NFC North At A Glance

There is one thing that Bears and Packers fans can agree on this year — Brett Favre should just retire already. 

Retiring for the second time in 11 months, Favre has become known for crying wolf when it comes to ending his career. Make a decision. Continue to play or go home.

But coming out at the end of the season for the last three years questioning if he's coming back or crying to the press that he's done only to then give into the itch of one more season is exhausting. The difference now is the threat his return creates for those in the NFC North who aren't suited up in purple and gold.

Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, told ESPN this week, "for now [Favre] is still retired."

Since when did retirement become a holding pattern? Make a decision and stick with it. Or say you don't know what you're going to do yet. But in reality, Favre and his agent can't decide if he has it in him. The partially torn bicep tendon is creeping up on Favre, even when he's just practicing with teens at Oak Grove High School in Mississippi for 20 minutes.

Bottom line: if Favre does decide to return and joins forces with Adrian Peterson in Minnesota, the Bears and Packers have to fight a lot harder to secure a spot in the playoffs.

Peterson proved his skills as a running back in his rookie season with the Vikings in 2007. The highlight game of the season: Oct. 14 against Chicago when he set a franchise record, rushing for 224 yards on 20 carries and scoring three touchdowns to lead the Vikings to a 34-31 win over the Bears. And he didn't stop last year. In his sophomore season he lead the NFL in rushing with 1,760 yards.

All the Vikings need now is a quarterback. They finished last season with a 10-6 record, fighting with the Bears until the very end to make the playoffs. Peterson is no doubt their star, but if Favre takes the bait and accepts the Vikings invitation to join their club the dynamic duo could be deadly.

Some may say Favre is too old, too beaten up, too injured; But he's still Brett Favre—five time NFC Player of the Year and one of the greatest quarterbacks of our time. 

Regardless of what happens with Favre, the NFC North as a whole should be a stronger division this year. After last season, there's only room for improvement—especially if you're the Detroit Lions.

Setting a new NFL record last year by going 0-16, the Lions have now hired their sixth coach since 2000. Jim Schwartz may be just what the Lions are looking for though, coming off a seven year career with the Titans as defensive coordinator. The question—beyond whether or not he will last—is whether or not he has the players to succeed?

The Lions once again had the No. 1 pick in the draft, this year opting for University of Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford. But is a quarterback really what Detroit needs right now? Most likely the position will be held by Daunte Culpepper, and if his injuries flare up, Drew Stanton will be waiting on the sidelines. 

Detroit is known for drafting high profile running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks who often fail to build up their core. They need a line on both sides of the ball, and their roster doesn't show that they have that yet. They should, however, be able to win at least one game, which is an improvement from last season.

The Bears and Packers will set the tone for the NFC North when they open the season Sept. 13 on primetime television in Green Bay. With a new quarterback and changes to both the offensive and defensive lines the Bears should be able to avoid another 37-3 embarrassment at Lambeau. 

Aaron Rodgers will again try to prove this season that the Packers can survive without Favre, as they try to recover from last year's 6-10 record. 

The Lions will be the first in the NFC North to face off against the Vikings, meeting them in the second week of the season. If that game's a blowout, the Packers will test the Vikings skills when they travel to Minnesota two weeks later. The Bears get to avoid the challenges Peterson presents to their defense until Nov. 29.

All in all, there's nowhere for the NFC North to go but up.  In the end, I think Bears fans can feel confident that the moves management made in the off-season will get them into the playoffs this year.

If Favre comes out of retirement and does join Minnesota it present a bigger challenge for the Bears, but they should still have the speed and strength to clinch the division. They have lots of time to practice and build up their record before taking on the Vikings. What's important is that they show up Sept. 13 and put Greenbay in their place. If they can take control of that game, the way they did in their opener against the Colts last season, they should have the momentum and confidence to become NFC Champs with a record over 500.