How Do the Detroit Lions Stack Up Against the Rest of the NFC North?

Do the Detroit Lions finally have what they need to take down the Green Bay Packers? Or should they be more concerned about the rising Minnesota Vikings?

And don't forget about the Chicago Bears! Actually, go ahead. Most of the league will have by Week 10 anyway.

In all seriousness, the NFC North should be hotly contested in 2015. Three teams have legitimate strengths, along with the inevitable weaknesses and question marks, setting up a season-long battle for supremacy. The fight will be equal parts entertaining and challenging.

So who has the edge in each facet of the game? Click through to find out.

Passing Offense

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

1. Green Bay Packers
2. Detroit Lions
3. Chicago Bears
4. Minnesota Vikings

So long as Aaron Rodgers has half a hamstring, the Packers aren't budging from the top spot.

Last year, he dropped 38 touchdowns against only five interceptions for a jaw-dropping 112.2 quarterback rating. And then there's this little gem to demonstrate how long his reign has lasted:

"

Since winning the Super Bowl in 2011, Aaron Rodgers has had only 3 games with an overall grade below -1.0 #Packers pic.twitter.com/5VdIGJHUMq

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) July 1, 2015"

And he isn't surrounded by stiffs. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb might be the only pass-catching duo better than a healthy Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. The Packers line also has resident stud guards Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang returning with the rest of 2014's solid offensive front.

Matthew Stafford has matched that type of productivity once in his career, but he wasn't nearly as efficient. The drop to 12 interceptions in 2014 does lend some hope that the reportedly more-accurate quarterback can explode behind his revamped line with a fully functioning receiving unit.

Yet we can't go with a once-semi-proven quarterback over a perennial MVP candidate. The same logic doesn't apply to Jay Cutler and Teddy Bridgewater, but the Bears' pass-catching threats greatly outnumber those in Minnesota.

Rushing Offense

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Detroit Lions
4. Chicago Bears

Adrian Peterson is the only non-quarterback MVP since 2006 (LaDainian Tomlinson). His most valuable season happened less than a year after a nasty knee injury, which ended up motivating him because everyone was writing him off. How do you think he's going to respond to all of the naysayers who have dragged him over the coals for the past 12 months?

"

Has @AdrianPeterson lost the title of 'Best RB in the game'? "Come on now. No." http://t.co/LNhC6Ehc3v pic.twitter.com/Mv4IJP5OsA

— NFL (@nfl) June 28, 2015"

Precisely. Much like Aaron Rodgers, he's the king until someone snatches his throne.

The Lions should be an improved rushing team in 2015, but that statement alone doesn't mean much. Only four teams ran for fewer yards, and only two had a lower per-carry average.

However, a renewed emphasis on a power-running scheme and new faces up front (Travis Swanson and Laken Tomlinson) provide reasons for hope. It isn't enough, however, to overcome Eddie Lacy behind one of the game's better offensive lines.

Truth be told, ranking Detroit above the Bears wasn't an easy decision. Detroit's backfield depth and versatility were the key factors. Chicago is stout in the middle, but Matt Forte is approaching his 30th birthday with 2,260 touches worth of wear on his tires.

Pass Defense

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

1. Detroit Lions
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Chicago Bears

There really isn't a weak team in the division against the pass—theoretically at least.

Chicago added a lot of talent to the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback Alan Ball was an undercover find (pun intended). He was a top-25 cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars a couple years ago, per Pro Football Focus, and should benefit from the addition of linebacker Pernell McPhee.

And that's the last-place team here. Green Bay doesn't have a playmaker advantage but was actually better than the Lions in allowed quarterback rating (82.1) and yards per game (226).

The Vikings have defensive whiz Mike Zimmer at the helm of a talented group of youngsters. If defensive end Everson Griffen, linebacker Anthony Barr and cornerback Xavier Rhodes keep progressing, this group could turn downright scary.

But none of them topped Detroit. Ziggy Ansah has continued to add elements to his game the past two years and now has the benefit of his first full offseason. It appears he's taking things quite seriously too:

"

Ziggy Ansah was getting pretty physical today, especially with Riley Reiff. At one point had to be separated from Larry Warford

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) June 18, 2015"

Combine him with the improving Darius Slay, a secondary that returns all of its starters and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, and it's hard to move another team above the Lions.

Run Defense

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

1. Detroit Lions
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Chicago Bears
4. Minnesota Vikings

When arguably your best run-stuffing linebacker gets hurt in Week 3 and your team reels off a statistically historic defensive performance, said team stays on top of the rankings. Especially since the Lions are welcoming Stephen Tulloch back into the fold.

That presumably slides Tahir Whitehead over to the strong side, giving Detroit an irritable group of linebackers who aren't fond of running backs. Yes, Ndamukong Suh is gone, but Haloti Ngata can still eat up blocks, and everything comes back to defensive coordinator Teryl Austin anyway.

Things are a bit more interesting behind the Lions.

Green Bay was originally terrible against the run. The stats prompted the Packers to move All-Pro outside linebacker Clay Matthews inside during Week 10. He helped tremendously, and it appears that trend is going to continue:

"

Packers' Clay Matthews says he's happy getting time at inside linebacker spot http://t.co/17Lbt058v9 #NFL

— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) May 29, 2015"

The only shock here comes from the Vikings. They'll be counting on rookie Eric Kendricks to help shore up a defense that gave up almost nine yards more than the laughable Bears. Past performance isn't everything, but ignore history at your own peril.

Special Teams

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Detroit Lions
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Chicago Bears

This whole exercise has been a balance between of what we've seen and what we expect. Cordarrelle Patterson perfectly embodies this approach, thanks to his ridiculous potential and explosive up-and-down career thus far:

"

Cordarrelle Patterson's season kickoff return average has now dropped below 25 to 24.9. Averaged NFL-high 32.4 last season.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 14, 2014"

And he's only a part of the equation. Blair Walsh wasn't as consistent as his rookie year either, but his big leg extends the scoring zone for the Vikings.

The rest of the division offers its own strengths and weaknesses to create a muddled picture. The Lions and Packers have the best punters, but Matt Prater pushes the Lions over the Packers. And Jeremy Ross was more consistent than Micah Hyde, although the latter picked up two punt-return touchdowns.

So where do these rankings leave the Lions overall in the NFC North? In a dog (cat?) fight, but one they're well equipped to handle if they execute on offense.

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.