The NFC North appears up for grabs in 2009 with three of the four teams have a legitimate chance of winning the division. But each team also has some major questions that could come back to haunt them.
Can the Vikings repeat as the division champs when the quarterback position is still in doubt? Will Jay Cutler give the Chicago Bears what they have been missing for the past twenty plus years?
Can the Green Bay Packers actually field a defense to help out one of the best offenses in the NFL? Will the Detroit Lions buck the trend and actually win a game in 2009?
Here is a preview of the NFC North for the 2009 season and where they will place, listed from first to last.
Green Bay Packers
The team regressed in 2008, winning only 6 games after reaching the NFC conference game the previous season. One thing was for sure, fans could not fault quarterback Aaron Rodgers who took over for the Packer legend.
During his first season under center, Rodgers completed 63.6% of his passes for 4,038 yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Wide receiver Gregg Jennings led the receiving corps with 80 receptions for 1,292 yards and 9 touchdowns.
The Packers’ offense did suffer a setback in the running game when Ryan Grant got off to a slow start. Though he compiled 1,203 yards by the end of the season, Grant only average 3.9 yards per carry. This was a significant drop off from his 2007 performance of 5.1 yards per carry.
The biggest area of concern for the Packers after the 2008 season was their defense. They were ranked 22nd in the NFL when it came to points allowed per game and 26th in the NFL against the run.
To help improve their defensive scheme against the run and reduce the 131.6 yards per game they were giving up, the Packers drafted two defensive standouts.
Nose tackle B.J. Raji and linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. were brought in to solidify the middle of their defense. If the Packers starters can avoid missing any significant time due to injury in 2009, this unit should be one of the top ten in the NFL.
The Packers are going to be
in contention for the division title through the entire season and will have the inside track if they are able to get out of the gates quickly. Though it will be close, the Packers will end up first in the NFC North and back into the playoffs.
Chicago Bears
When it came to off-season moves, the Bears made one of the biggest movies in franchise history when they traded for Denver Broncos quarterback, Jay Cutler.
There is no doubt that Jay Cutler is one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the NFL. In 2008, he developed into a major talent when he completed 62.3% of his passes for 4,526 yards with 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
In 2008, the Bears passing offense was ranked 21st in the NFL with 191.3 yards per game. The leading receiver on the team was their rookie running back Matt Forte, who led the way with 63 receptions.
The question is if Cutler’s arm is enough to make a less than average Bears receiving corps better than what they are.
To help lighten his load, the Bears would be smart to run the ball more with Forte and Kevin Jones. This would keep the opposing defenses honest and give the Bears receivers a chance at a better match-up.
The backbone of the Bears team has always been their defense and in 2008, the Bears suffered a letdown. Their passing defense was ranked 30th in the NFL, allowing 241.2 yards per game. As a result, the Bears gave up an average of 21.8 points per game.
Their secondary will need to be the healthy of Mike Brown and Nathan Vasher in 209 if they want to see an improvement from last year.
The front line, anchored by Alex Brown, Adewale Ogunleye, and Tommie Harris will need to continue to get more pressure on the quarterback. In 2008, the trio combined for 16 of the team’s 28 total sacks.
According to the NFL writers, Cutler’s arm has already helped locked up the NFC North title, despite the fact he still has no one to catch the ball. The Bears defense should be improved in 2009 and will help keep the division race close until the end of the season.
Minnesota Vikings
The Brett Favre circus rolled through Minnesota during the off-season as the nation watched anxiously to see if he would be their next quarterback. Actually only ESPN seemed to care where Favre ended up.
In the end it was all for nothing and now the Vikings will have to decide if Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels will be able to lead their team back to the playoffs.
One person who is going to make their job a lot easier is running back Adrian Peterson. He gained 1,760 yards in 2008 on 363 carries with 13 touchdowns.
The Vikings will need their wide receivers to step up in 2009 if this offense is going to be a threat to the opposition. Enter in rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin who is going to be used in a variety of formations to keep the defense honest.
The defense of the Vikings was the best in 2008 when it came to defend against the run. The unit only allowed 76.9 yards per game, thanks to the two mountains in the middle, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams.
The Vikings will be impacted from the loss of their fourth leading tackler from 2008, safety Darren Sharper to free agency. The team will need second year player, Tyrell Johnson to step up in his place.
Despite their solid defense, this team is still a ship without a rudder until they find a quarterback who can lead their unit on the field. Jackson and Rosenfels do not have what it takes.
As a result, this is going to cripple their chances to return to the playoffs and finish a disappointing third in the NFC North.
Detroit Lions
What can be said about the 2008 season of the Detroit Lions that has not already been mentioned since they finished the season without a single win.
Overall, the Lions offensive unit finished 30th in the league, averaging 83.3 yards on the ground and 185 yards per game through the air. As a result, Lions management made the decision to focus on offense in the 2009 NFL draft.
The selected quarterback Matt Stafford and tight end Brandon Pettigrew in the first round. Though Stafford and Daunte Culpepper are going to battle it out for the starting spot, Stafford is the future and will be starting before the year is over.
If Stafford is going to succeed in 2009, it will be because of Calvin Johnson, who is one of the top five wide receivers in the game. On the ground, the Lions are going to rely upon a solid tandem of Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris.
When you talk about their defense, the Lions were absolutely awful. They were dead last in the NFL when it came to points allowed, 32.3 per game, while giving up 172.1 yards on the ground per game.
To help address this, the Lions made several key additions to the linebacker spot, bringing in Larry Foote and Julian Peterson. The only question is if their defensive line can put enough pressure on the opposition to free these guys up.
Detroit Lions fans should not get taken in by the success the Dolphins and Ravens had in 2008. The most they should expect from this team is four wins in 2009 and another top five pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
