The Detroit Lions' Take on the NFC North

The NFC North is a power division.

Done laughing yet?

Yes, I know that most NFL teams define a "cupcake" schedule based on whether or not they play the NFC North or either West division, but I'm not talking about most NFL teams.

This is the perspective of the Detroit Lions.

You could make the argument that every division is a power division when you're the Detroit Lions, and there would be some truth to that. After all, every NFL division scheduled to play the NFC North in 2008 went undefeated against the Lions.

Still, the NFC North in particular offers a number of challenging matchups for the Lions, even though each team will come to play with glaring weaknesses.

Green Bay Packers

@Green Bay, Week Six; @Detroit, Week 12

The Green Bay Packers bring a high-powered offense, but a defense that was 26th against the run and 22nd in scoring last year.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had his way with the Lions' defense in two heartbreaking games for the Lions last season, compiling 636 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.

The Lions' secondary will probably be one starting safety (Daniel Bullocks) away from a completely new look, with starting cornerbacks Travis Fisher and Leigh Bodden being cut, and safety Gerald Alexander likely getting moved to the bench to make room for 33rd overall pick Louis Delmas.

Even if the secondary is improved, that won't help much against the Packers' rushing attack. In week 17, with the Lions desperately fighting history, the Lions allowed a pair of 100-yard rushers. One of them, DeShawn Wynn, had only a single carry coming into the game, and finished with 106 yards on seven carries.

Ninth overall draft pick B.J. Raji should firm up the middle of the Packers' defense as it transitions to a 3-4 style. The fluidity of that transition will dictate Green Bay's fortunes in 2009.

We know the offense will score, but can the defense impose its will under a new scheme?

The Lions have history working against them when it comes to the Packers. The Pack have won their last seven games against the Lions, are 15-3 against them since 2000, and have not lost to the Lions at Lambeau Field since 1991—before the start of the Brett Favre era.

The Packers are better than their 6-10 record shows, since seven of those 10 losses were by four points or less. In addition, they have improved in the offseason. Unless the Lions catch them on an off week and hit the new 3-4 system for at least 30 points, the Packers will take both 2009 games.

Matchup to Watch

Rodgers vs. the Lions' secondary.

If Rodgers goes off like he did last season, the Lions are already done.

Minnesota Vikings

@Detroit, Week Two; @Minnesota, Week 10

The Minnesota Vikings have one of the most feared rushing offenses in the league and a league-best rushing defense, but quarterback is still a big question mark.

Adrian Peterson is the most dangerous running back in the NFL, and a nightmare for every team he meets, but the Lions handled him surprisingly well last year for a team sporting the ground defense of a flipped box turtle.

In two games against the Lions, Peterson notched 216 yards on 47 carries. Very good numbers, but this is the same team that allowed 220 yards to Michael Turner to open the season, and Turner didn't cough the ball up four times. Peterson did.

For some reason, the Lions seemed to show up against the Vikings, more so than any other team.

A team that gave up an average of 32.3 points during the regular season gave up a combined 32 points in two games against the Vikings. A team that lost by an average of 17.4 points to every other team lost by an average of three to the Vikings.

Despite winning the division, the Minnesota Vikings were the closest shot the Lions had at winning a game in 2008, and a controversial pass interference call in week six was the difference between a 12-10 loss and a 10-9 win for the Lions.

Of course, Dan Orlovsky running out the back of the end zone was the difference between 12-10 and 10-10, too, so the blame isn't squarely on the refs.

Minnesota's feared "Williams Wall" kept Kevin Smith honest for both games, and the Lions quarterback du jour wasn't much of a threat in either game, so the Viking defense did its job well.

Quarterback is where things get interesting with the Vikings, especially with the rising Brett Favre drama.

Tavaris Jackson has, for several years, proven himself to be serviceable at best, but the Vikings continue to stick with him. Now, journeyman Sage Rosenfels has arrived to provide... something.

Whether Rosenfels is there for competition, depth, or as a potential starter is not known. But hold the phone, because Brett Favre is getting antsy again.

It's hard to say whether the Vikings would be improved with Favre under center, rather than Jackson or Rosenfels. That I've just said that is a testament to how far the living legend has fallen.

There is a good deal of speculation that Favre wants to play for the Vikings so that he can take revenge on the Green Bay Packers for shunning him off to the Jets. If last season is any indication, though, it will be the entire NFC North taking revenge on him instead, should he make it to Minnesota.

Regardless of how the latest Favre episode turns out, the Vikings have problems under center, and the passing game—offensively and defensively—will be the way the Lions look to beat the Vikings.

The Vikings are a good quarterback away from making a Super push with the team they have in place. Fortunately for the Lions, they don't have one (with or without Favre), and that should allow the Lions to split the series with them.

September 20 against the Vikings at Ford Field should be the site of the Detroit Lions' first win since 2007.

Matchup to Watch

Vikings' DE Jared Allen/DT Kevin Williams vs. Lions' LT Jeff Backus/interior linemen.

