There’s nothing quite like the smell of the infamous black and blue division in the morning, so christened because this is another division full of teams that are close to each other geographically, for the most part have rabid fan bases and love beating the hell out of each other. Last year the Bears suffered some injury woes at key positions and dropped out of playoff contention about halfway through the season. The Packers pretty much dominated the division with a stellar aerial attack but couldn’t win when it mattered. The Vikings were in a rebuilding mode and the Lions finally showed some promise, but it may just have been a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Green Bay Packers – The Packers did pretty well in the regular season, earning themselves a first round bye, then promptly getting spanked the Giants at home. Let’s face it, it’s officially time to declare the Lambeau mystique DOA. After seeing what the Giants have done to them in the playoffs twice now, is anyone really afraid of this team in January at home? The Packers had an excellent passing attack last year but were in the bottom half of the league when it came to running the ball and total defense. Hey, guess what? When you can’t run the ball and stop the other guy, your own defense just gets worn out as the season progresses and you flame out in the first round of the playoffs. The Packers’ offseason really confuses me as it looks like they just shored up points that were already strong (defensive line) and totally didn’t even think about a running game or a secondary until the late rounds of the draft. Rodgers proved he can carry this team pretty far but, unless they have magically fixed all the problems from last year, I don’t see them even winning their own division. As always, it comes down to who stays healthy. Fret not cheese-heads, your team will be in the playoffs at least as a wildcard but I only give them a 10% chance of going to the Super Bowl.
Chicago Bears – Some good news just came in earlier this week for Bears fans. They finally agreed to a 4 year deal with Matt Forte. I have no idea why it took them this long. Other than Cutler, he is arguably the most important person on offense. Last year Forte accounted for a ridiculous percentage of the Bears offensive production (and a great number of fantasy points, thanks bud!). Another team whose draft confused me, they displayed an inability to stop the pass and protect Cutler, and went out and drafted defensive line guys first before picking up a safety in the third round. They should have addressed concerns at the offensive line. One key for this team is for Cutler to stay healthy, but with this line this could be another season he’ll be lucky to live through. The other suspect part is the secondary, which was in the bottom 10 of the NFL last year. I think that this is the year the Bears win the division, but I still only give them a 20% chance to make the Super Bowl.
Detroit Lions – I’ll admit to having a special place in my heart for the one-time doormats of the NFL. I was born in Michigan but moved away before I really became a football fan. As a side note, the only job related to football Matt Millen should have is working at the beer stand. Last year the Lions were another great passing team that couldn’t run the ball, and despite the big names on defense couldn’t stop me from scoring a touchdown if I wanted to (and I just had open-heart surgery!). Penalties were the bane of this team as they are slowly morphing into the NFC version of the Raiders. They kept Stafford healthy, which is a good thing, and Best will be back and hopefully not have any problems with concussions this year, so that leaves the real question for this team as the defense. First off Suh needs to keep his head on straight, the issue of course is now he has a reputation and the refs are throwing a flag if he even looks at a QB funny way. Fifteen-yard personal foul penalties can be absolute game-breakers. If Suh can keep his stuff in check, the final wild card spot could come down to the Lions and someone from the NFC south. I give them about a 2% chance to make the Super Bowl.
Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings are in a pure rebuilding mode. They did have a lot of draft picks and picked up a lot of talent. They still have arguably the best running back in the NFL but the future for this team right now rests on how Christian Ponder develops as a QB. I almost feel bad for Adrian Peterson, who is almost stuck in a Barry Sanders type of situation. This is a tough division but the Vikings just don’t have all the pieces in place yet. Top that off with a brutal final stretch of games (Packers x2, Bears x2 and Texans), and they are probably looking at competing for a top-5 draft pick next season. The future looks good, the team got younger, but if you are a Vikings fan you better hope for some improvement soon before Peterson bolts in free agency or retires out of frustration. Chance of making the Super Bowl? Grab your ice fishing poles Vikings fans, not this year.
Notes from around the League – Congratulations Redskins fans, here is another kick to the balls! Your owner, Daniel “Never met a free agent he didn’t make it rain on” Snyder has yet to get a deal done with RGIII who, as a matter of consequence, has yet to report to rookie camp.
Next Week – We hold our noses and take a look at the NFC west, also known as the worst division in football.
