The NFC North is a division that has some of the oldest rivalries in the NFL. The Bears, Lions, and Packers are among the original NFL franchises, and each have a storied history.
The Minnesota Vikings did not join the league until the 1960s, but assimilated well into the division’s rivalries. This year marks the first time since 1992 that a certain Hall-of-Fame QB in Green Bay will not be taking the field.
The Packers have been the dominant team in the division since Favre became their quarterback. The Packers won seven divisional titles during his tenure, and they won over 60 percent of their divisional games.
Which team seizes control of the division going forward is going to be a very interesting development.
Here is how I see the 2008 season playing out in the NFC North.
1) Minnesota Vikings
'07 Record: 8-8
Points Scored: 365 (15th)
Points Allowed: 311 (12th)
Playoff Result: N/A
2008 Strength of Schedule: 141-115 (.551) (T-fourth in NFL)
Strengths
The Minnesota Vikings were the best in the league at running the football, and they were also the best in the league at stopping the run.
Let’s start with the offense. Adrian Peterson had a tremendous season. He rushed for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns, despite only starting nine games. He was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Included in that mammoth total was a 296-yard rushing performance against San Diego, which set a NFL record for rushing yards in a single game.
He also had a 224-yard game against the Chicago Bears. The key for him will be consistency and doing better with eight men in the box. In his final four games, he was held to 54 carries and 144 yards, which is 2.7 yards per carry. Part of that was his coming back from an injury, but part of it was defenses concentrating on him more than they did in the first half of the season.
Chester Taylor also had a fine season. He rushed for 844 yards and seven touchdowns. Minnesota and Jacksonville easily have the best running back duos in the NFL.
While Peterson and Taylor are good, the line is one of the best in the business. McKinney and Hutchinson make up the left side of the line, and Birk is a tremendous center. It is imperative that McKinney not be suspended for his disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges that are still pending in a Miami courtroom.
On defense, the Vikings may have the best front four in football. Pat and Kevin Williams are two, mammoth defensive tackles that stop the run extremely well.
New to the mix is Jared Allen, acquired in a trade with Kansas City. He had 15.5 sacks in 14 games last season. He gives them the pass rusher they sorely missed last season. That should help the Vikings improve on their 32nd-ranked pass defense.
5 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Sam Wenk about 1 year ago
This article is the best I've read all week. Great job and I love when writers include stats and quotes in their work rather than just their opinions. Including reserach and numbers that support your arguments and analysis makes the article even more professional.
As a Bears fan, it was tough to read, but what can say? The Bears are holding on by a thread of hope going into the season and any fan that denies that is blind.
Overall, great job and I look forward to your next piece!
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Andrew Kneeland about 1 year ago
Awesome article! Like Sam said, one of the best predictions I've read. Keep them coming.
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Jim Selbo about 1 year ago
Good article, very well thought out and researched. I agree with most of your predictions except I think that the Bears and Lions will be switching places. Is it September yet (sigh)***
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Joe Kleiber about 1 year ago
I'm not totally sold on the Vikings. I'm a Packers fan so obviously I'm biased towards them, but the Vikes still have no quarterback and a crappy pass defense. I think Rodgers' transition will take time, but since he'll be handing off to Ryan Grant quite a bit this year, I don't think he will have a lot of trouble. Their offense is still one of the best in the NFC and their defense is solid as well.
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Fritz Menzel about 1 year ago
Good article. I'm a first-time visitor to this site and a Packer fan. Personally - although the Vikings might be headed in the right direction - I think the key factor is the phenomenal Thompson/McCarthy GM/HC braintrust at GB. I'm one of the few fans who were more frustrated than pleased with Favre throughout his career in which, in the clutch in do-or-die playoff situations, resulted in far more season-ending bonehead plays than brilliant plays. The reason I bring this up is that Aaron Rodgers, a highly intelligent QB who concentrates on downfield coverage rather than on the rush coming at him (the only reason Favre had the consecutive game streak) was downright surgical in relief of Favre vs Dallas last year. And although the Vikings might be improved, the Packers will be even more dominant without the gunslinger at QB.
I also think we saw a turning of the tide last year in which the NFC-North is about to become the best division in the league. This goes hand-in-hand with the improvement GB will see at QB because if anybody saw the FoxSports field camera view from behind Favre when he (once again) threw the season-ending interception, he threw it to the only covered receiver on the field. In other words (to all those Favre worshippers), QB is the main reason GB did not represent the NFC-North in the SB.
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