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Head coach: Sean Payton 2013 record: 11-5 (After losing three of four games, Saints finally clinched a wild-card playoff spot in their season finale before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the playoffs.) With quarterback Drew Brees on top of his game, an improved defense and what is considered an easy schedule, the Saints are a favorite to compete for the game's top prize. - - NEW YORK GIANTS Head coach: Tom Coughlin 2013 record: 7-9 (Won seven of their last 10 games after losing their first six of the season but it proved too little, too late as they missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year since winning the Super Bowl.) The Giants' offensive line remains a work in progress but offseason acquisition Rashad Jennings offers a capable set of hands at the running back position. - - PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Head coach: Chip Kelly 2013 record: 10-6 (Beat rival Dallas in a win-or-go-home regular season finale for the NFC East title but were eliminated from the playoffs a week later after New Orleans converted a field goal on the final play of a wild-card playoff game.) Led by quarterback Nick Foles, the Eagles are one of the strongest teams in the conference and should cruise to the NFC East division title, barring a letdown by their defence. - - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Head coach: Jim Harbaugh 2013 record: 12-4 (Took a six-game winning streak into the playoffs but came one victory shy of reaching the Super Bowl when they fell to Seattle in the NFC championship game.) They already possess a dominant defense and gave quarterback Colin Kaepernick some help by adding to their receiver depth, but playing in one of the league's toughest divisions will make another deep playoff run a challenge. - - SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Head coach: Pete Carroll 2013 record: 13-3 (Secured the NFC West division title and home-field advantage in the playoffs behind agile quarterback Russell Wilson before going on to win their first Super Bowl crown in a rout over the Denver Broncos.) Quarterback Russell Wilson offers a dual-threat under center, Marshawn Lynch is a move-the-chains type of back who wears down defenses, and the Seattle defense boasts the NFL's best secondary. Avoiding a Super Bowl hangover will be the team's biggest challenge. - - ST. LOUIS RAMS Head coach: Jeff Fisher 2013 record: 7-9 (Suffered three divisional road losses to wrap up the season en route to missing the postseason for the 10th consecutive year.) The team was dealt a massive blow in the preseason when starting quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending injury by tearing the ACL in his left knee. That means the team will turn to journeyman Shaun Hill, who has not started a game in years. - - TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Head coach: Lovie Smith 2013 record: 4-12 (Allowed season highs in yards and points in the season's final game, a 42-17 loss to New Orleans, leaving them with four or fewer wins in three of the past five seasons and leading to the firing of head coach Greg Schiano.) More weapons on offense and an improved defense compared to last season offer reason for hope, but playing in a division with New Orleans has left most experts saying the team's best shot at the playoffs will be through a wild card. - - WASHINGTON REDSKINS Head coach: Jay Gruden 2013 record: 3-13 (Capped the season with eight consecutive losses to finish with the league's second-worst record, leading to the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan after a campaign that began with expectations of repeating as NFC East champions.) Additions of DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts give the Redskins one of the league's deepest wideout groups but the team's success starts with quarterback Robert Griffin III, who will need to learn a new offence under coach Gruden. - - (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Gene Cherry)