NFC Norris Division is always an interesting dogfight. Will Minnesota live up to their potential or will GB continue to be FAVRE and AHMAN Green to the playoffs year after year? Or perhaps as in 2001 the Bears or Lions will win the division out of the blue…well…here’s my thoughts on the NFC NORTH…#1 – Minnesota Vikings
It seems like Minnesota is a team that will forever underachieve while Randy Moss is onboard. He’s the NFL’s version of Allen Iverson. You cannot trade him because he’s so freaking talented but when you need him to lead or come up big in a big game. All you can hear is crickets.
The VIKINGS have finally done some nice things on defense. If EJ Henderson would put down the 40 ounce of St.Ide’s for ten seconds this team would be on the verge of really gelling into a nice unit. With the addition of Kenechi Udeze alongside 2003’s 1st round selection Kevin Williams and the young anchor Chris Hovan the Vikings have the makings of a very nice young defensive line. Kenny Mixon is still a poor starting DE by NFL standards but Williams and Ukeze are young studs.
Antione Winfield was given a giant contract to come over and team with the much underrated third year man out of NC State, Brian Williams at the corner position. This will be a solid tandem for the first time in years in Minny. The rest of the defense is solid and much improved compared to those that took the field for most of this decade.
On offense, the Vikings are what they are. Simple. Culpepper to Moss. Moss dancing in the end zone or Moss crying like a little girl. Most of the time it’s Moss dancing and sprinkle in some Michael Bennett running wild until he gets hurt and then Onterrio Smith will fill in nicely. The o-line is solid and will only benefit from further improvement by franchise tackle Bryant McKinney.
Projected Record: 11-5
McKinney held out for most of his rookie year and just started getting going in year 2. It’s time for him to be a star and protect DAUNTE to the division title
#2 – Green Bay Packers
4th and 26. How in the world do you let Donovan McNabb complete a 4th and 26 to Freddie Mitchell to essentially end your season? It doesn’t compute. I’ll tell you how. Your defense sucks. Period. The Green Bay Packers win and have won for years because of their offense. Ahman Green is lethal when hot and this year will be no exception. Javon Walker is a very talented young wide out and if Robert Ferguson can improve they will have three very good wideouts to catch balls from Brett Favre. The o-line is solid and is made to look excellent by the quick decisions of their QB.
Now onto that defense. The corners are led by Al “Predator” Harris and Mike “Overrated” McKenzie. These two dread locked fools are the most overrated tandem in the NFL. They get a ton of publicity for their hair and flamboyance but does anyone know that they ranked 20th in the NFL in pass defense last year and that’s playing in stadium that is incredibly hard to throw in during the cold months. They added AHMAD CARROLL but rookie corners are rarely able to adapt to the NFL game unless they are truly special.
We won’t even address the defensive line and line backing corps which is just putrid. Nick Barnett looks like a player and Gbaja-Biamila can ball somewhat when inclined, other than that this team is bankrupt on the front seven. How long until they pick up Gilbert Brown again somehow to watch him eat hamburgers on the sideline? Exactly.
Projected Record: 9-7
Al Harris leads one of the worse secondaries in the NFL
#3 – Detroit Lions
I was tempted to put the LIONS at #2. Real tempted. Roy Williams, Charles Rogers, Joey Harrington, Kevin Jones and Tai Streets all running around on offense has to work, right? Probably. However, as is a common theme in the NFC North this team has zero defense. Well, I kind of like Fernando Bryant and Dre Bly but not that much. The rest? Kalimba Edwards is looking like Mike Mamula part II and haven’t Robert Porcher, Dan Wilkinson and Shaun Rogers stolen paychecks for long enough? Oh well. The undersized Boss Bailey can do some things…that is until teams run at him. So the offense should be the key to finally getting back to the playoffs post Barry, right?
Well…the problem in Motown is that the talent Mr. Millen has assembled does not fit the scheme. The WEST COAST OFFENSE is only lethal when the players are suited for it. Roy Williams, Charles Rogers and Joey Harrington should be in Jacksonville or Minnesota flinging the ball all over the field, instead they will be using their remarkable talents to run 5 yard slants and screen plays until Steve Mariucci loses his mind. Maybe I’m wrong but the talent seems like a fast break offense in Mariucci’s triangle scheme. We shall see.
