2010 NFL Preview Part 7: NFC North

Coming down the stretch here... this was a tough one...

1. Green Bay Packers (13-3) - Set everywhere at the skill spots... Rodgers/Grant/Jennings/Driver/Finley is pretty monstrous... the O-line has reportedly looked much improved, and even if they are adequate (Rodgers got battered last year, making his numbers even that much crazier), that'll be an upgrade... the defense has talent abounding... Raji is a space-eater at NT, Charles Woodson was fantastic last year, and the linebacking corps is very good with Hawk, Barnett and Matthews... Mason Crosby is an elite kicker, and I really like Mike McCarthy's work... I know everyone is picking Minnesota, and I can see it... but I was all-in on GB last year, and even moreso in 2010... Aaron Rodgers to the rescue...
2. Minnesota Vikings (11-5) - I know there is talent EVERYWHERE here... but there are also questions everywhere... count me skeptical (to say the least) that Favre can come anywhere close to replicating that crazy TD/INT ratio from 2009 (really, 7 INT only? Come on) AND he needs to stay healthy at 40+ years old with a recently repaired ankle... Peterson is an animal and I'm not worried about him... but WR is in turmoil... Sidney Rice is missing significant time after hip surgery, Percy Harvin is a giant question mark with the migraine issue (scary stuff), and Bernard Berrian is never healthy for 16 games... I love that O-line and Shiancoe is coming on nicely, but there are big-time issues... on defense? Stacked again... the D-line featuring Jared Allen (beast) and the Williams' brothers (who aren't brothers) at the tackle spot is scary... the secondary is pretty darn solid as well, and I like the Henderson/Greenway combo at LB... the difference between GB and Minny (other than ? marks) is Brad Childress... he's a trainwreck... I can't emphasize that enough....
3. Chicago Bears (8-8) - This is an impossible team to forecast... they were pretty awful on offense a year ago... Cutler threw 26 INT's, Matt Forte had a sophomore slump, and the receiving corps lacked a big-time threat... They've brought in Mike Martz, and Chester Taylor to mentor Cutler, and spell Forte respectively... I like both moves... Cutler will get hit more in this system, but he's got better, more experienced WR's this year (love Aromashodu and Knox).... Like the offense... just not enough... the Peppers acquisition is big IF he's healthy/productive... and he'll be a question mark for me until he proves he's trying... Urlacher is healthy and that's huge, but this defense has some holes... the rest of the d-line is injury-prone or unproductive, and the secondary is spotty (although I like D. Manning)... They'll compete... but not on the same level as the top 2
4. Detroit Lions (6-10) - You think 6-10 and you think "bleh"... but coming back from 2-14? That's a big step... Stafford/Best/Johnson/Burleson/Pettigrew is a pretty nice skill position core IMO...very, very young and injury prone with Best/Burleson and even Calvin to an extent... the defense is the worry... Suh and Vanden Bosch are nice on the DL... and I like Delmas at safety, but the talent-level still isn't there across the board... much, much improved from 2009 though...