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Obviously, after last season, the NFCN had two of the best teams in the league. (GB, and the Bears). The Lions showed some promise last year, and I really think they would have been tough without their QB injuries. This year, their D-line makes my teeth chatter. Barring any gaffs, I think they will also be a top tier team.
So I think that three of the toughest teams in football will be in the NFCN. What are your thoughts?
How big of a hill to climb is this season going to be.
I think the packers and bears take a step back while the lions more up. The vikings will be the bottom feeders of the NFCN. I think the lions are getting much better throught the draft than the packers and bears have.
I tend to agree, but I'm not quite sure about the pack. I think we'll be fighting it out with the Lions for a wild card spot this year as #2 in the division.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4th and 26
This division looks tough this year.
I am thinking more of the superbowl hangover that will hurt them this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by blinddeafmute
who are you guys fooling??? Christian Ponder is gonna set the world on ff..... bwahaha who am I kidding... vikes suck and Detroit did get scary on Defense.
I don't see this team having a hangover, nor do I see us taking a step back this season. This team has what most other Super Bowl winners from previous seasons didn't: depth. MASSIVE depth. We didn't even need a draft this season to contend next season, and we end up having a very good draft. There are at least 3 potential future starters, some of which will likely see a good amount of play time this season playing backup roles and filling in for injuries. Throw in the 15 players we had on IR and we're going to have a hell of a lot of competition in training camp (assuming there is one?).Quote:
Originally Posted by 4th and 26
I see the Packers and Bears as the teams to beat in the North once again
The Packers had a good draft, regain their mass of IR players, and should pick up where they left off in Dallas.
The Bears added much needed offensive line help which may give Cutler more than 1/1,000,000th of a second to throw the ball (though I expected them to take more than one). They still without a doubt need to add a playmaker or two on offense as well. Offense was your biggest issue last season (namely protecting Cutler), yet you draft mostly defense and...........a QB? Depending on who they add via FA, I see them as the same as or slightly better than last season (if they get no playmakers) or much better than last season (if they get at least 1).
The Lions had a very good draft, but that's to be expected when you're picking at #13. You're SUPPOSED to be getting high quality players, which they did. However, they still did jack squat to improve their protection of Stafford (the most brittle QB in the entire league) or their excessively porous defensive backfield in a pass happy NFC North. I've seen a lot of people putting them at #2 behind the Packers, I still put them at #3 because they're still the Lions until they prove otherwise.
And finally the Vikings, whose entire season now rests in the hands of a rookie QB in a division filled with the likes of Clay Matthews, Brian Urlacher, and Ndamukong Suh. To say I don't envy this young man at all is, to be frank, an understatement. They would have been better off drafting non-QB talent in this draft and shanking this season to join the Luck sweepstakes next season. However, they made their bed and shall sleep in it. Perhaps we can pitch in and get them a padded door mat so they're a more comfy at #4?
The North will definitely be one of, if not the most competitive division in all of football once agian.
Agree completely. Any team can surprise to the upside and any team can melt down (hello, Dallas Cowboys) in a given year, but it's pretty likely that the Vikings will be trolling the bottom of the NFC North. I doubt Tavaris Ponder has Urlacher, Suh, or Matthews losing any sleep in worry right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by GrizzlyBear91
We know the Pack are gonna be healthier and very tough. Detroit's D looks formidable...if they can protect Stafford, there's no reason they won't win 10 games. NFCN should be a very tough division this year with 3 teams likely fighting for 2 playoff berths.
Tthe pack got to draft out of luxury, the bears necessity, the lions at positions of strength, yet not need and the vikes did so out of desperation. The thought process by each team should show how they're gonna do next year, regardless of any surprises from the draftees.
I think last year was one of those exceptions where the NFC was weak. Nobody really dominated in the NFC over the other teams like the patriots did in the AFC. 5 of the 6 NFC playoff teams I felt could have made it to the superbowl except for Seattle. I will say it was very impressive of the packers winning all of their games on the road. This year I think teams will step up and suprise us and some will take a step back. I think the lions and the packers will be fighting for the division unless stafford gets broken again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Evernight
I think the NFCS was considered the toughest last year but they got exposed in the playoffs. I don't think there's much question that the NFCN will be this year on the basis of the Packers and Bears alone who to me showed they were the two top teams in the NFL last year.