NFL - NFC North Season Preview and Prediction
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Lest Season 10-6 (1st in NFC North) 432 Points For, 388 Points Against)
Quarterback 9.5/10 - (Aaron Rodgers)- Aaron Rodgers doesn't have near the accomplishments of Tom Brady, however many consider him the most talented quarterback in the NFL. Rodgers was phenomenal in the 2nd half of the season. In the final seven regular-season games, he completed 70% of his passes with 18 touchdowns and no interceptions. He then helped his team steamroll over the Giants and Cowboys, before the Packers were thrashed by the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game. Rodgers is the best quarterback in the game to watch when in full flight. Capable of making any throw from inside and outside of the pocket, he remains a player at the peak of his powers.
Offence - 9/10 - When Rodgers caught fire in the 2nd half of the season, Green Bay’s offense went with it. Early in the season, Rodgers looked out of sync and, with the Packers struggling to run the football, they looked nowhere near the juggernaut they were in the 2nd half of the season. With Rodgers having targets of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and the emerging Davante Adams at wide receiver, Green Bay will have an explosive offence once again in 2017. With Eddie Lacy leaving in free agency, Ty Montgomery is the starting running back which leaves question marks about how effective Green Bay’s running game could be.
Defence 6/10 - When the Packers won the Super Bowl in 2010, Aaron Rodgers was the star. However, crucially they had a Top 5 defence. They haven’t ranked that high in the 6 years since, and the Packers’ defence was awful at times last season, ranking 2nd worst in the league against the pass. The Packers had a lot of injuries on defence last season, and their Top 2 draft picks in 2015, Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins, both had injury plagued and inconsistent seasons. Clay Matthews, up front, remains the Packers only true star player on defence.
Prediction 12-4 (1st in NFC North)
I think this team are ready to explode this year and really dominate what looks like a weak Division. If the Packers stay healthy, they have an explosive offence capable of getting the Number 1 seed in the NFC.
DETROIT LIONS
Last Season 9-7 (2nd in NFC North, Eliminated 1st Round of Playoffs) 346 Points Scored, 358 Points Against
Quarterback 8/10 (Matt Stafford) - It is little wonder the Lions recently made Matt Stafford a lifetime, 5-year deal worth $27million per season after his stellar 2016 season. Stafford is coming into perhaps the best season of his pro career, passing for 4,327 yards along with 24 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. Stafford managed these numbers despite the fact he played the final month with a serious middle finger injury which required him to play with a splint in the final month of the year. Stafford was the comeback king last year and the king of the clutch, leading the Lions on a remarkable NFL-record eight fourth-quarter comeback wins. Now he has the big money bit, it will be time to back it up and become a consistently elite quarterback in his prime years.
Offence 8/10- The Lions averaged 22 points per game last year, however it was the passing game and Matt Stafford and his receivers that carried this unit. The running game was anaemic, ranking 30th in the NFL in rushing, and didn’t have a back gain of more than 70 yards in a game all season. However, the Lions will be boosted by starting running back Ameer Abdullah returning from a serious foot injury which saw him miss all but the first 2 games of last season. Despite the retirement of Calvin Johnson in 2015, Stafford was able to spread the ball out and make the Lions a better balanced offense, throwing to a number of receivers.
Defence 6/10 - The Lions were a bit of a mess on defence last season, ranking near the bottom of the league in a number of categories. The Lions ranked 31st in the league in third-down percentage. The Lions also finished last in opponent pass efficiency, tied for 30th in sacks and tied for 28th in takeaways. The Lions are expected to be better on defence this year, having added some signings in the off-season. Perhaps the most exciting signing is the first-round pick, Jarrad Davis, the line backer who is expected to step in immediately as a starting player.
Prediction - 8-8 (2nd in NFC North)
They’re an interesting team, the Lions, as they’re capable of being explosive as well as being inept. They have a bit of a history of underachieving, however I think Matt Stafford might be about to become a truly elite quarterback in the NFL. I think this team can push for a wild card spot again this year but might fall just short.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Last Season 8-8 (3rd in NFC North) 327 Points For, 307 Points Against)
Quarterback 7/10 (Sam Bradford) - Sam Bradford will be the Vikings starter once again with Teddy Bridgewater missing a 2nd straight season as he looks to come back his way back from a career-threatening knee injury. Bradford, traded from the Eagles just a week before the state of the season, did a remarkable job last year for the most part, with a completion percentage over 70% while throwing only five interceptions. Bradford has had plenty of injury problems through his career and has been called brittle, however he proved durable last season despite having a poor offensive line and little running game.
Offence 6/10 - Despite Sam Bradford’s good play last year, the team struggled to generate consistent offense in plenty of games, scoring just over 20 points per game on average. The Vikings ranked dead last for running the football last year, with veteran star Adrian Peterson failing to fire and traded to the New Orleans Saints in the off season. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen did well at wide receiver last year, however the Vikings will need more balance in their play to improve overall on offence this season.
Defence 8.5/10- The Vikings were one of the better defences in the league last year, giving up just 19 points per game on average. The defence came out guns ablazing at the start of 2016, racking up 12 takeaways during the teams remarkable 5–0 start to the season. The Vikings ranked 3rd overall last season on defence and could get even better should Sharrif Floyd bounce back from the nerve damage in his knee that made him miss 15 games last year. The Vikings have a big and imposing front 7, capable of stifling the run and putting pressure on the quarterback.
Prediction 7-9 (3rd In NFC North)
I just doubt Sam Bradford’s ability to play as well as last season, and stay as healthy as he did last season, behind a patchwork offensive line. With doubts about the running game, I see the Vikings struggling to score points and, whilst there defence is good, it wasn't as good in the 2nd half of the season last year.
CHICAGO BEARS
Last Season 3-13 (Last in NFC North) 279 Points Scored, 399 Points Against
Quarterback –4.5/10 (Mike Glennon) has won the starting quarterback job over rookie Mitchell Trubisky who the Bears drafted Number 2 overall in this year’s draft. Glennon is somewhat of a journeyman, having thrown just 11 passes since the end of the 2014 season.
Offence 4/10- Despite the Bears having huge doubts over whether they can be productive at quarterback, their running game is in good hands. Jordan Howard rushed for a Bears’ rookie-record of 1,313 yards, managing to achieve a higher average per carry (5.2 yards) than Ezekiel Elliott who was widely considered the best running back in the league last year. Zach Miller is an experienced tight end, while the Bears will be looking to free agent recruits Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright for production at wide receiver.
Defence 5/10 - The Bears struggled on defence for the majority of the season, conceding an average of 25 points per game. The Bears tried to assist their defence in 2016 by signing two inside linebackers in free agency in veterans Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman; however both missed games through injury and suspension.
Prediction 2-14 (Last in NFC North)
I just see it being a very long and cold winter for the Bears. Their side doesn't appear to be any better than last year, and their quarterback situation appears worse, despite what Bears fans thought of Jay Cutler.