A Good Chicago Bears Team Makes A Better Detroit Lions Team

Jay Cutler will make the Chicago Bears better directly, which in turn will make the Detroit Lions better indirectly. A strong conference will make the Lions a better football team.

Contrary to belief, the Bears have had a statically good passing game in recent years. Longtime Bears coach and now offensive coordinator Ron Turner has been behind some of the Bears' most prolific offenses in history. Turner has had success with guys like Eric Kramer and Kyle Orton, so it's a sure bet he will have great numbers with Cutler.

The Lions are going to have to build a solid team to compete with all of the talent in the NFC North. The teams in the north have a good balance offensively, which will force the Lions to build a solid defense that will be able to defend the pass as well as the run. So far, they have been doing just that.

With weapons such as Cutler, Aaron Rodgers, and Adrian Peterson on the opposing teams, the Lions will also have to build an offense that can put some points on the board. With Calvin Johnson on board, that's also a possibility.

The defenses in the NFC North are as good as any division in the NFL. To be successful, the Lions are going to need to be effective on the ground as well as trough the air.

They will need to have good lines on both sides of the ball to win a playoff bid. If the Lions can build a team to win the NFC North, they will have a team that is built for a long playoff run.

Teams tend to play up or down to the level of their competition, and the NFC North is a competitive division...maybe not one that gets the level of media attention the NFC East does, but a competitive division nonetheless. A good division means a better Lions team.