NFC North
The NFC North can end with any team winning, mostly because of he pure hatred and passion they play with against one another. The season kickoffs with two of these teams facing off. The Bears are by far the most talented team, but the remaining three teams won’t back down. All four of these teams make it a mission to not let any of the other NFC North members succeed.
Chicago Bears
Da Bears are legit and after experiencing a taste of the playoffs last season, their fans definitely want more. Led by Khalil Mack, the Bears have one, if not the best, defense in the entire league. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio left to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos. Fangio admitted it was hard to leave this particular group of guys and head to Denver, but also admits they’ll be just fine led by Chuck Pagano.
Fans should also expect to see growth from quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Trubisky showed a lot of talent last season and a bright future in Chicago. We know how great this Bears’ defense can be. When it comes to winning in the playoffs, it will all be on Trubisky’s arm. The team has made a conscious effort to keep their offensive line together. This team likes to praise one another and show how much of a strong unit they are, something that is so rare yet so valuable in the league.
Detroit Lions
The Lions aren’t mentioned much in who deserves the NFC North crown after their last place finish last season. The team is welcoming in their fourth offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell. in Matthew Stafford’s time with the team. Bevell had the same role with the Seattle Seahawks and the team made the playoffs five of the seasons he was there. The Lions will likely run a run-heavy offense with Bevell. Stafford will finally not have throw 60-70 times a game. Last season Stafford played through a back injury and is embracing “rest days” now as part of his schedule. We can expect to see way more handoffs to Kerryon Johnson.
The team has also beefed up their defense. The Lions acquired DT Damon Harrison during last season from the New York Giants. They also added defensive ends Mike Daniels and Trey Flowers to make their defensive line that much more intimidating.
Green Bay Packers
Having Aaron Rodgers under center always guarantees Green Bay has a shot to win. The Packers are still not on the talent level of the Bears, but Rodgers can always make it interesting. Green Bay finally decided to end the Mike McCarthy era and brought in Matt LeFleur. LaFleur can hopefully revitalize the Packers’ offense which has stalled the last few seasons. He has already said Rodgers will have freedom to change the play call at the line.
The team let Mike Daniels walk and he went straight to rival Detroit. The team let Ha-Ha Clinton Dix go and now he’s on the Bears. Two guys who practiced against Rodgers and will definitely be valuable assets for their respective teams when it comes to playing Green Bay.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were one of the biggest disappointments last season. Despite finishing second in the division, Minnesota failed to impress. They finished with a record of 8-7-1, far behind Chicago’s 12-4 record.
The team has surrounded Kirk Cousins with talent and the team is in Super Bowl or bust mode. Cousins struggled during the team’s third preseason game and admitted that’s not how we wanted to go into the regular season. The team decided to bring in former Washington receiver Josh Doctson. Doctson was limited by injuries, but played with Cousins and the two had success together.
