NFC North Preview

1. Green Bay Packers

What I like: As scary as this may seem, the Packers' vaunted offense may be more dangerous this year than they were last postseason when they were carving defenses left and right. For one, much to the surprise of even me, WR James Jones turned his nose up at offers to be better featured elsewhere so that he could stay in Green Bay. Jones returns to an offense that already had one of the best young wideouts in Greg Jennings, a cagey veteran in Donald Driver and last year's Super Bowl hero Jordy Nelson at wide receiver. The team also used a 2nd round pick on Kentucky WR Randall Cobb, in the event Jones decided to leave. Speaking of returns, the offense gets RB Ryan Grant back after missing all of last season with knee and ankle injuries. It remains to be seen how strong a comeback Grant will make but James Starks, who came on in the playoffs last year, and rookie Alex Green are around to pick up the slack. The Packers also get TE Jermichael Finley back after missing most of last season with a knee injury. Finley looked primed for a break out before being carted off against the Redskins in October. That gives QB Aaron Rodgers, who has carved his niche as one of the two or three best passers in the game, an offense that can stretch as much as five deep. Defensively, Clay Matthews Jr. is back, fresh off winning a championship and getting jobbed for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Matthews will provide the pass rush and will get a little help from a secondary that features a former DPOY in Charles Woodson, two good young corners in Tramon Williams and Sam Shields, and a Pro Bowler at free safety in Nick Collins. Also, B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett fortify the defensive line for Dom Capers' 3-4 scheme.

What I don't like: For all the defending champs gained back from the IR, they did have a couple key losses. DE Cullen Jenkins was one of the best pass rushing 3-4 ends in the league and he's now in Philly. The team also bid adieu to MLB Nick Barnett, who was oft-injured but still one of the team's better playmakers. There's also concerns with the offensive line, even despite the addition of first round pick Derek Sherod. Left tackle Chad Clifton is getting up in years and, with the lockout, Sherod is a step behind in development and would be risky to be trusted to protected Rodgers' blind side if injuries continue to take their toll on Clifton. The team also has to prove it can win close games under Mike McCarthy. While the Super Bowl run alleviates some pressure from McCarthy and company, it must be remembered that the Packers backed into the playoffs to start their surprise run. Now, the target's on their back and teams that may have taken the Pack lightly last year won't make the same mistake twice.

Bottom line: The Packers have been heralded as the favorites to become the first repeat champions since the '04 Patriots. While it's not impossible, it's asking a lot for a team in a conference that got significantly better in the offseason. Unlike past champions, however, Green Bay doesn't have to worry about being cursed by the injury bug after winning a title with 15 players on the IR last season. Rodgers controls the deepest offense in football and Matthews' relentless pass rush combined with a talented secondary will keep opposing offenses at bay. Still, the team didn't do much to bring in another pass rusher to complement Matthews and while the flaws are small, they do exist in the Packers' armor. Green Bay has enough talent to repeat, but it's up to McCarthy to keep his team from getting too wrapped up in their own press clippings if they are going to make it to Indy in February.

2. Detroit Lions

What I like: For starters, the Matt Stafford-Jahvid Best-Calvin Johnson trio is tantalizing, to say the least. The same can be said about the interior tandem of Ndomukong Suh and Nick Fairley(when Fairley is healthy) on the other side of the ball. Stafford has the game's biggest arm and he has the luxury of a genetic freak in Johnson, who is too quick for the bigs and two big for the quicks. Best gives Detroit its best rushing threat in a long time and his ability as a runner and pass-catcher makes this offense much more dangerous. On defense, offensive lines are going to have nightmares trying to hold off Suh and Fairley. Suh commanded triple teams on his own as a rookie last year and Fairley, who has been slowed by a foot injury, comes to Detroit with a similar collegiate reputation as Suh did when he left Nebraska a year ago. In Fairley's absence, Corey Williams is no slouch as a pass rusher either and neither is DEs Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch. The Lions also signed tackling machine Stephen Tulloch away from Tennessee to reunite him with head coach Jim Schwartz, who was Tulloch's defensive coordinator with the Titans. The secondary also has a couple young studs in former Falcon Chris Houston and hard-hitting safety Louis Delmas.