Last season, in two games against the against the Lions, Allen racked up three sacks and Williams had four. If they are able to contain the running game and bring that kind of pressure again, the Lions will be looking at another 0-2 record against the Vikings.

Chicago Bears

@Chicago, Week Four; @Detroit, Week 17

Jay Cutler nearly became a Detroit Lion.

The trade rumor that sparked the Cutler controversy this spring involved Matt Cassel to the Broncos, and Cutler to the Lions. Of course, Cutler caught wind of it after the deal fell through, threw a tantrum, and got himself shipped to Chicago instead.

Now, instead of the Lions having Cutler for 16 games, they'll have to play against him in two.

The Chicago Bears have Cutler manning the offense, and a great defensive reputation, but the offensive line is still average, and the defense is not nearly as strong as it once was.

The Bears were not able to address any needs on the first day of the NFL draft, since they'd traded away those picks for Cutler himself. They did land an aging Orlando Pace in free agency and wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias in the third round of the draft, which addressed two major needs on offense.

The running game, however, has not been addressed. The Bears' rushing attack was 24th in the league last year, and the only move made by the Bears in the offseason is re-signing ex-Lion Kevin Jones to a two-year deal.

With Jones and Matt Forte spearheading the rushing attack, the backs are just fine, but the Bears still need to strengthen their offensive line, and Orlando Pace is not sufficient to do it alone, even if he has gas left in the tank.

The Bears' defense has been one of the more feared units in football for several years, now, and in some ways that is still true. The Bears ranked fifth in stopping the run last season, and Brian Urlacher, for all the calls of him being overrated, can still play.

However, the Bears' defense ranked 30th against the pass, making them one of the only teams with a statistically weaker pass defense than the Lions. It's fair to argue that when the Lions give up over 170 yards a game on the ground, nobody needs to throw the ball on them, but stats are stats.

Jerry Angelo has gone to work shoring up the pass defense, as three of the team's first four picks were spent on a pair of defensive ends and a cornerback, but these were third and fourth round picks, which may not make immediate impact.

Lost in the talk of offensive and defensive numbers is receiver/return specialist Devin Hester, who is always a six-point threat.

Last year, Hester's return numbers were neutralized a bit as head coach Lovie Smith tried to integrate him into the passing game. That may be where he is more valuable now with Cutler in town, but the threat remains, whether he sees the ball on passing downs or kick returns.

Even with Cutler, the Bears are a vulnerable team with an aging defense that isn't what it once was.

Angelo is trying to patch the holes as they arise, and acquiring Cutler certainly replaces a question mark with an exclamation point. But with that acquisition, Angelo handcuffed his ability to address other needs early in the draft.

Add to that an otherwise quiet offseason,  and the Bears are left hoping their twine and caulk holds on defense until the next offseason.

The Lions should consider themselves lucky they get to play at Soldier Field before it gets too cold, and try to take advantage of the gaps in pass coverage with matchup nightmare Calvin Johnson.

If they can do that, as well as keep pressure on the run defense and keep Cutler from going completely wild, they can conceivably sweep the series against the Bears. That will be a testament to how well the Lions' secondary has been rebuilt.

Realistically, though, I'll say they split it, each team winning their home game. After all, for all the perceived holes on the team, the Bears went 9-7 last year, so they must have been doing something right.

Matchup to Watch

Kevin Smith vs. Brian Urlacher.

Smith showed good vision and  found some success running up the middle last year, and will probably look to do the same this year. Urlacher will be his main obstacle. If Smith and the Lions are able to establish a consistent running attack, the secondary will be exposed, and much easier for Daunte Culpepper/Matthew Stafford to pick apart.

Division Overview

The Minnesota Vikings went 10-6 to win the division last year, earning the No. 3 seed and promptly getting pulverized at home by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Despite their quarterback issues, they have to be considered as the favorites to repeat as division champs, as every other area of the team is young, strong, and improving.

The Chicago Bears seem to have improved, and certainly made the most electrifying move of the offseason, but I can't help feeling like Cutler is two steps forward while the rest of the team slides three steps back with age. Even with Cutler under center, the receiving corps needs help.

This is the most favorable matchup for the Lions. No single area of great strength means the Bears will have a harder time overwhelming the Lions with sheer talent. You can counter that with Cutler, but a great quarterback is only one half of a good passing attack.

The Green Bay Packers are this year's dark horse. Ryan Grant, Aaron Rodgers, and an underrated receiving corps lead the offense, and the defense has been shored up with first-rounders B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews.

The Packers will score, without question, so the only question remaining is whether the 3-4 defense is successful. If it is, we could be looking at 10-12-win team. If not, they could turn in another 6-10 season.

The Lions should not be looking at playoffs this season (even if their halfback is), but if they do, their division doesn't help them.

Almost every team in the NFC North is on an upswing, and each (with the possible exception of the Bears) has a major strength that can be imposed upon the Lions as they attempt to gain some traction in the league again.

As far as the Lions are concerned, the road ahead is a climb to the top of a power conference, even if the rest of the league doesn't think so.