NFC North Preview

Andy: I was thinking the drama in the NFC North was primarily going to be for second place and a possible wild card berth this season – and then Jordy Nelson tore his ACL.

I still think Green Bay has to be considered the team to beat. They’ve still got Aaron Rodgers and a lot of additional offensive weapons, but Detroit’s offense looks great and the Vikings appear to have a lot of upside this year too.

Tony: What, no love for the Bears? I mean, any team that is led by Jay Cutler has a chance…to be very, very bad. I mean, when Martellus Bennett starts spouting off about whether or not you’re a leader—and it’s not even the regular season—well, that’s a team that’s got some problems. As a fantasy owner that inexplicably invested heavily in Cutler last season…well, I’m almost over it. However, as a Vikings fan, that’s a beautiful thing to see.

The only thing that would be nicer to see? If it were the Packers. I mean, you never wish injuries on someone—not even your biggest rival. Well, maybe when you’re playing them, and you want to see your All-Pro Defensive Tackle snap their All-Pro Quarterback with a record game streak in half … but other than that, never. But when it happens…it’d be nice if it didn’t feel like they already had one or two guys waiting in the wings to take their place. I mean, if all the pundits are right about Davante Adams, and Ty Montgomery can slide into the #3 spot…well, next year we might be asking “Jordy who?”

Andy: I’m not sure those guys are going to make fans forget Jordy, but it does speak to the skills Ted Thompson has in assembling teams. I think the Packers are still a notch better than any other team in the division.

The fight for second could be really interesting this year. Detroit’s strength last year was on the defensive line, but Ndamukong Suh is gone, along with most of the rest of the interior of the line. But the offense reportedly looks fantastic and there is an inkling that Matt Stafford might be ready to take another step.

And the Vikings are fast getting better under Mike Zimmer too. The defense has some young star power in Anthony Barr, Xavier Rhodes and Eric Kendricks. And the offense, with Teddy Bridgewater looking solid and Adrian Peterson returning, should be a force.

You wrote enough about the Bears. They’ll score some points, but the coaching staff is replacing the entire defense backfield. That unit won’t be able to stop a college subdivision FCS D-IV offense this season.

Tony: I hate to sound like a homer, and as a true Vikings fan, I try to keep my expectations in check. But this is the first time since probably 2010 that I’ve been excited for a season. Hopefully that excitement won’t be killed as quickly as 2010, when my excitement was left on a blackjack table by halftime on opening Thursday night (along with most of my bankroll) at Harrah’s while watching the Saints dismantle the Vikings.

The team certainly does have some questions—offensive line, safety and wide receiver amongst the biggest, along with overall depth. But with the weapons at their disposal, and a quarterback who appears as confident and poised as any quarterback I’ve ever seen wear the purple…it’s tough not to get excited.

The Lions…Matt Stafford…tell me where we’ve heard this before. Last year? They should have a heck of an offense, although I’d like to see one more weapon in the passing game, especially for the seemingly inevitable stretch where Megatron is dealing with an ankle injury. And having seen Ameer Abdullah play in college…I’d like to see him perform at preseason levels for a full NFL slate before I am convinced that he’s suited to be anything more than half of a combo platter—the second half of which the Lions may be missing, with ongoing question marks surrounding Joique Bell (is it sacrilege that I’m not scared of Minnesota native Zach Zenner?). The Lions were terrible rushing the ball last year with Bell, and I’m not sure how Ameer Abdullah makes them that much better.

The Lions are still far and away ahead of the lowly Bears—and with some breaks each way could compete with the Vikings for second place, but on paper I still think they’re a step behind, having lost the heart of their defense.

Andy: I share your excitement on the Vikings. It’s not a perfect team yet, but the two-year overhaul is looking really good. The O-line is my biggest concern, but the return of Peterson may help mask that. And Teddy’s potential is close to limitless.

In Detroit, Abdullah can be a gamebreaker if he can stay healthy. He’s good as a runner and receiver. I’m not completely sold on him, but the reports certainly are good – based, obviously, on a small and largely inconsequential sample size.

I think the bigger issue there is the loss of the interior defensive line. So, yeah, the more I think and write about it, the more I think Minnesota passes them up this year.

But yes, the Lions are better than Da Bears. Da Bears are another bottom feeder this season. Cutler is a mediocre quarterback and a questionable human. They passed on defense at the top of the draft for a WR who is now going to miss a chunk of the season. Forte is starting to get up there in RB years and the coach who wanted to throw him the ball on every play is gone. The entire defensive backfield is new. This team is chasing a top five pick in the draft. Not much more to say.

Predictions: