How the NFC North Will Be Won

The NFC North in the 2009 season will have a much different look than it did from a year ago.

The Minnesota Vikings are the reigning division champions, and are looking to keep that title. They have explosive players at a variety of positions, which will always create match up problems for defenses. Their biggest question mark is their situation at QB.

The Chicago Bears had some serious troubles last season, and are looking to rebound. With the addition of Jay Cutler and Orlando Pace, you can tell that Chicago is looking to win now.

The fabled Bear defense took a step back last season, but being on the field for so long, how could they not? Would it be too early to say that Lovie Smith could be on the hot seat?

The Green Bay Packers have really fallen from grace. Coming off of a 13-3 season and a trip to the NFC Championship, there were high expectations. The Packers had the youngest football team for three consecutive years and fans were eagerly awaiting the payoff.

Aaron Rodgers played exceptionally, considering the amount of pressure and stress he was under to perform at a high level. The defense on the other hand completely collapsed time and time again.

Of course, this prompted the hiring of Dom Capers and brought forth the transition to the 3-4 Defense.

The Detroit Lions were in the cellar of the NFC North last season, and that is to be expected if you are the first team in NFL History to finish the regular season 0-16. Matt Millen was finally dethroned, and that was the first sign that the Lions were ready to move forward.

The bad news? There is a lot of work ahead of them. The good news? There isn't any direction to go except up.

I would like to ask you to follow me through a team-by-team analysis and to witness how the NFC North will be won.

The Minnesota Vikings

How They Can Win It:

The Minnesota Vikings are a team on the verge of winning a championship, but are in dire need of consistent QB play. Adrian Peterson is a man on fire, and Bernard Berrian is a great threat to compliment that running game.

Chester Taylor is vastly under rated in many league circles and is constantly proving that the Vikings have one of the best one-two punches in the league.

The Vikings will need to play smash mouth football to stay ahead of the Bears and the Packers in the upcoming season. In the draft, the Vikings chose a versatile player in Harvin who will be responsible for taking a lot of pressure off of Peterson and Taylor.

If the Vikings could sign QB Brett Favre, his presence would only help Peterson even more. With the addition of Favre in New York, Thomas Jones was able to flourish.

Play smart, and the division is theirs for the taking.

How They Can Lose It:
In all honesty, I see Head Coach Brad Childress as a liability to this football team. This team is brimming with talent and the end result was a 10-6 season? I may be nitpicking, but I honestly believe that team is better than 10-6.

The Vikings also can't allow themselves to paint themselves out of the picture early. The NFL won its suite against Star Caps, and it looks like Pat and Kevin Williams will be sitting out for the first four games.

The Vikings schedule shows that their Week One through Four opponents consist of: @ the Browns, @ the Lions, the 49ers, and the Packers.

All winnable games for this Vikings team. It is vital that they start off fast and when the Williams Wall returns, the momentum will only continue to build.

2009 Prediction Sure To Go Wrong:
The Vikings glide to a second straight division title, winning 12 of their 16 games. Suffer a close defeat in the NFCCG.

The Chicago Bears

How They Can Win It:

The Chicago Bears haven't been the same since that Super Bowl loss to Indianapolis. Chicago has had one of the most unstable QB situations in the league for many years, and finally addressed that need by trading for former Denver QB, Jay Cutler.

One thing the Bears learned for certain last year was that Matt Forte was everything that they had hoped, plus some. Not only was he able to rush effectively behind a shabby line and inconsistent QB play, but one could argue that he was also the biggest receiving threat as well.

LT, Orlando Pace isn't what he used to be. But before his arrival, Chicago's projected O-Line was the "Who's Who" of mediocre talent at best. Olin Kreutz was the only guy they could really trust to play at a high level.

The key for the Chicago Bears is to not get too one sided. I am sure Lovie will be eager to test out his new franchise QB early and often, but Forte will lead the way.

How They Can Lose It:

All phases of the Chicago Bears team needs to improve in the upcoming season, and the decision to give one area less attention than the others could prove fatal.

Lovie Smith could be, in fact, fighting for his job. There is absolutely no room for error.

