NFC North Preview
By:
Jim Feist |
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Minnesota Vikings: It seemed to me
that in 2017 head coach Mike Zimmer did not fully have Case Keenums back
at times. Judging by his off season moves, that may have been the case
as all of his three QB’s are gone and he has brought in QB Kirk Cousins.
Personally, I feel this is an upgrade, but Cousins has not yet done in
his career. Keenum was 13-3 last year in the NFL, which is no small
feat. Keenum was money for his team and for us bettors. Only time will
tell if Zimmer’s gamble will pay off. Zimmer is known for his defensive
prowess and it showed in what the Vikes were able to do in 2017. The
Vikings were first in yards allowed, second in passing yards allowed,
second in rushing yards allowed and first in points allowed per game. That is a very impressive showing and along with a steady and a little
above average offense, the Vikings went a long way. Even with the
questions I have regarding the change at QB, I believe the Vikings still
remain the team to beat in the NFC North.
Green Bay Packers: Obviously with Aaron Rodgers back from a season lost to injury in 2017,
this team will be a contender, no matter who they face. The guy is just
that good. There are other excellent QB’s in the league, but Aaron in
my opinion is the best. The however to that is that he does not have the
best coach or supporting players that he needs to go all the way.
Keeping in mind that the Packers depend so much on Rodgers and if or
when he gets injured they will need a back up to step in. With Hundley
and Kiser backing up this year, they do have a bit of insurance. I
wouldn’t bet my house on either, but they can function. As I said, 2017
was a lost season and I take nothing from the results we saw from that
season. Both the offensive and defensive stats were tainted due to
injuries and sometime lack of desire. Given a much healthier 2018 this
will be a solid if not a great team this year. As I said Rodgers is that
much better than most and if he gets the support he needs this team
will contend for a Super Bowl.
Detroit Lions: New coach is in
Mo-Town, but one with some Patriot blood in him so to speak. This will
be HC Matt Patricia’s first go at a head coaching job. Matt is a
defensive coach that has to bring those skills and more to the table
this year. The Lions defensive stats from 2017 were atrocious: 27th in
yards allowed, 27th in passing yards allowed, 18th in rushing yards
allowed and 21st in points per game allowed. These are not stats of a
team that want to be in contention. Yes, the Lions do have what I feel
is a high quality QB in Matt Stafford but that is not enough. This team
ranked dead last in rushing yard gained per game last year.
Chicago
Bears: Another team in this division that moves forward with a new HC
in Matt Nagy. Matt was a one-year offensive coordinator for the Chiefs
last year. Hard to know until he is on the battle field if he is ready
to handle being a head coach in the NFL. Former head coach John Fox
didn’t seem to be able to keep pace with the New NFL, so Nagy should be
an improvement in that regard. A lot of the blame of 2017 will go to
Fox and the inexperienced quarterback Trubisky. There is a lot to fix
on this team and I believe the marketplace is over estimating what the
Bears can accomplish this year under a new head coach. Fact is, for the
last two years they have failed to win one game vs any of their NFC
North rivals. I’m not optimistic that this club can do much this year.
Inexperienced HC and QB is not what I can immediately build my hopes on. It
looks like the Vikings are once again the team to beat this year with
the Packers a close second. The Lions will be improved and should move
up with the Bears closing out the division.
Check out Jim Feist's picks here.