2018 NFC North Preview

We're onto Day 2 of my NFL preview series for the 2018 season, and I'm also settling into a rhythm.

As in prior years, I'm alternating conferences while circling my way around the league. This year began with the North, and yesterday saw the AFC get priority. This means today I'm back in my home park, so to speak, looking at the local division of the NFC North.

2017 NFC North Preview

We're only a week and a half away from the start of another NFL season, and I'm starting to get excited again. As such, I need to get the previewing into high gear.

I'm continuing my annual tradition, working my way around the country, only this year I'm going counterclockwise, and alternating conferences until we end with the division of the defending champion.

I also take this opportunity to invite you, dear readers, to join me in picking NFL games against the spread. We're in Year Six of this contest now, with Adam Quinn joining me for a fourth season of a weekly post with our picks. You can join our ESPN group here.

I'm beginning at home again this season with the NFC North.

2017 NFL Wild Card Preview

For some reason, I've been getting a ton of hits lately on my 2015 Wild Card post. I guess I hit the sweet spot on SEO-related stuff without even meaning to, because most of those hits have come in the past few months. Whatever the case, we're onto the playoffs for the 2016 season, and I need to get a new post up.

In years past, I have also done an awards post, but I opted to skip that this year given the timing of everything and my lack of really paying super close attention to the NFL this year (contrary to my finally getting a winning record in the Pigskin Pick 'Em this season). But this is something I can't pass up.

12 teams have survived the past four months, and it's time to take a look at the road to Houston for Super Bowl LI.

2016 NFC North Preview

I've got a busy few mornings coming up. We're about a week away from the start of the 2016 NFL season, and I have eight divisions I need to do previews for.

In an annual tradition, I've been predicting outcomes of upcoming seasons for a few years now, going division by division to pick out win totals for every NFL team. Now, admittedly, I haven't paid as much attention to what's gone on this offseason, so I'm not as confident as I normally am with predictions. Of course, I end up being wrong half the time, so what else is new.

Like in prior years, I alternate conferences and go kind of in a circle through the four geographical regions of divisions, ending with the division hosting the defending champ. With the circle being what it is, I am going to start in my home division with the NFC North. Tomorrow I'll switch over to the AFC North, then spin my way clockwise to the East, South, and finally, the West.

Before I get to the preview, I do want to make a shameless plug. For the fifth straight season, I will be picking NFL games against the spread, and this will be my third year picking against Adam Quinn, who won last year's pool. If you want to make us look like a bunch of dopes, you can join our ESPN Pigskin Pick 'Em group.

Let's start predicting.

2015 NFC North Preview

Happy Friday! We're on to the second half of Confessions of a Sportscaster's NFL predictions for the 2015 season. This is the one that's most relevant to me, as I'm from Chicago and a Packers fan (which, if you're a regular reader of COAS, you already know and are probably shaking your head at). Given much of the demographic is around here just based on who I know, this is probably the preview you've most been looking forward to as well.

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

1. Green Bay Packers
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

2. Minnesota Vikings
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

3. Detroit Lions
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

4. Chicago Bears
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.

NFC North Preview

This is one that I and probably most of the readership was looking forward to. Seeing as I work in Chicago and live in the western suburbs, a lot of my readers are probably here, though I know this blog randomly gets reads from around the world (a lot from Russia for some reason). Today, we look to see if the oldest and greatest NFL rivalry is tilted the other way.

In the meantime, I'm still taking entries for the COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em contest. I'll have another Bears fan picking games here on COAS with me to provide some semblance of balance, but you can compete against us at the link above. It's free to sign up and join, and you can prove me wrong dozens of times over!

With that out of the way, here's how I see the NFC North unfolding.

Common opponents on schedule: NFC South, AFC East

1. Green Bay Packers
2013: 8-7-1 (1st), lost in NFC Wild Card Round
For years, the Packers have had to deal with a ton of major guys missing time due to injury... and yet they've continued to find ways to make the playoffs. Last year the bigger deal was a horrible defense. BJ Raji is already out for the year with a torn bicep, so they'll need their youth to step up. Tramon Williams and Sam Shields need to have bounceback years at corner, but the big hole last year was at safety. Moving Micah Hyde helps, and I was excited to see Ted Thompson draft Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to help out. On offense, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are a good 1-2 punch, with a lot of youth behind them. Rookie of the year Eddie Lacy is back, as is James Starks. Oh, and that Aaron Rodgers guy. He's pretty good, I guess. As long as he's healthy, the Packers will be fine.
2014 Prediction: 11-5

2. Chicago Bears
2013: 8-8 (2nd), missed playoffs
When I was growing up, the Bears were about good, if not great, defense and horrible offense. That script has flipped. The Bears have arguably the best 1-2 receiver punch in the league in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. They have a very good tight end in Martellus Bennett. Matt Forte is one of the best complete backs in the league. The question mark is Jay Cutler. People are talking about him as an MVP candidate, but he needs to be smarter with the ball. The big question mark here though is defense. Julius Peppers defected to Green Bay, but the Bears replaced him with Jared Allen. He lines up opposite Lamarr Houston, so there's a retooled D-line. If Tim Jennings and Peanut Tillman do Tim Jennings and Peanut Tillman things again this year, the Bears could steal the division.
2014 Prediction: 10-6, Wild Card

3. Detroit Lions
2013: 7-9 (3rd), missed playoffs
Reggie Bush was a godsend for this offense last year. He topped 1000 yards and helped balance things out so Matthew Stafford could keep throwing bombs to Megatron. Golden Tate is a good counterpart to him, and there's a lot of talent at tight end. They'll light up some scoreboards. Unfortunately for them, their opponents will probably also light up some scoreboards. I really don't think the secondary improved, and up front, Nick Fairley showed up to training camp overweight. They'll need to win a lot of 35-31 type games to have a shot at the postseason.
2014 Prediction: 7-9

4. Minnesota Vikings
2013: 5-10-1 (4th), missed playoffs
Minnesota is trying its hand at another first round quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, but he won't see the field right away. Instead Matt Cassel gets to show what he can do. I'm not totally sold on him though through no fault of his own; his weapons are the same as last year. Making Norv Turner the offensive coordinator should help though, as it unleashes Adrian Peterson in the passing game. Could be deadly. Some of the defensive line depth is gone now (there's no "Williams" at tackle anymore), and I'm not impressed with the secondary. Captain Munnerlyn is a decent addition, but wasn't a world beater with Carolina. The Vikes need more weapons and defensive help before they can compete with the aerial assaults this division can launch.
2014 Prediction: 6-10

Two wild cards are in, two more remain. Tomorrow I'll head out west for the second-to-last preview before the season starts. That's on Thursday! We're almost there!