If you want to read more in-depth previews for the NFL, my friends over at UKEndZone are continuing their preview series, and are doing a phenomenal job of it. Meanwhile, if you want to get involved with picking NFL games, you can join my ESPN Pigskin Pick 'Em group and try to beat me and Adam, who will be writing up picks with me every week again, as well as my dad and defending champion/Grabbing the Bull Horns blogger Geoffrey Clark.
So with the plugs out of the way, let's take a look at the division.
NFC North
Common opponents on schedule: NFC West, AFC West
2014: 12-4 (1st), lost in NFC Championship Game
There's already a little bit of panic given the way the injury bug has bitten the Packers so far. However, as long as Aaron Rodgers remains healthy, this is the team to beat in the North. He still has several good weapons in Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and Eddie Lacy, so I don't think things will be a problem. The loss of Tramon Williams hurts the secondary a little bit, but there are good pieces around to fill the gap, and hopefully Clay Matthews can follow up last year with another full season. All in all, this team is one of the top Super Bowl contenders even without Nelson. I just hope there isn't a hangover from the last trip to Seattle.
2015 Prediction: 11-5
2014: 7-9 (3rd), missed playoffs
I wrote in-depth about the Vikings for UKEndZone back in June, and I maintain most of those claims two and a half months later. I think the Vikings found their franchise quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, and he will benefit from having Adrian Peterson in the backfield with him for all of 2015. While I'm not particularly sold on his receiving corps still, the natural progression plus the mere presence of Peterson will upgrade the Minnesota offense. The thing is, their defense is pretty underrated. Everson Griffen leads a pretty good pass rush, and the secondary is one of the best this side of Seattle. If they can improve their run defense from a year ago, Minnesota will be right in the thick of things at the end of the season.
2015 Prediction: 9-7
2014: 11-5 (2nd), lost in NFC Wild Card Game
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is going to have his work cut out for him this season. After heading up a top-three defense in 2014, he lost the lynchpin of his defense in Ndamukong Suh as well as Nick Fairley. The Lions did replace them with Haloti Ngata, which may help. Pretty much the entire rest of the defense returns, including Stephen Tulloch who hopefully learned from his idiotic sack dance in Week 3 last year. On offense, the Lions drafted Ameer Abdullah to help Joique Bell in their continued attempts at finding a successor to Barry Sanders, and a full season from Calvin Johnson will definitely help. I think overall though, the loss of Suh will hurt them quite a bit, and Jim Caldwell is Jim Caldwell. They'll be okay, but they're not going to return to the playoffs.
2015 Prediction: 8-8
2014: 5-11 (4th), missed playoffs
Last season I felt bad, but I also enjoyed the dumpster fire that was the Chicago Bears. Now, they're commencing with a rebuild. Some things have changed since I wrote that at the end of July: Tim Jennings is no longer with the team, a decision that will probably hurt an already bad defense, though with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in the fold, they'll improve within the next year or two. Offensively though, I'm not sure what's going on. The Bears have arguably had more injury woes than Green Bay, as Alshon Jeffery and Marquess Wilson have had trouble staying on the field, and first round pick Kevin White had surgery on a stress fracture and will miss at least the first six games. This may mean trouble for Jay Cutler, who is who he is at this point: a guy with a heck of an arm, but a coach killer (this is his third head coach and fifth offensive coordinator since coming to Chicago), and isn't going anywhere any time soon. Consider it a rebuilding year for the Bears.
2015 Prediction: 5-11
I'll be back tomorrow with a look at the AFC North.
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