2014 NFC North
Predictions
Green Bay • 11-5
Chicago • 9-7
Detroit • 9-7
Minnesota • 8-8
Packers need steady "D" to
make a deep playoff run.
Offense, killer. Special teams and
defense are filler (and scary).
Detroit has new smart coach,
but they're really just dumb.
New coach and a surprising new
Purple and Gold?
Green Bay Packers
Featuring one of the the best quarterbacks in the NFL (Aaron Rogers),
the Packers are still the favorites to win the division again in 2014.
However, head coach Mike McCarthy needs to find a way to get past the
San Francisco 49ers (and maybe the Carolina Panthers), who are still the
NFC football favorites. With a second tier (and oft-injured) offensive line,
the Pack will need to get creative to advance deep into the playoffs.
Defensive guru Dom Capers is on the hot seat and needs to prove the
green and gold can be consistent defending the run. The Packers are a given to win the division, only injuries may hold them back.
Chicago Bears
Yes, Coach Marc Trestman has built an offensive powerhouse. As
always, the o-line will have to keep it up to protect quarterback Jay
Cutler to make the magic happen. As good as the offense looked in the
pre-season, the Bears' aging and historically bad defense will likely break
down as the season hits the halfway mark. That will be scary (again).
And we won't depress you by discussing the special teams. Ouch. Faced
with a tough 2014 schedule, the Monsters Of The Midway will need to
stay healthy and get a few lucky bounces (and win a bunch of shoot-outs) to vie for a WildCard berth to the playoffs. We're crossing our fingers and toes. And knocking wood!
Detroit Lions
After a late-season collapse last year, the Lions seem ready to
bounce back this season. They won't. With fourth-year defensive
lineman Nick Fairley of Auburn teamed up with pro-bowler (and
chief knucklehead) Ndamukong Suh, the Lions defense is as good
as any in the NFC, but they're likely to be penalized into NFL oblivion. If quarterback Matthew Stafford can grow-up a little, with
proven running back Reggie Bush returning, the Lions offense could
put some points on the board. Detroit was one of the most penalized teams in NFL last year,
they'll need to cut back on the yellow flags to battle the Bears for an NFC North Wild-Card
berth. Perhaps their likeable new coach Jim Caldwell can fix that. But we think stupid
is in the Lions DNA. Sorry, Motor City.
Minnesota Vikings
With head coach Leslie Frazier gone (and Mike Zimmer in the fold),
the Vikings may surprise other teams like they did in 2012. After a dismal 2013, the new Vikings are led by the all-new QB Matt Cassel, who
still appears to be an average play-caller. But with offensive coordinator Norv Turner calling plays and one of the top NFL running-backs
(Adrian Peterson) in his backfield, the Vikings could be potent. Like
all the "Norris division" teams, the offensive line will also have to protect Cassel to have any measure of success. With a slew of solid, noname starting offensive receivers surrounding awesome 2nd-year WR
Cordarrelle Patterson, the Vikings will need a few new defensive wrinkles to make a Wild
Card run at the playoffs. Facing superior competition in the NFC North, the Vikings may
still have a tough time. But they also may also be one of those NFL Cinderella teams jettisoned into the playoffs by the hiring of coach Zimmer.
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48 illinoisentertainer.com september 2014