Make no mistake about the NFC North. It’s not the scariest division in the league by any stretch of the imagination, but it could certainly be the most competitive, and the most uncertain heading into the season. The Green bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings have battled for the title of best in the division most of the last decade with little pressure from either the Chicago Bears or Detroit Lions. But it appears the gap in talent from top to bottom is shrinking and this division looks wide open for the first time in years.
Green Bay - Once again, the Packers are the defending division champs, and still have a future first-ballot Hall of Famer at QB. Say what you want about Favre's supposed decline and demise, but he still tossed 30 TDs and more than 4,000 yards last year. Ahman Green is still one of the league's better backs, and while the loss of a couple very solid guards might cause some problems with continuity along the offensive line, I wouldn't expect a total collapse from this unit. The offense should remain among the best in the league.
The big questions remain on defense and only time will tell if Bates can transform this group into, at the least, an average unit. The secondary also remains very inexperienced, so don’t be surprised if the Packers find themselves in a lot of shootouts again this year.
Minnesota - They lost Randy Moss, but stocked up the defense. Overall they appear to be more solid up and down the roster, but there are a lot of new faces who must learn to play as a team. Offensively, they may suffer a slight drop-off, but I think Culpepper showed last year that he can perform without Moss in the lineup.
Their Achilles heel the past few years has been a porous defense which sparked late-season collapses, but there is no question they are more talented. How well, and how quickly, that talent meshes is the key. As the Washington Redskins continue to prove, bringing in a bunch of new names isn't always the answer.
Detroit - The key for the Lions, obviously, is the production at quarterback. With the weapons he has around him, Joey Harrington must show signs of why he was drafted No. 3 overall. If he doesn't, look for veteran Jeff Garcia to be given an opportunity. If anyone knows this system, it's Garcia, but the question is, how much does he have left. Does he still have Pro-Bowl potential or is he more like the guy we saw in Cleveland last year? Expect Kevin Jones to be a major weapon this year, and there is potential for explosiveness at wide receiver. Charles Rogers must stay healthy, and Mike Williams is a rookie who hasn't played in a long time, so they still have some proving to do.
Defensively the Lions are solid up the middle, but overall, not spectacular. And I believe Dick Jauron's passive style of defense will probably ensure that they stay that way. Combine that with a lack of pass rush from the outside and uncertainty at the linebacker position, this unit looks no better than middle-of-the-pack to me.
Chicago - In my opinion, one of the up-and-coming young defenses in the league. Their overall ranking from 2004 is deceptive because of the time they spent on the field and the number of key injuries they suffered, and they have the potential to rank in the top five (overall and in forced turnovers). With a healthy Urlacher, this unit should really flourish. In 2004, they were 5-4 with their starting middle linebacker on the field and 0-7 without him. They also have a healthy Mike Brown returning at safety and Adewale Ogunleye isn't hobbled like he was most of the year. Charles Tillman also looks poised for a Pro-Bowl type season, and early reports have Tommie Harris looking extremely quick and very tough to block at defensive tackle.
On offense, the key will be keeping Grossman healthy, but they have addressed the offensive line, added last year's receiving leader Muhsin Muhammad, and hopefully have something in Cedric Benson, who should be complemented well by the contrasting running style of Thomas Jones. They have also simplified the offense considerably by brining back coordinator Ron Turner.