The offense, while it ranked higher in 2008 than it did in 2008 (ranked 27th in 2007, and 26th in 2008), they very rarely were able to get off the field in a timely fashion. They just could not sustain drives.

The ineptitude of the offense to keep the chains moving forced the defense to be on the field for longer periods of time. The fatigue settled in earlier than it usually would, and with a generally aging defense, it cause many problems for the Bears team.

Everyone knows that the shelf life KR/PR is pretty short. The great Devin Hester is no exception to what many call the Dante Hall Syndrome.

As Hester's reps lining up at WR increased, his production as a KR decreased. I think my math and science teachers would be proud knowing that I can point out inverse relationships in the NFL.

2009 Prediction Sure To Go Wrong:

The Cutler Experiment doesn't pan out in year one. Lovie Smith becomes unemployed.

The Green Bay Packers

How They Can Win It:

Mike McCarthy needs to use his brain, first and foremost. Going into the 2009 NFL Draft, most analysts had the Packers looking for a RB. I am more than happy that we decided to look the other way (although we did choose FB, Quinn Johnson).

The Packers have good depth at running back, and they just aren't aware of it. Ryan Grant is able to pound the rock.

Last season, in which he was hurt for half the season, he was still able to eclipse the 1,200 yard mark. Brandon Jackson started slow his rookie year, but has proven to be that change-of-pace back that the Packers need.

Pound the rock!

It is vital that the Packers find the right combination of players to fill out the starting O-Line. The last few seasons, McCarthy has been randomly pulling names out of a hat, and starting that player at G or T. In order to have success, the Packers will need to find that perfect combination.

How They Can Lose It:

The Packers must remain loyal to the running game. Aaron Rodgers has a great arm, and one of the best WR corps from top to bottom. Mike McCarthy MUST resist the urge to throw the ball up 50 times every game.

The fate of this team also depends on how well the defense will transition to the 3-4 under Dom Capers.

The Packers had a lot of talent that fit the 4-3, and the ability to learn the new system will be key. I am especially excited to see how Kampman, a premier 4-3 end, transitions. Only time will tell.

The biggest problem from 2008? The inability to close out games. The Packers lost an astounding seven games by four points or less. This stat alone makes up for the drop off from '07 to '08. The magic was gone.

2009 Prediction Sure To Go Wrong:

The Packers finish second in the division, earning a wild-card playoff berth. Greg Jennings solidifies his place as an elite WR with 1,200 yards, 10 TD, and a pro bowl selection.

The Detroit Lions

How They Can Win It:

Let's get serious for a second...The Lions won't be winning the division in 2009. To put a positive spin on this, even winning one game this year would be relief enough for this franchise and disgruntled fan base.

And if I am keeping score, I would say the Lions have already "won." Firing Matt Millen was as much a victory for the rest of the NFL as it was for the Detroit faithful.

The Lions do have one shining star though. Calvin Johnson is nothing less than a freak of nature. I feel bad for him that he got drafted by Detroit, but he will end up being the savior of this franchise. No matter who is throwing the ball to him.

The ball gets snapped. The ball gets thrown. Calvin Johnson catches ball. Megatron runs into the end zone. That is how the Detroit Lions offense should operate in the upcoming season.

How They Can Lose It:

Starting Matthew Stafford from Week One would be a huge mistake.

Firstly, Daunte Culpepper has been working his tail off this offseason and is looking great thus far. I would love to see a Culpepper resurgence. He has been treated horribly as he has been fighting to return from a devastating knee injury.

Plus, the Lions did little to nothing to solve their horrid O-Line issues. Whomever is playing QB is going to be taking a lot of hits. If the Lions choose to use Stafford as the punching bag, they could be sacrificing a lot more than a few wins in '09.

The Lions may also suffer if they can't change the atmosphere in the locker room. Even though the Lions have a lot of work ahead of them, they need to change how they go about their every day activities.

I am sure coach Schwartz has been hard at work with this already, but a whole new mentality needs to be brought to this team. Think Tony Dungy and his time with the Buccaneers.

2009 Prediction Sure To Go Wrong:

The Detroit Lions win five games and the pro bowl eludes Calvin Johnson once more.