Who has the most firepower in the NFC North? Predictions and analysis
The NFC North, the oldest division in the league with old-timers like the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, is nicknamed the "black and blue" division.
These days, though, it's known mainly for its flashy, offensive stars, like Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson, just to name a handful.
No one from this division is going to win the Super Bowl this year.
Still, it's a competitive division, and a hoot to watch.
Here are my predictions and team analyses.
Last year, the Packers went 8-7-1, won the division and squeaked into the playoffs, where they almost upset the 49ers before losing the wild card game, 23-20.
It's obvious what makes Green Bay tick. When Aaron Rodgers plays, the team can beat anybody. When he doesn't, the Packers are a below-average bunch.
Still, the Packers have been good enough to make the playoffs five years in a row now. That says something about the depth in the division.
The offense will carry the team again. Rookie running back Eddie Lacy came through with a Pro Bowl year, and the team's offensive line is solid, despite losing center Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Rodgers makes mediocre wide receivers look like Pro Bowlers – recent case in point: Greg Jennings – and he has plenty of talent there to work with.
The defense is where the Packers are just another team. They brought in old nemesis Julius Peppers in a rare free agent acquisition this offseason, but the veteran pass rusher is well past his prime. Last year in Chicago, he looked flat worn out.
Sam Shields has developed into a true shutdown cornerback, which is helpful since the division has some all-star talent at wide receiver.
Their first draft pick, Ha Ha Clinton Dix of Alabama, should also give the secondary a boost, though Green Bay will still be weak at linebacker.
And, as always, the Packers are notoriously strong at home behind their raucous fans.
The Bears had one of the best offenses in the league last year under new head coach Marc Trestman. Unfortunately, their once-proud defense took a nose dive.
So the front office did some moving and shaking this past offseason, revamping and replacing both players and coaches on the defensive side of the ball. They particularly want to shore up their critical, third-down rush.
Still, the burden will be on quarterback Jay Cutler and the offense for any kind of a successful season.
Cutler has two of the best receivers in the game, possibly the best receiving duo in the NFL, with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey. He also has running back Matt Forte coming out of the backfield and tight end Martellus Bennett.
Largely because of quarterback Matt Stafford, the Lions won six of their first nine games last year.
Largely because of Matt Stafford, the Lions then folded like wet cardboard, down-hearted, downtrodden and out of the playoffs.
As goes Stafford, so go the Lions. The boy has a lot of game and can rack up gaudy numbers, but he has a strong tendency to do the exact wrong thing at the most critical of moments.
So the Lions think enough of him to invest heavily in overcoming these weaknesses. They fired their coach and brought in Jim Caldwell, known for his passing schemes and work with quarterbacks.
They also brought in offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi from New Orleans, where he worked with one of the best in the game, Drew Brees.
All this is in addition to the regular quarterback coach. Together, they will try to convince him he has nothing to fear in the pocket but fear itself. Stafford is a demon when he has no uninvited guests in the pocket, but gets squirrely when the pressure's on.
They also went out and bought some new toys for their QB, mainly wide receiver Golden Tate. The hope is Tate will take some pressure off Calvin Johnson, one of the monster receivers in the league.
Rookie tight end Eric Ebron could easily turn into a formidable offensive weapon.
Alas, their defense has too many holes to win in this division, especially at the critical cornerback spot. Losing safety Louis Delmas will hurt.
Same old problem in Minnesota: Great runner, lousy passer, mediocre record.
It looks like Vikings fans have finally got their wish: The Christian Ponder era is over. Wait, he's still with the team?
Yep, but you wouldn't know it, with all the excitement over first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater, who is battling veteran Matt Cassell for the starting job.
After starting 3-0 in the preseason, new head coach Mike Zimmer still hasn’t named his starter, though it's certain it won't be Ponder, who's settled in amicably at No. 3.
Whoever ends up playing – and it isn't foolhardy to predict all three will see a lot of snaps this year – he will have weapons in his arsenal: explosive wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and lengthy tight end Kyle Rudolph would be stars on almost any NFL team.
The Vikings have just never figured out how to exploit Adrian Peterson, by far the best running back in the game. Maybe new offensive coordinator Norv Turner has some ideas.
On defense, the Vikings need to stop allowing sacks and giving up so many big plays. That will be hard for them to do this year, with such a thin secondary.
