NFL 2007 Preview: NFC North

Clearly the worst division in the NFL, the NFC North is accented with the worst-run franchise in sports and an organization that can’t let go of the past no matter how much ineptitude slaps them in the face. Oh, and they have one of the “elite” teams in the conference. You know, the one that couldn’t beat most of last year’s AFC playoff teams if they had Tim Donaghy refereeing the game.

CHICAGO BEARS (9-7)

OFFENSE: With Rex Grossman on the field, the Bears’ offense will be similar to what it was last year, except without the ridiculous luck. Berrian and Muhammad simply are not the kinds of receivers that can make up for a QB like Grossman’s lack of skill. On top of it all, they dropped Thomas Jones for an unknown quantity in Cedric Benson. He could turn out great, it’s true but, if he fails, they’re left with the fake Adrian Peterson to shoulder the burden. It won’t be pretty, but neither is their competition, so they’ll eke out nine wins.

DEFENSE: Chicago sweated a Lance Briggs holdout but, now that he’s back, they can breathe a sigh of relief. He’s not necessarily the star of the defense, of course, but he’s a solid anchor in their scheme. Now that he’s playing, one of the best defenses in the NFL is virtually the same as the one that led them to the Super Bowl last year. They should be almost as good, but the removal of Ron Rivera as defensive coordinator is a huge blow and it’s unknown whether they can fully recover.

It’s too bad the Bears didn’t have Trent Dilfer as their quarterback. Now there’s a guy who knows how to win a Super Bowl with a talentless offense and a superior defense. Alas, it’s sexy Rexy and that doesn’t bode well for a return trip. The defense will try as hard as they can, but the offense will have to put up more than three points in a game for their efforts to make a difference.

DETROIT LIONS (4-12)

OFFENSE: With John Kitna behind center, you know you’re in for a treat. I’ve heard the song and dance about really good receivers being the difference but, much like the Texans, without an offensive line, there’s no way they’ll have any more time to run a route than they have in the past few years. Tatum Bell is no more an answer to their rushing woes than Ruben Droughns was for Cleveland. Just because a running back does well in Denver, guys, doesn’t mean you have to trade away your all-pro cornerback and a draft pick. That’s just plain silly. I’ll gladly take it, but c’mon.

DEFENSE: Does anything get better on defense for the Lions? Nope and, in fact, it is a much worse situation. Granted, their DTs are both pretty good, but there are nine other players that have to do something other than stand there for the team to be successful. They have a new defensive coordinator, which could be a good thing. However, my understanding is that he’s going to be running a more conservative defense, which is not the kind style that they need.

It’s kicking a dead horse, but the Lions aren’t going to start seeing any success until Matt Millen is gone. The awful decisions he has made have destroyed this team from the ground up. Keep in mind that, before Millen’s time, Barry Sanders elected to retire from football rather than play for the Lions. Millen has made things much worse there. It’s almost as if he’s being paid to make them lose so they can move the team. If, by some miracle, they manage to eke out a few extra wins and make the playoffs, it’ll be just like the plot to Major League.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-10)

OFFENSE: Favre again?! It’s cute and all that the Packers organization let’s Favre keep playing, but it’s time to send the old horse to the glue factory. He had a great run, but it’s time to go and it’s time for Aaron Rodgers to step in and be the future of the franchise. There was minimal change in the offense this year, except they have absolutely nobody at running back worth suiting up. Donald Driver and Bubba Franks are both still good, though neither is a spring chicken, and it’ll be nice to see them out on the field trying to catch all the passes that Favre throws into the dirt in front of them and trying to tackle the defenders who have intercepted the ball. They’ll both be trying really hard.

DEFENSE: There’s more young talent on the defensive side than the offensive, especially in A.J. Hawk, who will be great, but not enough to sustain. Their cornerbacks are both good, but they’re very old and there isn’t much to replace them.

Favre and the Packers organization seem to believe that this season is about winning now, not the future. If this is the case, though, why stick with Favre. I would take any starter in the league over the once-great player, and a lot of the backups. If the organization believes that there’s gas in Favre’s tank, why didn’t they take steps to actually improve the team, rather than moves like letting both their running backs go.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-8)

OFFENSE: Although their quarterback situation is one giant question mark, they have good receivers and a great 1-2 punch in the backfield. Between Chester Taylor and the real Adrian Peterson, they should have one of the top rushing attacks in the league. Their receivers are young and unproven but, if Tavarius Jackson (who I believe will be starting) can get comfortable in the system and settle down, he has the athletic ability to take this offense to some good places.

DEFENSE: On the opposite side of the rush is gold, as well. Pat and Kevin Williams are two of the best run-stopping DTs in the league, and they’ll be dominant. There are questions elsewhere, in the linebackers and in the age of the secondary, but they are making good strides. They may well be below average in total defense this year, but nobody will run up the middle on them.

Brad Childress and the Vikings organization have taken some good steps away from the disgraces of the Mike Tice regime from a couple years ago, and those steps will translate on the field. Right now, they may not look like much, but they’ll be significantly better than they were last year, and they should get better and better over the next few years.

Up next is the NFC South. Can the Saints repeat their successes even though they aren’t the story of the year anymore? Will fans finally stop booing Joey Harrington now that he’s starting for the Falcons (the answer to this: no)…find out tomorrow.