What I don't like: The hype. You can't call a team a "sleeper" team is everyone knows about them. Any chance of Detroit sneaking up on opponents has been killed by all the preseason talk of this being the Year of the Lions. Some experts even have gone as far as to predict Detroit to make the Super Bowl this year. For that to happen, the Lions have to become very fortunate with injuries. Stafford, for all his talent, has missed significant parts of his first two seasons. Best was slowed by turf toe and concussion issues last year and Johnson had his own injury problems. The team is already without Fairley to start the season. The offensive line, long the team's biggest weakness, has to prove it can keep Stafford upright and healthy. Also, with second-round pick Mikel Leshoure done for the year, it's up to Jerome Harrison to take some of the load off the undersized Best. The team also needs someone to emerge from the Nate Burleson/Titus Young duo to keep defenses from tripling Johnson. On defense, the team needs Fairley back soon and ready to team with Suh and wreak havoc.

Bottom line: There's positive buzz in the Motor City for the first time since the Barry Sanders era, but the team has already been bitten by misfortune with the injuries to their two top picks in Fairley and Leshoure. For the Lions to live up to expectations, everything has to go right for them. If Stafford, Best, Johnson, Fairley and Suh can stay healthy down the stretch, the Lions are going to be a tough out in the 2nd half. However, with so many teams fighting for so few playoff spots, the young Lions are going to have to grow up fast to make wise men out of all the "experts" fueling up the bandwagon. The Lions have to compete with a defending division champion in Chicago and a defending Super Bowl champion in Green Bay but they have enough talent to make dents in the NFC. It's just a matter of keeping everyone on the field.

3. Chicago Bears

What I like: Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher. That's it. That's the list. The Bears won the North last year thanks to some close wins and some stingy defense. Peppers may not have lived up to his guady contract, but he wasn't a walking stiff either. Urlacher isn't the machine he was a few years ago, but he's still capable of taking over when he's healthy. The team also did QB Jay Cutler a favor by getting him some offensive line help in first round pick Gabe Carimi, a tackle out of Wisconsin, and a new target in former Cowboy Roy Williams. Williams never panned out in Dallas after his much-maligned trade from Detroit but the former Longhorn's lone Pro Bowl season came under Mike Martz, who just happens to be the offensive coordinator in Chicago. Williams' presence, in theory, allows everyone to slip into the roles they are best suited for. Devin Hester has come on as a wideout after being mainly used as corner/return specialist early in his career but he's a #2 at best and Johnny Knox is probably a better fit as the team's #3.

What I don't like: At the risk of sounding bitter, the Bears' division title last year had more to do with luck than talent. A lot of the teams' wins could have went either way and the Bears could have been on the outside looking in instead of in the NFC Championship. This year, there's actual cause for concern. The offensive line gained Carimi but lost its anchor in center Olin Kruetz. His absence forces the team to move Roberto Garza from guard to center, further weakening a terrible unit. This preseason, the Bears have shown an inability to keep Cutler from eating dirt every time he drops back to pass. Further complicating matters are contract squabbles with two of the team's best players. RB Matt Forte has tabled discussions for a new deal but he's felt strong enough about an extension to walk out on camp at one point. LB Lance Briggs is once again demanding a trade out of the Windy City, as he has grown frustrated with negotiating for a new deal. Those are two guys the team can't afford to piss off. My biggest concern with Chicago is Cutler. Coming off a season where his toughness was questioned and where he was upstaged in the biggest game of his career by backup Caleb Hanie, Cutler has to try to prove himself behind an offensive line that may be WORSE than the unit that gave up the most sacks in the league last year and with a new #1 wideout in Williams who has a reputation for having hands of stone. It doesn't help that the division has gotten significantly better since last season.

