Next up in the NFL Season Predictions series moving over to the toughest division in football, every team has massive talent and each team has potential to make it to the playoffs in my opinion. This mighty division is known as the NFC North.
Now a look at last years standings for the NFC North
Green Bay Packers- 11-5 record, 5-1 in division
Minnesota Vikings- 10-6 record, 4-2 in division
Chicago Bears- 10-6 record, 3-3 in division
Detroit Lions- 4-12 record, 0-6 in division
This division is an incredibly fun division as twist and turns happen every single year. Each team has some really exciting huge part about the team that makes them special. The packers are always gonna be really good because of a strong receiving core and a tremendous QB, Vikings have the best running back in the game, Bears have a top WR and one of the best defenses in the league, and the Lions have the best WR in the league and a really good Defensive Line. This division emphasizes what the NFL is all about.
Lets look at each teams schedules now.
Green Bay Packers
Tough Games: Week 1 @ 49ers, Week 14 vs Falcons, Week 17 @ Bears.
Toss up Games: Week 2 vs Redskins, Week 3 @ Bengals, Week 5 vs Lions, Week 6 @ Ravens, Week 8 @ Vikings, Week 9 vs Bears, Week 11 @ Giants, Week 12 vs Vikings, Week 13 @ Lions.
Easy Games: Week 7 vs Browns, Week 10 vs Eagles, Week 15 @ Cowboys, Week 16 vs Steelers.
The Packers have an interesting schedule, the Packers have a knack of keeping division games close and then winning in the end only loosing to the Vikings last year. They only have a few really tough games and rest should be in there favor. Odds are they have a really good shot at repeating there division title. Usually I would not put the Cowboys as an easy game for really any team but I have this gut feeling that it'll just be a blow out game.
Minnesota Vikings
Tough Games: Week 2 @ Bears, Week 4 vs Steelers, Week 8 vs Packers, Week 10 vs Redskins, Week 11 @ Seahawks, Week 12 @ Packers.
Toss up Games: Week 1 @ Lions, Week 6 vs Panthers, Week 7 @ Giants, Week 9 @ Cowboys, Week 13 vs Bears, Week 14 @ Ravens, Week 16 @ Bengals, Week 17 vs Lions.
Easy Games: Week 3 vs Browns, Week 15 vs Eagles.
The Vikings have an overall fairly difficult schedule. Not only are they in a very tough division so they have all division games as Toss up games or Tough games, but they play the Steelers who have a top five run defense and the Redskins who have a top 5 run defense and held Adrian to under 100 yards last year. Not many of the Toss up games are going to have the Vikings as a favorite. The Browns should be simple as there defense is weak and then the Eagles have looked awful against the run in pre season so AP could run all over them.
Chicago Bears
Tough Games: Week 9 @ Packers, Week 17 vs Packers.
Toss up Games: Week 1 vs Bengals, Week 2 vs Vikings, Week 3 @ Steelers, Week 4 @ Lions, Week 5 vs Saints, Week 6 vs Giants, Week 7 @ Redskins, Week 10 vs Lions, Week 11 vs Ravens, Week 13 @ Vikings, Week 14 vs Cowboys.
Easy Games: Week 12 @ Rams, Week 15 @ Browns, Week 16 @ Eagles.
The Bears are looking good in my opinion when you look at there schedule. Their only tough games are going to come from division rivals, and then they have three simple games in the terrible Rams, weak Browns, and out of whack Eagles D. The Bears are a very all around team, They have a top notch defense and a solid offense, which makes for most games to seem even or give an edge for the Bears.
Detroit Lions
Tough Games: Week 4 vs Bears, Week 5 @ Packers, Week 7 vs Bengals, Week 10 @ Bears, Week 13 vs Packers, Week 17 @ Vikings.
Toss up Games: Week 1 vs Vikings, Week 2 @ Cardinals, Week 3 @ Redskins, Week 6 @ Browns, Week 8 vs Cowboys, Week 11 @ Steelers, Week 15 vs Ravens, Week 16 vs Giants.
Easy Games: Week 12 vs Buccaneers, Week 14 @ Eagles.
All of the division games the Lions are going to be the underdog going into them. Most of the Lions games are Toss up games because they are a Toss up team, they have the talent and keep games close but have had major trouble in closing out games this past season. The Buccaneers should be a very simple game as they were the worst against the pass last year, even with the add of Revis its gonna take more then that to stop the pass happy team.
