An embarrassment of riches is a unique experience. You know, those moments when you get the same gift twice at Christmas, or when two people bring pizza and soft drinks to a meeting. Or when you misread the recipe and made double the amount you intended. It's a time when you exclaim "Gee whiz, I have too much of this, but who cares, I'll eat it!"
Offensively, the NFC North is a true definition of an embarrassment of riches. The NFC North might just be
the best division in the NFL and is certainly the most entertaining. There
isn’t a division that boasts as much firepower on the offensive side of the
ball, yet contrasts with mediocre defensive play. The NFC North is the epitome
of what football is drastically becoming: Fast-paced games with big-armed
quarterbacks, bigger receivers and plenty of points to go around.
Let's first look at the laundry list of dynamic receivers throughout the division. Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffrey,
Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson. It isn’t easy. Oh, and don’t forget Golden Tate and
Cordarrelle Patterson, they’re pretty good too. The face of the North might just be Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Those who doubt Rodgers’ status as an elite quarterback should’ve noticed how bewildered Green Bay looked with average quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien (average might be speaking lightly in Tolzien’s case) running the offense.
Rodgers is the best quarterback in the division, but Jay Cutler and Matt Stafford are pretty good as well. Stafford has thrown for at least 4,600 yards the last three seasons. Cutler, injuries aside, was on pace for a 3,800-yard season and showed signs of brilliance in his first year under offensive guru Marc Trestman.
The passing game gets most of the love when talking about the North, but it is also the only division in the NFL to have a 1,000-yard rusher on every team last season. Adrian Peterson is the best back in the division, if not the league, but Matt Forte is a rare three-down back, Reggie Bush is a pass-catching specialist with underrated abilities as a runner and Eddie Lacy is a bruising back who punishes defenders.
The NFC North boasts the most offensive talent of any division, but in determining the best team in the division we must look at the other side of the ball.
Green Bay’s defense will be better simply because the injury bug won’t strike as effectively as last year. Starters Morgan Burnett, Sam Shields, Clay Mathews and Nick Perry all missed time due to injury. Casey Heyward played in only three games in 2013 after an impressive rookie campaign in 2012. A healthy Heyward and better play from Burnett will be essential if the Packers secondary plans on improving. Micah Hyde is currently slotted as the other starting safety, but expect 18th overall pick Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix to get in the mix at safety as well.
Chicago made the most moves on defense, not just in the division, but quite possibly the entire league. Bears general manager Phil Emery revamped a lot of the front seven, adding Allen, defensive end Lamarr Houston and defensive tackle Willie Young.
Defensively, the arrow can only point up for Chicago, who ranked 30th in points allowed per game and
total yards allowed, the first time the team has performed that poorly in both
categories in the team’s 91-year history (excluding 1920 and 1921).
The Lions should be more disciplined on defense with new head coach Jim Caldwell, but the team didn’t do much to bolster the roster. The Lions did not target a cornerback in free agency and also opted to take tight end Eric Ebron with the 12th overall pick instead of a defensive player.
The Lions should be more disciplined on defense with new head coach Jim Caldwell, but the team didn’t do much to bolster the roster. The Lions did not target a cornerback in free agency and also opted to take tight end Eric Ebron with the 12th overall pick instead of a defensive player.
Detroit has a nice front
seven with anchors Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Stephen Tulloch in the
middle. Ziggy Ansah should make strides in his second season. The secondary
consisting of Rashean Mathis, Darius Slay, James Ihedigbo and Glover Quin will
be highly scrutinized and expected to improve upon last year’s 3,950 yards
allowed through the air.
The Vikings’ biggest addition was defensive tackle Linval Joseph, who should give Minnesota a plug on the middle of the line. The Vikings are hoping Everson Griffen is an adequate replacement for Allen. The team signed Griffen to a $20 million extension this offseason after four years as a situational pass rusher. Minnesota will rely on Captain Munnerlyn and second-year pro Xavier Rhodes as its top cornerbacks.
Minnesota is the only team in
the division with uncertainty at quarterback. Matt Cassel is slated to start
Week 1, but Minnesota traded up to get Teddy Bridgewater with the 32nd
pick in May’s draft. Cassel is a very good bridge quarterback, meaning he can
be an adequate starter while Bridgewater learns on the bench.
The Vikings’ biggest addition was defensive tackle Linval Joseph, who should give Minnesota a plug on the middle of the line. The Vikings are hoping Everson Griffen is an adequate replacement for Allen. The team signed Griffen to a $20 million extension this offseason after four years as a situational pass rusher. Minnesota will rely on Captain Munnerlyn and second-year pro Xavier Rhodes as its top cornerbacks.
Outside of Peterson and Patterson, Minnesota lacks much firepower. Keep an eye out for Kyle Rudolph, who could have a nice season with new offensive coordinator Norv Turner calling the plays.
Unlike the other three teams in the division, Minnesota will be defensively oriented with new head coach Mike Zimmer. Minnesota will need to revamp the defense quickly if it wants to get the most out of Peterson’s prime seasons.
Detroit has been loaded with talent the past couple of seasons, but have disappointed miserably. When he’s on, Stafford is a top-5 quarterback. Johnson isn’t slowing down and Golden Tate adds a speedy option to offset Johnson’s size. If Bush gets hurt, the Lions have a superb backup in Joique Bell. If the secondary comes together, the Lions will contend for a playoff spot.
Chicago has the most upside in the division, but it’s also the biggest question mark. Can Cutler stay healthy? How much does Allen have left in the tank? Will the front seven gel together quicker than expected? All of these factors will determine whether Chicago is a Super Bowl contender or out of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. There might not be a team in the league whose season could hinge on one player as much as Chicago’s season could hinge on Cutler.
The Packers seem like the safest team in the division. Rodgers and Cobb are healthy and Nelson is one of the most underrated talents in the game. It will be fun to watch Mike McCarthy’s offense with a running back as talented as Lacy. Green Bay can air it out, or smash it down opponents’ throats. The defense will be under a ton of pressure, namely Burnett and Heyward. If Mathews stays healthy, Dom Capers could have some fun mixing and matching schemes with him and Peppers.
In the end, Green Bay is the best team in the division. They have the best quarterback, a running back who gives the offense a contrasting look and should be much improved defensively.
Here are my full predictions for the division:
1. Green Bay Packers 12-4
2. Chicago Bears 11-5
3. Detroit Lions 7-9
4. Minnesota Vikings 6-10
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