NFL Preview Part 6: NFC North

Almost there....

1. Green Bay Packers (11-5) - I sort of agonized over this one...but I'll go with the team that I've seen do it...Favre-less or not....I'm actually an Aaron Rodgers fan...I thought he was the guy for SF when they picked Alex Smith, etc....Yes, he's injury-prone, but very talented and can run this offense....Ryan Grant was good-to-exceptional last year in his starts and the entire WR corps returns led by Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and under-rated James Jones...The defense is very, very good and very balanced...there's no weakness on this side of the ball with possibly the best CB tandem in the league in Woodson and Harris and stars elsewhere like AJ Hawk, Aaron Kampman, and Nick Barnett....I'll take the Cheeseheads by a nose...
2. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) - Well, it comes down to one thing for this team...and that just happens to be the most important position on the field....whether is Tarvaris Jackson or the journeyman Gus Frerotte, I just don't trust this spot for the Vikings....and that's where they get relegated...the run offense is very good with AP and the very under-rated Chester Taylor, as well as likely the best run-blocking line in all of football....and that's just half the story...this defense is utterly LOADED this year....How bout Chad Greenway, Kevin Williams, and E.J. Henderson to name a few?...Not good enough? I'll throw you Madieu Williams, Darren Sharper and Cedric Griffin too....on paper, this may be the most talented unit in the league....but until a QB shows anyone anything...they get the Wild-Card spot...
3. Chicago Bears (6-10) - Ah, yes...same story for Chicago...QB questions abound...I will say this, I would've gone with Orton a long-time ago and he's clearly the best option...but he still isn't setting the world on fire....I'm a big fan of what I've seen from rookie RB Matt Forte, but the WR spot is pretty bad when Devin Hester may start after never really playing any offense....I do like rookie Earl Bennett though....The defense is fairly talented, but a step slower these days with some serious age on it...Urlacher and Tommie Harris are fantastic still...but guys like Mike Brown have definitely slowed...Not enough points being scored for this team to sustain much success...
4. Detroit Lions (6-10) - Yes, these teams finish with the same record...I really like this offense...Kitna has always been a favorite of mine and he has a top 4 WR duo in Williams and Johnson (alongside Chad/TJ, Fitz/Boldin and Moss/Welker if you were wondering)....Kevin Smith leads the running game this year and that's a bit of a question mark...both the RB unit and the O-Line play....and this defense is utterly...mediocre? Yes, that's the word....they were flat dreadful in pass defense last year, but the addition of Leigh Bodden should help out back there...the run D is respectable and Ernie Sims is a rising star at LB, but another slow year for Detroit fans....