The Bears and Packers are the well-known names of the division with the Bears clinching one Super Bowl title in 1985 in Super Bowl XX whilst the Packers have won one Super Bowl in each of the past two decades with their tally standing at two. The Vikings have had numerous playoff berths throughout their history but have never won the big game although last season they returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. With the Packers being consistent year in year out, the Vikings surprising and looking to prove they aren't going anywhere, the Bears looking to bounce back after falling from 7-1 to 10-6 in 2012 meaning they missed out on the playoffs and the Lions hoping their talents finally shine through after a disappointing season. With all four teams feeling like they have a realistic chance of winning the division let us preview the NFC North for this season. It's hard to call especially in this division and although all have a shot at making the playoffs look out for my season prediction for these teams to see how I think they'll fair in 2013:
Minnesota Vikings:
The Vikings ended the 2012 season with a crucial 4 game winning streak to reach the playoffs and shock everyone. One of the surprise stories of the season was Adrian Peterson has he literally carried Minnesota to the post-season by rushing for 2,097 yards just 9 short of Eric Dickerson's long standing record. In 2013 Peterson believes he can hit the 2,500 mark and while personally I think he can beat the record I don't think that the 2,500 number being thrown around is possible.
The reason for that is not because AP can't do it but because the Vikings need to throw the football in order to build on their surprisingly successful 2012. Nobody thought that they would compete like they did and nobody believed Peterson would have such a sensational return and impact like he did. Although defensive planning won't complete stop him the opposition have had all of the off-season to look at the Vikings offense and study it so that if they do rely on the ground game again it won't work to the same devastating effect. The likes of tight end Kyle Rudolph are good options to have in the offense but now Christian Ponder has been given a dynamic receiving weapon in the shape of Greg Jennings he needs to step up in his third season in the league and have a break out year; you can see in preseason he's making the effort to attempt to throw the football down the field which is good to see.
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| AP & the Vikings will be looking to defy the odds again |
I feel that Ponder has been unfairly criticised at times as he is a young guy and that so far what he has done in two years has been good. Yes he may not have taken the league by the storm such as the likes of Andrew Luck, RG3 or Cam Newton but Ponder was a part of helping the Vikings getting back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. In his second season his touchdowns went up from 13 to 18 whilst his interceptions dropped from 13 to 12 despite the fact he played 5 more games in 2012 as opposed to 2011 and attempted almost 200 more passes. Ponder's quarterback rating also increased from 70.1 to 81.2 so it is clear to see he is developing but due to the fact that the NFL has such high expectations this could be a make or break year for him as a Viking. The Vikings were underdogs last year but now whether they like it or not expectations have risen for this franchise as the fans look for them to deliver a successful 2013 and while it may seem tough for them to achieve despite the fact they have talent on both sides of the ball to so. Regardless of what happens this season the Vikings a well-run organisation that should stand them in good stead for the future. All those associated with the franchise will be hoping that Minnesota returns to the post-season come the turn of the new year but although their general play should improve it seems likely that they'll take a backwards step in terms of their record and where they finish within the NFC North.
Season prediction: 6-10. 4th in NFC North.
Green Bay Packers:
Just like the way people say the Patriots will always compete while they have Tom Brady as their quarterback the same will apply for the Green Bay Packers for as many years as they have Aaron Rodgers as their QB. The Packers are well equipped on both sides of the ball with their defense ranking 11th and their offense ranking 13th in net total yardage. They have a healthy Clay Matthews this year which automatically boosts their chances and a very promising first-round draft pick in Datone Jones so their defense will either remain solid or improve in 2013 as well as Eddie Lacy who will help them in the running game which if anything is probably one thing the Packers needed to improve from an offensive point of view.
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| Can Rodgers help Green Bay go all the way? |
Despite a tough 2012 season for the Packers which saw them questioned pretty much throughout the year especially after a controversial defeat in week 3 against the Seahawks you would have to say that heading in to 2013 they are one of the main early season Super Bowl contenders and it would be very hard to bet against Mike McCarthy's men winning a third NFC North title this season. Green Bay are the team to beat in this division and you could also suggest it very likely that the Packers are in position to compete for a bye to the divisional round in the playoffs despite the fact they are in a competitive NFC North and have a tough schedule which includes games against the NFC East teams as well as a week one encounter against the San Francisco 49ers who were the team that defeated them in last season's divisional round. While missing wildcard week has not always been a blessing for many teams in the playoffs in recent years you would have to say playing that extra game last year was what ultimately cost the Packers against the Niners so securing their passage to the divisional round may be crucial to Green Bay's chances of winning the Super Bowl considering how competitive and tough the NFC is.
Season prediction: 11-5. 1st in NFC North.
