Just 16 days until the start of the NFL season, so we will continue the RTSB NFL season preview. Today I'm going to dive into the NFC North. If you want to check out Spencer's AFC East preview click here.
(Editors note: Already revising this post, The Bears have looked awful on defense this preseason and Aaron Rodgers has looked amazing so go ahead and switch the Bears and Packers in this post! I know it's flip flopping but it is still the preseason so I can change my mind.)
1. Chicago Bears
2013: 8-8, 2nd in the NFC North didn't make the playoffs,
Key Losses: Josh McCown, Julius Peppers, Michael Bush, Devin Hester and Major Wright.
Key Additions: Jared Allen, Ryan Mundy, M.D. Jennings, Domenik Hixon, Adrian Wilson, and
Kyle Fuller.
Toughest Matchups: San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers(twice), New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints.
2014 Outcome:
This is a tough decision to pick the Bears over the Packers. The Packers will be a good if not great football team but there is something I really liked about the Bears. The Bears have a better offense an overall group.
I might not take Jay Cutler over Aaron Rodgers. I will take Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte over the Packers offense. Those guys were all monsters under first year head coach Marc Trestman.
Now those guys will have another year of comfortability with the system under their belts. Jay Cutler will have a big year. Actually in the first 6 games before getting injured in week 7, Cutler had 12 TD's and 6 Int's to go with around a 70 QBR. The Bears were 4-2 in that span.
The Bears defense is the only problem. They let up 29.9 points per game and finished third to last in the league. What will help them is the fact that every other team in the division finished in the bottom half of the league in all the major defensive categories. They just have to play slightly better and rely on outscoring opponents.
2. Green Bay Packers
2013: 8-7-1, 1st in the NFC North, Lost in the wild card round.
Key Losses: James Jones and M.D Jennings
Key Additions: Julius Peppers and Ha Ha Clinton Dix
2014 Outcome:
The Packers have the ability to be a great team it just hasn't clicked as much as people have expected. A lot of that has to do with injuries but each of the past 2 years the Packers have squeeked in to the playoffs. Then they were eventually bounced out by the 49ers.
The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, who will be great, but that hasn't exactly been enough recently. He only played 9 games last year, so being healthy would help but the Packers didn't do much to improve their defense in the offseason. Julius Peppers is good but he is in the older part of his career and he doesn't play in the secondary, which was the Packers main issue.
I expect the Packers to put up big numbers and be competitive with most teams but to be bitten by their defense too many time to make the playoffs this year.
3. Detroit Lions
2013: 7-9, 3rd in the NFC North, did not make the playoffs.
Key Losses: Nate Burelson, Louis Delmas and Willie Young.
Key Additions: Golden Tate, James Ihedigbo, Jed Collins and Eric Ebron.
2014 Outcome:
This division has been close over the past couple of seasons and I expect it to remain the same. This is a preview and although I think the Lions are the third best team in the division. I would not be surprised if Matthew Stafford figures it out and the Lions really take off. The Lions have all the talent in the world with Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Golden Tate and 1st round pick Eric Ebron. The offense will be explosive for sure.
Why then do I have them as the third team? Stafford has not figured it out to this point. Maybe he can under new head coach Jim Caldwell. But he has to much of a tendency to throw the ball away in key moments. Some people would call it the Tony Romo syndrome. Stafford will wow you all game and then force a pass that turns into an interception. Sometimes I don't blame Stafford for throwing the ball up to Megatron in sticky situations but he has the talent to really move this team into a perennial winner.
But until further notice the Lions look like they will win a few games here and there and have a ton of flashy plays. Yet they will probably be looking at another year out of the playoffs.
4. Minnesota Vikings
2013: 5-10-1, 4th in the NFC North, did not make the playoffs.
Key Losses: Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Toby Gerhart and Joe Webb.
Key Additions: Linval Joseph, Captain Munnerlyn, and Keestan Randale.
2014 Outcome:
The Vikings aren't a terrible team. They aren't putrid like the Jaguars were last year. They have a ton of talent at many different spots. Their problem is that the quarterback situation was so bad that it brought the team down. Both Matt Cassell and Christian Ponder were lack luster and failed to consistently move the offense.
Now the Vikings got Teddy Bridgewater. He may be a rookie quarterback but I'm willing to bet that he will eventually play some games for the Vikings this year. I went in to the draft still very high on Bridgewater. He just seemed plagued by the long draft process that see's players scrutinized an insane amount. Bridgewater has played well in the preseason and is making strides in practice.