These days, though, it's known mainly for its flashy, offensive stars, like Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson, just to name a handful.
No one from this division is going to win the Super Bowl this year.
Still, it's a competitive division, and a hoot to watch.
Here are my predictions and team analyses.
1. Green Bay Packers
Last year, the Packers went 8-7-1, won the division and squeaked into the playoffs, where they almost upset the 49ers before losing the wild card game, 23-20.
It's obvious what makes Green Bay tick. When Aaron Rodgers plays, the team can beat anybody. When he doesn't, the Packers are a below-average bunch.
Still, the Packers have been good enough to make the playoffs five years in a row now. That says something about the depth in the division.
The offense will carry the team again. Rookie running back Eddie Lacy came through with a Pro Bowl year, and the team's offensive line is solid, despite losing center Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Rodgers makes mediocre wide receivers look like Pro Bowlers – recent case in point: Greg Jennings – and he has plenty of talent there to work with.
The defense is where the Packers are just another team. They brought in old nemesis Julius Peppers in a rare free agent acquisition this offseason, but the veteran pass rusher is well past his prime. Last year in Chicago, he looked flat worn out.
Sam Shields has developed into a true shutdown cornerback, which is helpful since the division has some all-star talent at wide receiver.
Their first draft pick, Ha Ha Clinton Dix of Alabama, should also give the secondary a boost, though Green Bay will still be weak at linebacker.
And, as always, the Packers are notoriously strong at home behind their raucous fans.
2. Chicago Bears
The Bears had one of the best offenses in the league last year under new head coach Marc Trestman. Unfortunately, their once-proud defense took a nose dive.
So the front office did some moving and shaking this past offseason, revamping and replacing both players and coaches on the defensive side of the ball. They particularly want to shore up their critical, third-down rush.
Still, the burden will be on quarterback Jay Cutler and the offense for any kind of a successful season.
Cutler has two of the best receivers in the game, possibly the best receiving duo in the NFL, with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey. He also has running back Matt Forte coming out of the backfield and tight end Martellus Bennett.
3. Detroit Lions
Largely because of quarterback Matt Stafford, the Lions won six of their first nine games last year.
Largely because of Matt Stafford, the Lions then folded like wet cardboard, down-hearted, downtrodden and out of the playoffs.
As goes Stafford, so go the Lions. The boy has a lot of game and can rack up gaudy numbers, but he has a strong tendency to do the exact wrong thing at the most critical of moments.
So the Lions think enough of him to invest heavily in overcoming these weaknesses. They fired their coach and brought in Jim Caldwell, known for his passing schemes and work with quarterbacks.
They also brought in offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi from New Orleans, where he worked with one of the best in the game, Drew Brees.
All this is in addition to the regular quarterback coach. Together, they will try to convince him he has nothing to fear in the pocket but fear itself. Stafford is a demon when he has no uninvited guests in the pocket, but gets squirrely when the pressure's on.
They also went out and bought some new toys for their QB, mainly wide receiver Golden Tate. The hope is Tate will take some pressure off Calvin Johnson, one of the monster receivers in the league.
Rookie tight end Eric Ebron could easily turn into a formidable offensive weapon.
Alas, their defense has too many holes to win in this division, especially at the critical cornerback spot. Losing safety Louis Delmas will hurt.
4. Minnesota Vikings
Same old problem in Minnesota: Great runner, lousy passer, mediocre record.
It looks like Vikings fans have finally got their wish: The Christian Ponder era is over. Wait, he's still with the team?
Yep, but you wouldn't know it, with all the excitement over first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater, who is battling veteran Matt Cassell for the starting job.
After starting 3-0 in the preseason, new head coach Mike Zimmer still hasn’t named his starter, though it's certain it won't be Ponder, who's settled in amicably at No. 3.
Whoever ends up playing – and it isn't foolhardy to predict all three will see a lot of snaps this year – he will have weapons in his arsenal: explosive wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and lengthy tight end Kyle Rudolph would be stars on almost any NFL team.
The Vikings have just never figured out how to exploit Adrian Peterson, by far the best running back in the game. Maybe new offensive coordinator Norv Turner has some ideas.
On defense, the Vikings need to stop allowing sacks and giving up so many big plays. That will be hard for them to do this year, with such a thin secondary.
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