On the other side of the ball, the Vikings were ranked dead last, 32nd, in passing yards allowed with 264 yards per game. The Vikings made a few moves to fill their holes.
They did sign former Bear Bernard Berrian at wide out and drafted a safety, Tyrell Johnson, in the second round. They also signed cornerback Benny Sapp and safety Madieu Williams.
The Vikings' season hinges on Jackson's development as a quarterback. They have the running attack to force defenses to play run first, which will provide Jackson with plenty of play action opportunities.
The addition of Berrian adds a deep ball threat to the offense and could be an excellent weapon coming off of play action. Their run defense ought to be excellent again, as they added DE Jared Allen to an already stout front.
But their Achille's heel is the passing attack on both sides of the ball. The Vikings should run right over the weaker teams on their schedule, but teams like the Colts, Saints, Giants and even Cardinals will take full advantage of their weak secondary. If the Packers struggle, expect Minnesota to come out of the North.
3.) Chicago Bears (5 to 9 wins)
The Bears were a big disappointment last season. Just removed from a Super Bowl appearance, they only won seven games and failed to make the playoffs.
The continuing quarterback carousel did produce 3,362 yards through the air, solid by most standards. But turnovers kept the Bears from getting back to the playoffs. The passing game tossed 21 interceptions, compared to only 18 touchdowns.
It didn't help that the run game faded away without Thomas Jones, gaining only 3.1 yards per rush in 2007. Even worse, their once reliable and fierce defense also struggled. The Bears' defense ranked 27th in passing yards allowed and 24th in rushing yards allowed, though they were only 16th in points allowed.
The Bears did make an effort to improve, but it probably won't pay off this year. They drafted 12 players this year, though four were in the seventh round. They ought to be able to find a number of solid players in that crop.
Cedric Benson has apparently lost weight and is in better shape coming into this season than last. Lets see if the lost pounds combine with another season's experience for better results.
But, the Bears let go of their leading receiver, Bernard Berrian. Their second leading receiver, the other Adrian Peterson, is a running back. Rookie wide out Earl Bennett will probably have to step in and start right away.
The Bears are have too many questions surrounding them to be considered contenders at this point. Their quarterback situation is still very shaky. Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton will be competing, again, for the starting spot.
Orton and Grossman have been in the league long enough now to expect consistency, whether they deliver is another story.
The Bears' defense wants to prove that last season was a fluke and they are still one of the toughest units in the league, but a drop off that far in a weak division leads me to believe that they might not bounce back all the way this year.
If the rest of the division struggles, the Bears could make a run for the postseason. However, they do not have enough pop on offense to overcome a suddenly mediocre defense. Their uncertainty drops them to third in the division.
4.) Detroit Lions (4 to 7 wins)
Lions' quarterback Jon Kitna was laughed at when he said his team would be disappointed if they didn't win 10 games. Despite a strong start and a productive offense, the Lions fell flat at the end of the year, winning just seven games.
Kitna did his best, throwing for 4,068 yards, but the Lions still had trouble keeping pressure off of him when they needed to. Kitna was sacked 51 times this year, which is still an improvement over the 63 sacks given up last year.
This was one of the reasons Mike Martz was fired. Throwing that much under pressure leads to turnovers and Kitna threw 20 picks, fumbled the ball 17 times and lost it six times for 26 turnovers on the year.
Their defense remains terrible. The Lions were dead last in points allowed, yards allowed and second to last in passing yards allowed. It is impossible to win in the NFL without protecting your quarterback or playing defense.
The Lions have made some moves during the off-season. They traded their best defensive player Shaun Rodgers to the Browns for draft picks. They did sign cornerbacks Travis Fisher from the Rams and Brian Kelly from Tampa Bay. These two will give Detroit a boost in pass coverage.
The Lions used their first round pick on tackle Gosder Cherilus. Expect him to see alot of playing time this season, as the Lions' offensive line couldn't be much worse.
The Lions have a very talented and deep passing attack. Four Lions receivers had over 600 yards receiving, Roy Williams, Shaun McDonald, Calvin Johnson and Mike Furrey. Kitna can make plays with his arm, but he needs more time in the pocket.
The abuse he has taken during his two seasons with Detroit has been brutal and it will continue to wear him down if the Lions don't fix their blocking. Still, I don't think the Lions have enough firepower to overcome their defense. Fisher and Kelly will give Detroit some improved coverage, but they are not stars.
They still won't have much help over the top from the safety spot and neither can be expected to improve the run defense.
The Lions have improved over the past two years, but there is more work to be done. Despite Kitna's best efforts, their lack of pass protection or defense will keep them from becoming serious contenders this season.
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