NFC North Predictions: Vikings Lead with Defense

Columnist Written on June 18, 2008

(Page 4 of 6)

Week	Opponent	Win%	Avg Score
1	Minnesota Vikings	45	21-22
2	@Detroit Lions	70	27-21
3	Dallas Cowboys	21	21-29
4	@Tampa Bay Buccaneers	57	21-20
5	Atlanta Falcons	71	32-19
6	@Seattle Seahawks	54	17-17
7	Indianapolis Colts	32	24-27
9	@Tennessee Titans	64	24-21
10	@Minnesota Vikings	37	18-27
11	Chicago Bears	71	28-17
12	@New Orleans Saints	55	26-24
13	Carolina Panthers	43	25-25
14	Houston Texans	79	31-18
15	@Jacksonville Jaguars	55	26-25
16	@Chicago Bears	83	29-21
17	Detroit Lions	76	30-17

Detroit Lions (6-10)

Wait, Jon Kitna was talking about losses in his prediction, right? Maybe he meant that the team would be favored to win or lose by a touchdown or less in ten games. The Lions average 20.6 points per game (#25) and allow 27.0 points (#25) against a schedule featuring seven games against 2007 playoff teams.

Absolute Record: 2-14

Most Significant Newcomer: Leigh Bodden, CB - Obviously, the defensive backfield was a big weakness in 2007. The Lions addressed that with several major additions in the off-season. Bodden is the best of the group. When healthy, he is an above-average coverage corner who can make big plays with passes defended or picked off. Bodden also excels in open-field tackling. The simulated season sees him tallying 66 tackles and five interceptions in 12 games.

Biggest Strength: Confidence (?) - Jon Kitna, Roy Williams and others do not lack confidence. They rarely get discouraged (with their own abilities at least). It's not always a strength, but confidence may be what turns an underdog into a winner. There are several games like that on the schedule, so anything could be possible. No entity - outside of Jason Hanson - on this team could truly be considered a strength. Players like Calvin Johnson, Ernie Sims, Leigh Bodden and Daniel Bullocks (if he fully recovers from injury) along with rookies Kevin Smith and Jordan Dizon add some promise and hope to this team for the future.

Most Exploitable Weakness:

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written on June 18, 2008 Preview/Prediction

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