I think sometimes the media tries to be too cute with their pre season picks. They always want to guess which team will be the surprise team of the year. Remember how many folks picked Seattle to win the NFC last year?
Not many picked Seattle, but Holmgren was looking at a pinkslip if he didn't make the playoffs. That will always get the coaching creativity juices flowing. I remember Detroit being a rather trendy pick last year. The problem is, you never know which one of these bad teams will turn it around.
Two years ago, it was Carolina and Dallas, and last year it was Atlanta. But one trend to follow if you're making bets in Vegas, is that the Cinderella team usually falls off the next season. It happened to the Panthers and Cowboys, and I think the Falcons will slide down the standings this year. They're not nearly as good as their record indicated, and the Eagles ran all over them in the NFC title game last year.