Detroit Lions:
The Lions suffered an abysmal 2012 season finishing 4-12 which was majorly disappointing for all those associated with the franchise after their 10-6 finish in 2011 which saw them make the playoffs. This Lions roster has plenty of talent but is in danger of becoming just another what could have been type of team if they don't step up to the plate this season. I went out on a limb last season and predicted the Lions to finish 10-6 last year but bad luck as well as bad performances went hand in hand as the Lions dropped back to last place in the NFC North.
The one positive for Detroit was that Calvin Johnson aka 'Megatron' as he captured the record for the most receiving yards in a single season with 1,964 yards. Megatron became the first player in NFL history to have consecutive seasons with at least 1,600 yards receiving as well as tying Michael Irvin's record for most 100 receiving yard games in a single season with 11. Despite another successful season for Johnson Detroit's misfortunes reflected especially on himself and quarterback Matthew Stafford from an offensive point of view with the pair both drastically declining in terms of touchdowns. After the team pulled their 2012 record back to 4-5 they then lost 9 in a row and once out of realistic playoff contention it appeared the Lions were more set on helping Megatron break the receiving yards record than working the team's mishaps. I'm not taking anything away from Calvin Johnson as breaking that long-standing record was an incredible achievement but a man of his calibre should be hauling in more than 5 touchdown passes as he is possibly the most naturally gifted wide receiver of all time as he possesses the entire skill-set to break many records. In 2011 he had 16 touchdown receptions and Matthew Stafford had an outstanding 41 touchdowns from the quarterback position but once again a man with his talents put up a lousy 2012 campaign as he dropped to just 20 touchdown passes and up on his interceptions by one from 16 to 17.
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| Stafford & Megatron need to be back to their best in 2013 |
In 2013 it is hard to predict how Jim Schwartz's team will do as he needs to make sure this talented roster succeeds. Most of the team are being paid well but they are young so he needs to make sure that they keep a good head on their shoulders so that they can compete in this division. Despite the obvious talents of Megatron and although it may sound obvious I believe any success this Lions team has come down to Matthew Stafford because he has come under criticism after last year and he should be bouncing back as he probably has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. In the NFC North you could argue the quarterback position is more important than most hence the Vikings needing Ponder to step up, the Bears needing Cutler to perform and Rodgers pretty much always guiding the Packers to success. Stafford needs to return to the high standard we saw in 2011 in order for Detroit to compete and considering they have now added Reggie Bush to the run game it gives them something new plus on defense they have possibly the best defensive tackle pairing with Suh and Fairley so if Detroit's best players step up then they could cause a headache in this division.
Season prediction: 8-8. 3rd in NFC North.
Chicago Bears:
The thing that makes the NFC North so easy to write about is how tough it is to predict but how many factors it has in it. Sadly for Chicago they are in the boat where they are the kind of team many people put faith in year in and year out yet they keep failing to deliver and you don't have to go any further than last season when the team fell from a fantastic 7-1 start to finish 10-6 and 3rd in the division with the collapse causing former head coach Lovie Smith to be fired in his 9th season in charge of the team.
The 2013 season sees Marc Trestman in his first year in charge of the Bears. Trestman's Bears are getting a lot of hype from many but he will need the likes of Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall to get things going if this Chicago team are to go places. The Bears have only had four playoff appearances since the turn of the millennium so Trestman has pressure on him to succeed already. Thankfully for quarterback Jay Cutler his new head coach should be able to tutor him and help him improve his game with the 30 year old coming off of decent 2012 campaign which saw him throw 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Brandon Marshall hauled in 11 of Cutler's 19 TD passes last season and as everyone knows the two have a great rapport but Trestman's biggest job will be to make sure it is just as effective but that the Bears don't rely on the partnership as it then becomes predictable so implementing someone like new tight end Martellus Bennett would be great to help the Bears' passing game as well as their run game. They have Matt Forte at running back that at the age of 27 should really be having one of the best seasons in his career especially after rushing for 1,094 yards in 2012 which was his highest total since he came in to the league as a rookie in 2008.
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| Can Trestman deliver in his 1st season as Chicago's HC? |
Judging how the Bears will do in 2013 is hard especially as they are up against three other teams who are all going to be very competitive. The difference maker for the Bears for them in-particular for me will be how they compete against the NFC East teams in those divisional crossover matchups as the Lions, Vikings and Packers all offer something dynamic but in their own unique way whereas I believe the Bears will have to rely on a tough defense if they are to have a successful season this year. The offense needs improvement and Marc Trestman will be able to steady that ship but new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker has lot of talent on his side of the ball with the likes of Corey Wootton, Tim Jennings and Lance Briggs to name a few. Tucker will need to utilize his defensive players in order for the Bears to succeed as if they can maintain the 5th ranked defense in the league or better they'll have a chance of reaching the post-season. It goes without saying that a successful NFL team needs all of its players to chip in so that can happen but with no real superstar player on the Bears team they all need to step up; to be honest this could be a blessing disguise and although it will be tough if their players step up a trip back to the post-season could be a genuine possibility but if so it'll be through a wildcard spot.
Season prediction: 9-7. 2nd in NFC North
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