NFC North: The Best Division In Football

The NFC North is my personal favorite division. There's similar history and lure to the NFC East with the teams, the rivalries, and while part of that history is the irrelevance of half of this division's teams, the current state of the North has me pinning them as the best division in football. And the interdivision coaching changes this offseason added fuel to that fire.

There's three teams that can be easily argued to win (sorry, Bears), and all four can be argued to make the playoffs. There's no other division that can say that in my opinion. These matchups are all must watch.

Detroit Lions

I'm an adopted Lions fan. I want that out there. I've been surrounded by Lions fans for the last five years, watched them suffer through the waning years of up to that point a lifetime of disappointment, seen the devastation and heartache this team and franchise caused them. I feel like I felt some of it myself.

So as they've ascended into relevancy, I've been lucky to be close enough to feel the revitalization too. The group of fans that should've and wanted to give up so many times but never did, is finally getting their moment in the sun.

This team thrives off of doubt, of being looked over. I mean, they were rightfully so for thirty years. Last year I predicted they would win the division despite many people leaning towards Green Bay. Somehow, after defying odds last year by winning 15 games with a defense that was literally plucked off the street, they have doubters again. More of them, and louder than last year.

Not so fast my friend.

I bet you Dan Campbell has his assistants cutting up sound clips from NFL media every time they predict the Packers to win the division. Or talk about how the Bears are ready to take the next step now that they have the genius behind the Lions' offensive success calling the shots. And I bet those cut ups are blaring across the facilities in Detroit on repeat.

Let me remind you that Ben Johnson was not Ben Johnson before Dan Campbell. Ben Johnson is Ben Johnson because of Dan Campbell. He groomed him, and is the original offensive mastermind. So while Ben is gone, and his presence will be missed, it's not like the Lions are starting from ground zero.

Every skill position on offense is returning. They're replacing two key offensive lineman, but still have the tackles firmed up. Hutch is back, and his presence is loud enough to not need me to talk about it. They have one of the better secondaries in football when healthy.

And no one believes in them? I don't get it. Health is the X factor, but if things go swimmingly in that regard this team will ride the hate and doubt to another NFC North title. Keep doubting, I know they love it. Record: 12-5

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are one of the more obvious picks for regression given the Cinderella year Sam Darnold had and the question marks that surround JJ McCarthy. But as I often do, I buy low and sell high. Not that this is a penny stock, but it certainly feels undervalued.

I don't think JJ McCarthy is the second coming of Randall Cunningham, but neither was Sam Darnold and we saw what he did with this offense. We also don't say that about Kirk Cousins, and we saw what he did with this offense. So it's well beyond reasonable doubt that JJ can still keep this train humming.

Jets, Addison, and Hockenson are staples. Aaron Jones has showed little signs of slowing down, but in case he does this year they have two solid backups in Chandler and Mason to help carry the load. Brian Flores still mans the defense, and while they had some departures in the secondary, their front seven is stacked, and my belief in Flores will reign supreme over any concerns of the depth chart.

O'Connell knows what he's doing, and he chose McCarthy over Kirk, and would've chosen him last year over Darnold if he didn't get hurt. So I'll bank on the offensive guru to get this kid in shape, and get his team back to the postseason. Record: 11-6

Green Bay Packers

I'm glad that the Top 10 QB noise surrounding Jordan Love has subsided, as that would've been my opening gripe with this team if it hadn't. But that noise subsiding is exactly why I have Green Bay finishing third in this loaded division.

Micah Parsons is interesting, and a great pickup. This team has always been good, but good doesn't win this division. Will Micah single-handedly make this team great? Maybe on one side of the ball.

We've seen similar iterations of this team for years now. They play stout defense, they lean on the running game, but struggle to find a true WR1. They have average QB play and they win double digit games despite it. I just don't see that being much different this year.

If this feels like a Packers hit piece it isn't, just wait for my record prediction in the next paragraph. I'm just not as on board with this team as many are, partially because of themselves and partially because I'm still higher on Detroit and Minnesota than most.

If Jordan Love can turn into a great or even very good QB, this could all change. But until I see seismic changes, the Packers will fall where they've fallen the last few years: an above average team that is labeled "scary" going into the postseason but doesn't do much when they get there. Record: 11-6

Chicago Bears

Death, taxes, and Bears fans thinking that this is the year. Those are three of life's guarantees, and with advancements in modern science and knowledge of the tax code, the ladder of the three may be the only true certainty.

I get it. Like the Patriots, the Bears now have a coach they actually trust. And unlike the Patriots, this is the first time they've had that since the early 2000s.

So naturally there's expectations that follow. Johnson turned a declining Jared Goff into a consistent top 10 QB in Detroit. He's the architect of the most creative play call sheet we may have ever seen. If there's anyone who can get Caleb Williams to live up to his potential it's him.

They beefed up the offensive line leaving no position group with many if any question marks. I get it.

If they were in a different division I may feel differently, but despite all of those improvements, they still fall short of their three divisional foes. They have the second toughest schedule in the league despite a last place schedule, in large part because of those foes.

I can see the Bears making significant strides this year. I can see them winning a game or two in the division and showing signs of what could be their future. But I'm not sold on Caleb just yet, and because of that their ceiling is capped. Their road is just so tough, and they have a lot of growing pains to still go through. If they get through this season relatively unscathed, maybe next year will be the year the Bears fans are finally right. Record: 8-9