NFC North Roundtable: Week 13

Welcome to the NFC North Roundtable. Here is our lineup of writers; Zach Kruse with the Packers, Keith Shelton with the Lions, Andy Smith with the Vikings, and Tom Krems with the Bears. All will be moderating these discussions. Now lets get to it.

Will the Minnesota Vikings be able to hold on to their one game lead over the Bears to win the division? Take into consideration the remaining schedule for both teams.

AS- If the Vikings plan on winning the North they need to do one thing besides winning  and that is beat history. Yes at about this same time last year, the Vikings had the lead of the NFC North and controlled their own destiny and could make the playoffs, but when they hosted the Washington Redskins at home they failed miserably! ***(I was at that game!!!)

I've seen time and time again where the Minnesota Vikings have fallen down the stretch! So if the Vikes want to win the North they will have to keep winning their last games and play dominant or else history will repeat it's self.

They can fight history this week by crushing the horrific Detroit Lions for starters.

KS-  No. Minnesota is going to fade down the stretch. First, they’re going to face a (hopefully) desperate Detroit Lions team which probably sees the Vikings as their best chance for victory. Games against Arizona, Atlanta, and the NY Giants to close the season will kill the Vikes. Chicago has the easiest remaining schedule of the three teams battling for the division.

ZK- I wouldn't count on it. The Vikings have a tough schedule coming up with games against Atlanta, Arizona, and New York. Add in that both Kevin and Pat Williams will be missing the last four games, and the Vikings might struggle to finish any better than 8-8. Does that mean the Bears win the division? Who knows, but my guess is that the winner of the Packers-Bears game coming up in a couple weeks will decide the division.

TK- No. With the schedule they have and now losing the Williams boys for the year, any team should be able to run on them.

If they make it, can the Vikings make a deep run in the playoffs just on the legs of Adrian Peterson?

AS- If the Minnesota Vikings DO make the playoffs, especially after their win over Chicago, they have a chance of being one of the deadliest teams. Against the Bears, all the pieces came together, with the run game being on fire as usual, but also the passing game lit up the night.

Let's not forget that stout defense which has been playing solid all year long, and with Jared Allen on the loose, expect big things.

KS- No, not just Peterson. The running game might get them one win in the playoffs, but any road to the Super Bowl is going through New York, and Peterson alone can’t beat the Giants. It’s going to take a balanced team to take down the Giants and the only other NFC team I can see doing it, is shockingly, the Arizona Cardinals.

Even Barry Sanders in his prime could never take the Detroit Lions past the second round of the playoffs.

ZK- If, and that's a big if, the Vikings can make it into the playoffs, they'd be a team no one would want to face. Both Williams would be back, re-solidifying their dominant run defense, and Adrian Peterson might be the NFL's best player in 2008.

Any team that can run and stop the run are a tough out when it comes playoff time (See 2007 New York Giants), so don't sleep on the Vikings if they make it that far.

TK- Like Zach said; “a big if.” If they do, Peterson can’t run the team to victories because they would probably be playing from behind and running the ball just eats to much clock, plus what says Peterson would make it to the post season healthy? The way he carries that team might make him the next Barry Sanders, retiring early.

If the season ended today, which coach is more deserving of keeping their job, Lovie Smith or Rod Marinelli?

AS- If the season ended today, the man who should keep his job is...LOVIE SMITH!!! Are you kidding me?! At least Lovie has six wins! Rod, you are coaching by far one of the worst teams I've ever seen!

You don't even have a win!!! 0-12?! Dream BIG things bud because 0-16 is more like it for you and that kitty cat team of yours! Lovie is respected by his players, I'm starting to think the Lions players just want this guy to suffer! Rod is NOT the right guy for this team.

KS- Well, you might say the Bears had higher expectations than the Lions, but it’s got to be Lovie Smith. C’mon, one team still has a chance to make the playoffs and win the division, the other hasn’t even won a game. It’s a no-brainer. Rod Marinelli will be canned, and no Lions fan is going to miss him.

ZK- Who keeps their job, Lovie Smith or Rod Marinelli? It probably going to be Lovie Smith, but neither really deserves to be back. Marinelli has done an admirable job with what he has, but no one goes through a season like this and retains their job. 1-15 would be a great season in Detroit, but the chances of that happening dwindle each week.

Smith has seemed lost in some of Chicago's bad losses, but with the Bears in the division race, he's most likely to hold onto his position.

TK- This was a tough one for me because Marineli was not brought into a good situation in Detroit, as we have seen with the firing of GM Matt Millen. On the other hand, Lovie Smith will probably be able to ride the Super Bowl appearance all the way to his retirement—remember, only an appearance.

Now with the question at hand, I would have to say Smith just because they are still in the play off hunt. If the Bears do not make the playoffs, a replacement for Lovie should not be ruled out.
 

What's up with the Green Bay Packers?

AS- Ah, the Green Bay Packers...What happened?! After the Chicago Bear beat down, every one was jumping on your bandwagon and expecting you to win the NFC North! Now your 5-7 and every one is thinking about your mistakes! I wonder what you guys would be like if Brett Favre was still there....Hmmmm I wonder how he likes New York!

KS- It’s a combination of things. For one, people forget that Aaron Rodgers is still a rookie. He might be a seasoned rookie, but this is his first year starting nonetheless. The New Orleans Saints tore the Packers' vaunted secondary apart, and they haven’t been the same since. The strength of the Packers is failing and their rookie quarterback is starting to hit a wall.

This won’t be their year, but they’ll only get better.

ZK- The Packers are a tough team to figure out. Every week it seems like something new is the catalyst to another head-scratching loss, and this week was no different. Green Bay's special teams were absolutely terrible, with terrible punts (punter Derrick Frost lost his job this week because of it), and the kick coverage was disgusting.

Anytime you give an NFL team a 50-yard field, the chances of them scoring go way up, and the Panthers took advantage. It was also disheartening that the Packers couldn't punch in a one-yard touchdown within the final two minutes, but that's a discussion for a different time.

In the end, the 2008 Packers are just a very inconsistent football team, and will now need to win four in a row to defend their NFC North crown.

TK- I wanted to get through this with out mentioning a certain some ones name, so let's see how I do. Aaron Rodgers is not...BRETT FAVRE! Damn, I couldn’t do it. This is where Brett’s career was made, in crunch time.

Now, this is not to say that Rodgers will not have success in the future, but right now, with out a veteran leader a QB, this team is lost. Give it time, though, because a career is not made over night or one season at that matter (unless your Tom Brady). Aaron Rodgers will get better in these clutch moments down the road.

Continue to the next page for team wrap-ups.

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