The NFC North Will Be Closely Contested By Minnesota, Green Bay and Chicago

The Vikings are without question the class of the NFC North, but they will be tested on their way to the division title. 

Resting atop the division, the Minnesota Vikings will be riding a stout run defense, an aggressive running game, and a new quarterback in the 2009 campaign. Adrian Peterson will look to lead the Vikings on the ground as he runs behind one of the best offensive lines in professional football. 

The Minnesota defense will stand tall once again as it punishes opposing rushing attacks.  Led by Pat Williams and Kevin Williams on the inside of the line, teams will continue to be hard-pressed to run between the tackles against Minnesota this season.

The Vikings will be pursued this season very closely by both the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. 

The Bears made a substantial amount of noise this offseason by acquiring QB Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos for Kyle Orton and multiple draft picks. The Bears now have a quarterback that has seen Hawai'i in his career and they are banking that he will continue to perform at that level.

However, Jay Cutler may find that his targets lack the talent required for him to make a return trip to the islands this season. Justin Gage is a nice complimentary receiver and Devin Hester can flat out fly, but both targets lack the ability to scare any secondary in the NFL.

The Bears will try to ride their solid running game and defense as they make a run at the Vikings. Matt Forte returns for his sophomore campaign at running back and Chicago expects him to continue to produce at the level that made him a stud last season.

The Chicago defensive unit needs to stay off the trainer’s table this season if they expect to play at a high level.  If Brian Urlacher can remain healthy, the defense should once again prove formidable. However, injuries to this group will severely damage the hopes of the Monsters of the Midway.

The loss of Brett Favre last year to the New York Jets had a profound impact on the Green Bay Packers.  The team went from a Super Bowl contender to missing the playoffs with the quickness.  It’s funny how the team forgot how to play defense after Favre bolted for the Jets.

Offensively speaking, the Packers under Aaron Rodgers really didn’t miss a beat.  They still managed to score on most teams, averaging more than 26 points per game. Rodgers had a 4,000-yard, 28-touchdown campaign and Ryan Grant chipped in 1,200 yds and four TDs.

If the Packers wish to compete with the Vikings this season, they will need to stop somebody this season.  The Green Bay defense was an equal opportunity squad. They allowed teams to beat them in the air and on the ground.  Carolina played a close game against them that was decided by a long Steve Smith reception capped off by DeAngelo Williams punching in his fourth one-yard touchdown of the contest.

With the first pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected Matthew Stafford, a quarterback from the University of Georgia.  And so, another era in Lions history begins.  Stafford fell to the Lions because of a little history last season: Detroit managed to go 0-16.

No team can go from 0-16 to make the playoffs in one season. Detroit proved last season that they wanted very badly to compete, but that they lacked the necessary weapons to do so. Matthew Stafford will be asked to lead an offensive unit not devoid of skill position talent, but one that lacks the protection necessary to keep him upright longer than two seconds.

The Detroit defensive unit is also not as bad as advertised.  However, with the pathetic offensive line, the defense found themselves on the field for far too long last season. If the Lions expect to win games this season, they need to protect whoever is taking snaps under center, and they desperately need to get off the field on third down.

The factor that could determine the outcome of the NFC North this season is strength of schedule. The Minnesota Vikings face only three teams with defenses in the top quarter of the NFL this season.  They also have 11 games indoors this season and only play one game in cold weather (Dec. 27, at Chicago).  While the weather advantage will prove useful in the regular season, it may prove detrimental if they have to travel in January.

The other three teams have very similar schedules.  The division faces the NFC West and the AFC North this season.  Both divisions have exceptionally talented team, as well as teams that struggled last season. How the teams do against these non-conference foes could tip the balance of power in the North. The team that does the best against these teams will win the North.

Look for the Vikings to win nine or 10 games this season, and hold off the rest of the division as they make their second straight playoff appearance.