The Dismal NFC North

Every once in awhile in sports, a truly atrocious division will rear its ugly head. For example, in baseball this year’s National League West was considered a joke. The San Diego Padres in the playoffs was an embarrassment for Major League Baseball. Similarly, this seasons NFC North appears to be one of the worst divisions football has ever seen. From wild sex parties, to injuries, and continuous quarterback controversies; winning is not on the radar.
The Green Bay Packers used to be a great team. While opponents once feared entering the frozen tundra, they now look forward to seeing Green Bay on the schedule. Brett Favre is still fighting passionately, but the torn ACL of wide receiver Javon Walker symbolized the end of the season. Recent injuries to both Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport have crippled the once strong running game. Moreover, the Packers defense, well, try naming five players on the Packers defense. Point proven. It is tough to say considering everything Brett Favre has done, but he needs to retire after this season. The Packers are at the start of a major rebuilding phase. In future drafts, Green Bay needs to draft some big name college defenders. Rookie QB Aaron Rodgers needs to start paying his dues and gaining experience as Alex Smith is currently doing in San Francisco. Under the guidance of Mike Sherman, this team will return to greatness roughly five years down the road.

In addition to the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions are also bringing down the name of the NFC North. If you believe everything the local writers are putting out in Detroit, the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of Joey Harrington. While Harrington is struggling, the problems in Detroit lie much deeper. Wide Receiver Charles Rogers was recently suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. In addition, Wide Receiver Roy Williams injured his leg two weeks ago against the Ravens. Are these superstar receivers ever on the field? Furthermore, rookie Wide Receiver Mike Williams is learning the ropes after a year off, and needs more time to progress. While the Lions defense has some big names such as Dre Bly, opponents continue to put up points. Kevin Jones is a tough, bruising Running Back, but he appears to be the next coming of Natrone Means. That is not a good thing. Even a veteran football genius like Steve Mariucci can’t fix this disaster. Maybe backup quarterback Jeff Garcia can fix things upon his return from injury. Don’t feel bad if you are laughing, that was meant to be a joke.

Then, there is the Chicago Bears. As a result of their strong defense, the Bears will win the division. However, this is another team in the North with serious troubles. Chicago has never been known for their quarterbacks, and this year is no different. Rookie Kyle Orton has a passer rating of 57.7. Yawn. Moreover, big name rookie Running Back, and training camp holdout Cedric Benson is doing nothing with only 67 rushing yards this season. Meanwhile, other big name rookie RB’s Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown are showing signs of superstardom. The Chicago Bears have been a failed organization for a long time now. Consistency is a word that fails to appear in their dictionary as their lineup is always seeing new changes. Hopefully Rex Grossman can return next year from injury and flourish with Wide Receiver Muhsin Muhammad; otherwise it will be the same old losing story. Even though the Bears will make the playoffs, (by default) they will be crushed in the first round by an NFC powerhouse such as Philadelphia, Dallas, or Seattle.

Finally, there is the Minnesota Vikings. The troubles in Minnesota are well documented. First, you have head coach Mike Tice scalping Super Bowl tickets. Then you have Running Back Ontario Smith getting caught with the now infamous Whizzinator. Finally, there is the hot story in the press regarding the wild sex boat party on Lake Minnetonka. However, if the Vikings were winning, no one would care about these problems. Unfortunately, Mike Tice and company are losing. A lot. This team may be in the middle of the worst drop-off in NFL history. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper went from having an MVP season, to throwing interceptions like it’s his job. Wide Receivers Nate Burleson and Marcus Robinson were expected to step up this season in the absence of Randy Moss. These great expectations turned out to be true falsehoods. Just like usual, the always weak Vikings defense have shown no signs of improvement. Expect Mike Tice to lose his job at the end of the season. Who said this team could survive without Randy Moss?

The fact that the NFC North will send a team to the playoffs is a joke. The winning team will probably finish the regular season with a record of 7-9, or 8-8. Meanwhile, a stronger team with a better record will be left out, (probably an NFC East team.) It is common for a team to go through a rebuilding phase, but it is sad when an entire division goes through a rebuilding phase.