NFL Preview Part V: NFC North

For the past few seasons, this has been a pretty sorry division with the likes of Rex Grossman leading his team to a division title. These days, we have two up-and-comers, one wild card (not the playoff kind), and one heap of crap. Picks.

1) Minnesota Vikings

With a solid Packers team being headed by basically a rookie quarterback, this would be a good year for the Vikings to take it. Their defense consists of a "weirdly good" combination: they have a great pass rush and mediocre coverage so when the front line forces terrible throws, the DBs are out of position already and will therefore receive easy picks (this is sort of how the '05 Bengals had so many picks against this division). They face the yet-to-be-proven Aaron Rodgers, Jon Kitna and (Insert Bears Idiot) which should all be turnover festivals. Tarvaris Jackson should play better, having been one of the thousands who were personally offended by the Favre Fiasco and, oh yeah...Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the league.

Fantasy Vikings: None (damnit)

2) Green Bay Packers

I believe that Aaron Rodgers will figure it out just a little too late for the Pack to make it into the playoffs. Green Bay is young and, now that Favre is gone, can now mature together and be back strong next year. I just wish they played the Jets...

Green Bay Fantasies: Atari Bigby

3) Detroit Lions

This team is hilarious to me because it is basically a novelty. An offensive Juggernaught run by an historically inept quarterback. The only thing of interest on this team to watch is Calvin Johnson who seems genetically engineered to play Wide Receiver and this could be his breakout year. Definitly no playoffs.

Secondhand Lions: Jon Kitna (I feel like I have all the players I hate on)

4) Chicago Bears

Although Rex Grossman has been relegated to a bench role on the Bears, he's still a future Hall of Famer on Team Doucheman. This has been a team that was based on defense but whose offense was still too bad to win a Super Bowl...but now its defense isn't good and its offense is maybe even worse. No Bernard Berrian and an exciting but quite unproven Devin Hester as their NUMBER 1 RECEIVER. Yikes. They do have a proven quarterback in Kyle Orton, the problem is, he has proven to be a bad quarterback. This team should be 3-13.

Buddies' Bearshit: None (phew)