The division is just to hard for the Vikings to overcome their quarterback woes. The Vikings do still have Adrian Peterson and Cordarrelle Patterson is going to be a monster in this league. So Vikings fans do have hope for the future. Viking fans just might not want to include this year as the future.
(Editors note: Already revising this post, The Bears have looked awful on defense this preseason and Aaron Rodgers has looked amazing so go ahead and switch the Bears and Packers in this post! I know it's flip flopping but it is still the preseason so I can change my mind.)
2013: 8-8, 2nd in the NFC North didn't make the playoffs,
Key Losses: Josh McCown, Julius Peppers, Michael Bush, Devin Hester and Major Wright.
Key Additions: Jared Allen, Ryan Mundy, M.D. Jennings, Domenik Hixon, Adrian Wilson, and
Kyle Fuller.
Toughest Matchups: San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers(twice), New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints.
2014 Outcome:
This is a tough decision to pick the Bears over the Packers. The Packers will be a good if not great football team but there is something I really liked about the Bears. The Bears have a better offense an overall group.
I might not take Jay Cutler over Aaron Rodgers. I will take Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte over the Packers offense. Those guys were all monsters under first year head coach Marc Trestman.
Now those guys will have another year of comfortability with the system under their belts. Jay Cutler will have a big year. Actually in the first 6 games before getting injured in week 7, Cutler had 12 TD's and 6 Int's to go with around a 70 QBR. The Bears were 4-2 in that span.
The Bears defense is the only problem. They let up 29.9 points per game and finished third to last in the league. What will help them is the fact that every other team in the division finished in the bottom half of the league in all the major defensive categories. They just have to play slightly better and rely on outscoring opponents.
2013: 8-7-1, 1st in the NFC North, Lost in the wild card round.
Key Losses: James Jones and M.D Jennings
Key Additions: Julius Peppers and Ha Ha Clinton Dix
2014 Outcome:
The Packers have the ability to be a great team it just hasn't clicked as much as people have expected. A lot of that has to do with injuries but each of the past 2 years the Packers have squeeked in to the playoffs. Then they were eventually bounced out by the 49ers.
The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, who will be great, but that hasn't exactly been enough recently. He only played 9 games last year, so being healthy would help but the Packers didn't do much to improve their defense in the offseason. Julius Peppers is good but he is in the older part of his career and he doesn't play in the secondary, which was the Packers main issue.
I expect the Packers to put up big numbers and be competitive with most teams but to be bitten by their defense too many time to make the playoffs this year.
2013: 7-9, 3rd in the NFC North, did not make the playoffs.
Key Losses: Nate Burelson, Louis Delmas and Willie Young.
Key Additions: Golden Tate, James Ihedigbo, Jed Collins and Eric Ebron.
2014 Outcome:
This division has been close over the past couple of seasons and I expect it to remain the same. This is a preview and although I think the Lions are the third best team in the division. I would not be surprised if Matthew Stafford figures it out and the Lions really take off. The Lions have all the talent in the world with Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Golden Tate and 1st round pick Eric Ebron. The offense will be explosive for sure.
Why then do I have them as the third team? Stafford has not figured it out to this point. Maybe he can under new head coach Jim Caldwell. But he has to much of a tendency to throw the ball away in key moments. Some people would call it the Tony Romo syndrome. Stafford will wow you all game and then force a pass that turns into an interception. Sometimes I don't blame Stafford for throwing the ball up to Megatron in sticky situations but he has the talent to really move this team into a perennial winner.
But until further notice the Lions look like they will win a few games here and there and have a ton of flashy plays. Yet they will probably be looking at another year out of the playoffs.
4. Minnesota Vikings2013: 5-10-1, 4th in the NFC North, did not make the playoffs.
Key Losses: Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Toby Gerhart and Joe Webb.
Key Additions: Linval Joseph, Captain Munnerlyn, and Keestan Randale.
2014 Outcome:
The Vikings aren't a terrible team. They aren't putrid like the Jaguars were last year. They have a ton of talent at many different spots. Their problem is that the quarterback situation was so bad that it brought the team down. Both Matt Cassell and Christian Ponder were lack luster and failed to consistently move the offense.
Now the Vikings got Teddy Bridgewater. He may be a rookie quarterback but I'm willing to bet that he will eventually play some games for the Vikings this year. I went in to the draft still very high on Bridgewater. He just seemed plagued by the long draft process that see's players scrutinized an insane amount. Bridgewater has played well in the preseason and is making strides in practice.
The division is just to hard for the Vikings to overcome their quarterback woes. The Vikings do still have Adrian Peterson and Cordarrelle Patterson is going to be a monster in this league. So Vikings fans do have hope for the future. Viking fans just might not want to include this year as the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment