Success in today’s pro football requires more than a superstar quarterback, and we might be witnessing a shift in conference strength.
The Rams' Kyren Williams celebrates a first-quarter touchdown against the 49ers. (Scott Strazzante/AP)
For so long, the AFC has embodied what the NFC likes to believe about itself. It has been the dominator and the tastemaker, hoarding a disproportionate number of football blessings. In the first quarter of this century, an AFC that began as a league absorbed into the 1970 merger has flaunted the best quarterbacks, the two defining dynasties, five of the eight winningest teams since 2000 and nearly all of the era-shaping styles of play.