Overall Team Rankings
Green Bay Packers:
The Packers are a very solid team. They have arguably the best quarter back in the league who leads the team to do amazing things. He does not really have a star wide receiver by any standards put he turns them into beasts by spreading the ball better then really anyone in the league. Running back will be interesting to see how Eddie Lacy does as the Packers have been trying for a break out running back but cannot seem to get one to stay healthy and play consistent. The offensive line took a huge hit when starting LT Bryan Bugala got put on the injured reserve list. Aaron Rodgers could be in for another sack filled season. Defensively the Packers are good everywhere but not great, they have talent on the line, and Clay Matthews, but secondary could be a question this year. The team is a great team because of Aaron Rodgers, he takes this team that is seemingly average on paper into a solid team!
Minnesota Vikings:
Oh the Vikings, they area tough team to read. Obviously there team is going to run through there running game and Adrian peterson is going to have to carry this team all over again, if they want to repeat anything like last year. There Defense isn't going to be as good as last loosing a top CB in Antoine Winfield, so some other guys are really going to have to step up but the pass defense is going to take a hit. The offense is really going to be interesting in the pass game as well, they made a horrible move in trading Percy Harvin, yea he is hurt and is probably going to miss the majority of the season, but he was what made the pass game anything to watch! Greg jennings is solid but is aging quick and he had arguably the best QB in the league throwing the ball to him in Green Bay so he is not going to even come close to the numbers he had in previous seasons, to much taken away and nothing gained. Christian Ponder in my opinion could be in his last season as a starting QB in the NFL unless he just proves the world wrong and blows it out of the water or takes a significant leap forward.
Chicago Bears:
The Bears are a very solid team. They are an all around team with a lot of very talented players. Defense is one of the best in the league with a strong defensive line, strong secondary (especially Charles Tillman!!!!) and solid line backers. The big hit on defense though was not re-signing Brian Urlacher, I personally think that was a mistake he was the center of that defense and helped gel the whole thing together and had amazing leadership abilities. His smarts could have kept him playing in this league alone. On offense They have a top 5 WR in Brandon Marshall, a top 12 RB in Matt Forte, and an above average QB. Trust me, I am not saying Jay Cutler is anything special I just think that he is able to get the job done for the team that the Bears have, I think that if you put a top 5 guy in Chicago with this team they could be Super Bowl contenders every year.
Detroit Lions:
I am not going to blame last season on any of the players in Detroit, I think that the Lions have an extremely talented team personnel wise, I just think the team is not being lead in the correct manor and that the Lions should have gotten rid of Jim Shwartz and gone after Lovie Smith!!! The Lions defense under a coach like Lovie could have been huge! They have a very talented defensive line, only getting better with Ziggy Ansah who is showing up even in pre season. They also have talented line backers and a solid DB in Chris Houston. Offense is also extremely talented as well. Do I even have to describe what Calvin Johnson is in this league?!?!? You seriously do not get a better guy to throw the ball to, enough said. Then they have Matthew Stafford, who i think people are a little to rough on. Yes he threw the ball WAY more then any other QB in the league last year with not even close to the stats of Peyton Manning or Drew Brees, but look at why he had to throw that much and who he had to throw the ball to over all. He had no running backs to hand the ball off to as every guy they had was injured at least once! Next his WR core was diminished to next to nothing. Calvin was the receiving core as every other guy got hurt at this position as well. There was just no players in long enough to get a rhythm going between QB and offense. Not to mention the biggest thing the the Lions did this year which was add in Reggie Bush. He is going to add consistency and a mis match in the pass game big pick up.
Final Predictions
Green Bay Packers: 10-6 record, 5-1 in division.
Chicago Bears: 10-6 record, 3-3 in division.
Detroit Lions: 7-9 record, 2-4
Minnesota Vikings: 6-10 record, 2-4
The Packers and Bears are going to be in a close race all year long in my opinion. I think the Bears are to good all around to be a below 10 wins. Rodgers is going to win this for the Packers though, he wins big division games and thats going to be the decider in this division between the Bears and Packers. The Lions are going to be better then people are giving them credit for, the WR are back and healthy and they have a running back now in Reggie Bush, I have little faith in Jim Shwartz, but I think there is too much talent for them to be below 7 games this year (If Lovie Smith was coach add two wins). Then for the Vikings I just do not think that Adrian Peterson can carry this team back to 10 wins again. With a bad QB and no real threat in the receiving core I'm calling a major downfall for the Vikings. Only time will tell for sure though.
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