Projected Record: 8-8
Players to rise to superstar status in 2004? Try Charles Rogers
#4 – Chicago Bears
I admit. I have no idea who the General Manager is in CHICAGO. I do know this. He’s terrible. Thomas Jones? I mean I am looking at the depth chart on the Chicago Bears right now and let me tell you something…You think the Lions and Packers have defensive issues…man alive. With Brian Urlacher injured with a hamstring injury, here is what the Bears LB’s look like right now. LOLB – Bryan Knight / MLB – Lance Briggs / ROLB – Joe Odom. Am I reading this correctly? Perhaps a Bears fan can reply to this summary and tell me I’m way off and the depth chart is wrong. I know URLACHER will be back but holy cow. That’s atrocious. I think Travis Minor could run for 100 yards against that defense. Especially with the non run stopping duo of investment banker Alex Brown and Michael Haynes manning the defensive end positions. Granted Tommie Harris looks like he can play but why run up the middle when you can run outside? Exactly. I don’t even want to talk about the defensive backs…ugh. Makes you wonder how Bobby Taylor never got a contract from the Bears?
On offense, if Rex Grossman is lousy this team will win zero games this year. Zero. For some reason they think Marty Booker can play year after year after year. Then he gets hurt and they turn to the underwhelming David Terrell. Sweet. I mean Justin Gage is fighting for a starting role? Once again…who the heck is the General Manager of this team and why can’t I have a shot?
Project Record: 2-14
I think this guy is the GM…Has he done anything besides pick URLACHER?
9 replies on “NFL Preview: NFC NORTH”
Agree with your rankings I would have ranked the teams exactly how you did. The Lions do intrigue me, but I think they area little too young to vault over the Pack just yet. I think you were a little harsh on GB and the their D, but you are correct that the offense of Favre and Green will carry them. The Bears review was pretty good although I think they might luck out and win a couple more games.
I like the pics, but it seems they should be a tad smaller.
Not interested No offense to you, i think you wrote the article well, but who really cares wat happens in the NFC North. None of these teams will win the SB, and three of them may have sub .500 records.
This division is one of the worst in the league, you could’ve written about something more interesting and more compelling, like who will win the NFC East, i would’ve liked that.
Well written, juss on a bad subject.
Yeah… …I am going to try and write summaries for each of the divisions in the NFC…
can’t dismiss an entire division How can you dimiss the entire NFC North? The Packers and Vikings have to be considered Super Bowl contenders and even the so-called experts (like the tv talking heads) give them their props. Actually I would only put one NFC East team as a real Super Bowl contender, the Eagles. The Cowboys will be waiting for Henson and the other two have about the same chance as the Detroit Lions.
Just because you didn’t agree with some of his observations or weren’t interested, you should have voted it at least to the section page since it was written well. It seems this website is lacking for stories lately and all of us on here need to start voting things in if they are written well and have any value. I try to keep my opinions out and vote based on the writing. A lot of the stories aren’t the best, but if they have any decent qualities they should be published. Once more writing is submitted and competition is increased, then we can be more critical. I think that is what we are all looking for.
Free passes We cant juss give free passes to the publishing door becasue we are running thin on stories. It’s not like i voted against his piece, i voted no comment because i thought the topic was bad put the writing was pretty good.
And even though there are only one maybe two teams in the NFC East with Sb chances, it is still an interesting division. The Giants and Eli, Redskins and Gibbs, and all their off-season action, the Eagles and TO, and the Cowboys and Parcells, very compelling stories.
Was Quincy doing drugs? How will Gibbs do with his comeback? How will TO perform in Philly, Eli or Warner??? A very interesting division.
And we all know that the Packs and Vikings may have an outside shot at the SB, but cmon, they are not going to win it, four teams in the NFC that are better: Seahawks, Eagles, Panthers, and Skins.
No Free Passes I’d rather have 1 story a day on the front door than shitty stories on the front door.
agree on no free passes I agree on no writer getting free passes, I just hate to see something not get put out there if the writing is decent and it holds interest for some group of people. This site should have a standard for what gets printed however and I’m totally for that.
I still think the Pack or Vikings have a legitimate shot to win the NFC, although I have no love for the cheeseheads.
Pack has no shot the magic on Favre has run out. The vikings scare me as an Eagles fan. Luckily, their coach is a moron.
Agree on FRONT DOOR argument I have long argued that it should take much more to get posted on the frontpage of the site.
I personally thought my NFC NORTH piece should have been on the NFL SECTION PAGE and not front door.
I think the criteria and points needed is too easy. Far too many front doot pieces.
Just my opinion of course.
And I can respect the criticism on my take of the NFC NORTH. I am going to post the NFC EAST and some more fantasy columns shortly on WR and QB. I would encourage others to post more division summaries and show me what they think as well…Good feedback…let’s work to improve the site.