NFC North prediction 2012

NFC North

The NFC North might have sent three teams to the playoffs last season if not for an injury to Jay Cutler in Chicago. I think those same three teams will be in the mix this year in arguably the league’s most competitive division. I think the Packers keep the regular season crown, but there won’t be as big a gap as there was in 2011 and I don’t expect another Super Bowl run for the green and gold either.

Green Bay Packers: I don’t think Green Bay matches its 15-1 mark from a year ago and I’m not sure I even feel it for a dominant run. The Packers still have some gaping holes in the defensive backfield and I’m surprised the front office didn’t do more in the offseason to address a non-existent run game (Cedric Benson is a stopgap, not an answer). But the passing game is amazing and it’ll be enough to propel the Pack to a division championship.

Chicago Bears: I have been all over Detroit the last two seasons and I still think the Lions have more upside than this year’s Bears. But I love the Cutler-to-Marshall combo and the defense, while aging in some key spots, is still pretty good. This is a veteran team built to win now and it is a playoff team.

Detroit Lions: This still up-and-coming team has some fantastic offensive weapons and I think over the next couple years the Lions will mature into a team that can compete for division championships and playoff runs for several years to come. The offseason police blotter screams immaturity to me and I think those issues will help cause Detroit to fall back to around the .500 mark for one season. There is playoff upside here, but I’m guessing they finish one notch out.

Minnesota Vikings: I like the Vikings’ draft and most of what the team did in the offseason, particularly in putting one person in charge of personnel decisions. That said, this team is still suffering the fallout of going all-in on 2009. While there are some interesting young pieces in place, Minnesota is still the fourth best team in the NFC North and it isn’t close. If the Vikings win six games this year and show improvement it will be a good season.