Bottom line: Lady Luck has never been known to stay in one place too long and, from the looks of things, she's on the first thing smoking out of the Windy City. It's asking a lot for this team to win 11 games again with Cutler running for his life, Briggs and Forte distracted by contract squabbles, and the overall talent taking a hit with the departures of TE Greg Olsen and DT Tommie Harris. At the very least, the team should have been a bit more aggressive in enhancing the offensive line, especially after how embarrassing this team was trying to protect Cutler last season. Instead, a team that set the bar high with an improbable NFC Championship run now sits in a state of flux. With a QB and head coach on a hot seat and holes in so many crucial areas, putting the Bears at 3 might be a bit overly optimistic.

4. Minnesota Vikings

What I like: The 2011 Vikings are a far cry from the team that came within a Brett Favre interception of the Super Bowl two years ago and slightly worse than last year's disappointing bunch but, at the end of the day, it doesn't hurt to have the best running back in football in Adrian Peterson. Peterson is the only real sure shot on this team, which made a lot of drastic changes on both sides of the ball. Donovan McNabb is going to give his career one last shot from the defibrillator after underwhelming in his lone season in Washington. He'll have significantly more talent around him in Minnesota than he ever did with the Redskins. Percy Harvin has supposedly put the migraine issues behind him and is ready to emerge as #1 wideout in his third season. Bernard Berrian is back and, at the very least, is a steady #2. The Vikings two-tight end set features Visanthe Shiancoe and promising rookie Kyle Rudolph. Defensively, Jared Allen and his ridiculous sack dance are back and he'll have one of the better linebacking cores behind him led by Chad Greenway and E.J. Henderson.

What I don't like: McNabb comes to The Land That Prince Built a year too late. The team swapped out Pro Bowl left tackle Bryant McKinnie for former Colt Charles Johnson, making the team a bit unsteady on both ends of the offensive line unless Phil Loadholt can impress in his 3rd season. Suspension and old age has torn apart the once-frightening Williams Wall and DE Ray Edwards fled to Atlanta in free agency. That leaves Jared Allen as the only proven pass rusher until Kevin Williams returns from suspension on a substance abuse beef. The secondary is a bit thinner, too. Antoine Winfield is getting up in age and the rest of the gang doesn't inspire too much hope, especially if offensive lines find ways to muzzle Allen.

Bottom line: Optimism on this year's Vikings depends mainly on your belief that McNabb has something left in the tank. Last year, with every reason to have a chip on his shoulder and prove his doubters wrong, McNabb showed up out of shape and disappointed to the point that he got benched for Rex Grossman midseason. This year, he's being asked to keep the team afloat and avoid the urge to see what it has in first round pick and "QB of the future" Christian Ponder. The Vikings hope they've caught lightning in a bottle twice by going to the "aging QB with something to prove" well with McNabb after hitting a homer with Brett Favre(well, the first year with Favre, at least), but a lot has changed and a lot of questions have to answered immediately. Harvin has to prove he can pick up the slack left by Sidney Rice's departure. The offensive line has to not miss a beat by swapping McKinnie for Johnson. The defense has to somehow suffice without The Williams' boys clogging the middle. Most importantly, McNabb has to show the motivation to resuscitate his career that he didn't show last year and make defenses respect his dwindling talent enough to take pressure off Peterson and not make a back with injury and fumbling issues carry the team. I don't see that happening. McNabb's ability to make plays with his feet is now non-existent, forcing him to become more of a pocket passer.....which would be great if his accuracy hadn't slipped as well. Two years ago, McNabb would have been perfect for this Vikings team but, like with Favre last year, the Vikings are making a losing gamble by rolling the dice that an aging QB has one last hurrah left in him. I think we see Ponder by Week 10 and only a Bears collapse keeps Minnesota out of the cellar.