1. Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
This is assuming, of course, that Brett Favre will return. Which, after his ankle surgery, seems highly probable. However, take away “Old #4″, and you can probably subtract three or four wins away, and you can give the division to the Packers. Adrian Peterson will continue to compete for the honor of the best running back in the game, and the receiving corps of Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian will continue to give defenses headaches. If Pat and Kevin Williams end up serving their four game suspensions this season, it could be a huge blow for the best run defense in the game, however, E.J. Henderson, the most underrated middle linebacker in the league, will return completely healthy.
2. Green Bay Packers (10-6)
This is the year Aaron Rodgers will prove once and for all he is an elite quarterback in the NFL. The only question will be whether or not rookie offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga will be enough for last year’s worst offensive line to keep Rodgers on his feet. The talented receiving corps of Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and Jordy Nelson will give Rodgers plenty of targets over the middle and deep field threat. The Packer’s switch to a 3-4 defense last season will only get better with another year of experience under their belt.
3. Chicago Bears (8-8)
The success of the Bear’s season rides on Jay Cutler’s right arm. If he has another dismal season as he did last year, in which he threw 26 interceptions, the Bears are finished. However, if he can perform like he did during his tenure in Denver, the Bears could compete for the division title. Mike Martz coming in as the offensive coordinator is a huge boost, as he is an offensive genius. The Bears defense should improve from last year. They will have Brian Urlacher back from injury, and also added #1 off season defensive free agent Julius Peppers.
4. Detroit Lions (6-10)
At first glance, 6-10 doesn’t look too great, but seeing as the Lions were only able to win two games last season, the four game difference is huge. When Matt Stafford was actually on the field last season, he looked solid. The Lions had a very good draft for the first time in years. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, running back Jahvid Best, and cornerback Amari Spievey will all see playing time this year and will make a huge difference on their respective sides of the ball. This could be a sleeper team that might find themselves on the other side of the usual unfortunate situation.
Related posts:
Twitter
Youtube
Facebook
RSS