Well here it is, my annual thread to start the discussion of the NFC North, home of the 2011 Super Bowl Champions, the home of the hosts of the 2011 NFC Championship Game, home of the up and coming Lions, and home of the Vikings. Lets get down to brass tacks…
QB: 1) Packers- Rodgers; 2) Bears-Cutler; 3) Vikings - McNabb; 4) Lions - Stafford
I think one and two are pretty clear cut. I picked McNabb over Stafford, but I wouldn’t bet the house on it. I like Stafford as a young QB, but his injuries last year set him back in my opinion. And while I don’t think McNabb is great, he has proven he can lead a team and so I give him the nod for the third spot.
RB: 1) Vikings - Peterson; 2) Bears - Forte; 3) Packers - Grant (Starks); 4) Lions - Best
Number one here is pretty obvious. Between Forte and Grant I think if Grant wasn’t coming off injury it would be closer, but the truth is Forte had a pretty good year last year with 1600+ total yards and 9 TDs. Grant is coming off an injurey that kept hijm out the whole season, while Strarks had his moments, but not enough to provide me with confidence. I like Best, but he does not have the track record yet to move any higher than 4th.
WR: 1) Packers - Jennings, Driver, Jones, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb; 2) Lions - Johnson, Burleson, Young, Davis; 3) Vikings - Harvin, Berrian, Jenkins Lewis; 4) Bears - Knox, Williams, Hester, Bennett
The Packers clearly have the best depth at WR and that puts them at number 1. As for the other three teams, I went with the Lions because even though they probably aren’t better than the other two top to bottom, they have the best WR in the NFC North by far, so that nudged them up for me. Between the Vikings and Bears, it was really a tossup, but I like Harvin a little better than anything the bEars have.
TE: 1) Packers - Finley, Quarrles; 2) Vikings - Shiancoe, Rudolph; 3) Lions - Pettigrew, Scheffler; 4) Bears - Davis, Spaeth
This position probably highlights my Packers bias more than any other, but I really love Jermichael Finley, so there you have it. It is close between the VIkings and Lions, I like Shaincoe and Pettigrew actually, but I like Shiancoe a little better but I could be convinced otherwise. The Bears, I dunno, they lost Olsen, not sure what happened to Desmond Clark, don’t know much about these two guys.
Offensive Line: 1) Packers; 2) Vikings; 3) Lions; 4) Bears
I went online to see how Offensive lines were being ranked, and quite frankly they were all over the place. One had the Vikings the worst in the league, another had them the best in the NFC North, for example. So this is kind of a WAG. I do like the considerable progress the Packers O-line has made over the last couple of years, but their run blocking still needs work.
Defensive Line: 1) Bears; 2) Lions; 3) Packers; 4) Vikings
OK, this is a loaded area in the NFC North, and it is a little hard to compare the Packers 3-4 versus the 4-3 the other teams run, but I feel pretty confident in picking the bears #1. Julius Peppers is a beast, idonje, etc. Then the Lions who are certainly building a formidable d-line starting with Suh, adding Fairly. The Packers I put 3rd with BJ Raji and Ryan Picket. I have the Vikings 4th, but I could see them as high as 2nd as well.
Linebackers: 1) Bears; 2) Packers; 3) Lions; 4) Vikings
Briggs and Urlacher beat out Hawk and Matthews, but only slightly. The Lions picked up Stephen Tulloch who I like a lot. The Vikings have servicable LBS, Greenway is pretty good, but Not the quality that exists elsewhere in the division.
Defensive Backfield: 1) Packers; 2) Bears; 3) Vikings; 4) Lions
Packers win here with Woodson, Collins, and Williams. The Bears and Vikings have decent d backfields, but the Lions really need help there.
Special Teams: 1) Bears; 2-4) Packers, Vikings, Lions
Basically in this division there is the Bears and everyone else, IMO.
Coaching: 1) Packers; 2) Bears; 3) Lions; 4) Vikings
Well one coach is a Super Bowl winner, so he gets the nod. I know there are a lot of critics of Lovie Smith, but his team did win the division and the other two are too new to get a gauge on. Schwartz is looking promising and Frasier is TBD.
Packers 12-4
Bears 9-7
Lions 7-9
Vikings 6-10
Chicago Bears (9-7)
Falcons (Loss)
@ Saints (Loss)
Packers (Win)
Panthers (Win)
@ Lions (Win)
Vikings (Win)
Bucs @ Wembley (Loss)
@ Eagles (Loss)
Lions (Win)
Chargers (Win)
@ Raiders (Loss)
Chiefs (Win)
@ Broncos (Win)
Seahawks (Win)
@ Packers (Loss)
@ Vikings (Loss)
Detroit Lions (7 -9)
@ Bucs (Loss)
KC (Win)
@ Vikes (Win)
@ Dallas (Loss)
Bears (Loss)
49ers (Win)
Falcons (Loss)
@ Broncos (Win)
@ Bears (Loss)
Panthers (Win)
Packers (Win)
@ Saints (Loss)
Vikings (Win)
@Raiders (Loss)
Chargers (Loss)
@ Packers (Loss)
Green Bay Packers (12- 4)
Saints (Win)
@ Panthers (Win)
@ Bears (Loss)
Broncos (Win)
@ Falcons (Loss)
Rams (Win)
@ Vikings (Win)
@ Chargers (Win)
Vikings (Win)
Buccaneers (Win)
@ Lions (Loss)
@ Giants (Win)
Raiders (Win)
@ Chiefs (Loss)
Bears (Win)
Lions (Win)
Minnesota Vikings (6-10)
@ Chargers (Loss)
Buccaneers (Loss)
Lions (Win)
@ Chiefs (Loss)
Cardinals (Win)
@ Bears (Loss)
Packers (Loss)
Panthers (Win)
@ Packers (Loss)
Raiders (Win)
@ Falcons (Loss)
Broncos (Win)
@ Lions (Loss)
Saints (Loss)
@ Redskins (Win)
Bears (Win)
I have a feeling the Bars fans are going to be not pleased, so be it, its just a prediction and chances are I will get something dreadfully wrong.
OK guys, rip into me, I am wearing the protection of 13 NFL Champiosnhips!