Coming into the 2012 NFL season, the NFC North division is arguably the best in the entire league. With three teams, Green Bay, Chicago, and Detroit, all expected to make a push for the playoffs and perhaps a berth in the Super Bowl, things are looking good.
The Packers are actually the 2013 Super Bowl favorites, trying to win a second championship in three seasons.
Green Bay torched the regular season in 2011, tabbing a 15-1 record. But then the postseason came around and the laid an egg. It was the exact opposite result than their championship run a season earlier in which they won three-straight road games as the No.6 seed.
So how does this division stack up for the 2012 season?
The Packers are going to be the favorites to win the division this season, but they’re expected to get strong competition from both the Lions and the Bears. Detroit ended its long playoff drought in 2011, winning 10 games and earning a wildcard slot. Matthew Stafford had the best season of his career so far, throw for over 5,000 yards, and nearly passing Dan Marino’s record of 5,084 yards set back in 1984. Of course, that was passed by Drew Brees of the Saints last season. But there is no question that Stafford and the Lions grew by leaps and bounds, and have completely shifted the expectations of Detroit.
It also helps when you have arguably the biggest playmaker in the league. That would be wide receiver Calvin Johnson, aka, Megatron. Johnson is a rare mixture of size, speed, and phenomenal hands, providing Stafford with a big target down the field.
But it’s on defense where Detroit looks to be dominant this season, led by Ndamukong Suh on the front line. The Lions have a stout defensive front and will look to terrorize quarterbacks, especially Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers.
As for Cutler and the Bears, they have big expectations again this season. Had it not been for an injury to Cutler last season with ended his 2011, Chicago might have made the playoffs. The Bears come into this season as a very balanced football team on both offense and defense. They signed Matt Forte to a long term deal in the offseason, ensuring that the running game will still be there.
Overlooked in this division are the Minnesota Vikings. But second-year quarterback Christian Ponder will try to fix that. But the biggest question facing Minnesota is the status of Adrian Peterson. Peterson suffered a torn ACL in the final game of the 2011 season. It’s been almost nine months of rehab, but we are still unsure of what to expect. There is a long list of great running backs who have had this injury, and dropped off significantly in the final season.
We fully expect Green Bay to win this division, but hope that Detroit and Chicago give them a run for their money.