NFC North Blog: Season Recap

by Bill Young

The NFC North presented a season that mirrored the NFL as a whole--wild and unpredictable. The Vikings entered and ended the season in the spotlight. Unfortunately, the end of the season was for bad reasons. Injuries and poor decisions like the Randy Moss trade led to the departure of coach Brad Childress. However, there is hope for the Vikings. Interim coach Leslie Frazier showed good leadership as the team defeated the Redskins, a team that the Packers and Bears managed to lose to. At quarterback, the situation is a mess. Joe Webb and Tarvaris Jackson are not NFL QBs. The Vikings need to draft one. To make matters worse, the defense is getting old. Specifically, the corners are awful. When the Williams wall slows down, this team has nothing defensively to scare offenses.

The Detroit Lions could have had a remarkably different season had they beaten the Bears in week 1. That "catch" made by Calvin Johnson was a pivotal ruling. While it was another losing season, there has been great improvement. The Lions have won four games so far with two games versus the struggling Dolphins and Vikings remaining. The defense and DT Ndamukong Suh have improved a great deal this season. The Lions will make the next step by improving their offensive line so that QB Matthew Stafford will not have to be put on IR next season. Odds are that the Lions would have had more than four wins this year had the team not had to trot out 2nd and 3rd string QBs at all times.

The Green Bay Packers started the season as a Super Bowl contending team. Expectations have changed after the Packers have sustained a myriad of injuries to important players. QB Aaron Rodgers has had two concussions this year. Jermichael Finley, one of the top tight ends in the NFL, was lost for the season early on. In addition, the injury to RB Ryan Grant has limited th Packers to a pass-happy offense. Expectations for the Packers if and when they make the playoffs are low, but the defense under Dom Capers has been impressive as former Heisman winner and Michigan great Charles Woodson has made plays all over the field. If the Packers manage to beat the Giants this weekend, a playoff run won't be that surprising given the added significance of defense in the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears have been the surprise of the NFL this year. They came out of nowhere to lockup the NFC North. Still, few believe they can do any real damage in the playoffs due to the poor decision making of QB Jay Cutler and the below average offense the Bears send onto the field. The Bears defense, however, has been excellent other than the notable lapse against the Patriots. Concerns of poor play are valid because this team lost to the Redskins as Cutler threw for four interceptions--all to Deangelo Hall. If Cutler can improve his play, this team has the ability with its superior special teams and defense to make it to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, given Cutler's history, this seems unlikely at best.