NFC NORTH

1. Green Bay Packers ( 11-5) The success of this team is all on Aaron Rodgers shoulders. If he can step in and play efficient mistake free football the offense is going to be very tough to stop. The wide receivers are loaded. Greg Jennings is entering his third NFL season. He is the new go-to guy in the passing game. Veteran Donald driver is a very good number 2. James Jones, Donald Lee and rookie Jordy Nelson will all be making contributions as well. Ryan Grant will try to pick up were he finished last season. Grant came out of nowhere to have an excellent season. Brandon Jackson will be back from injury to help take the load off of Grant. The offensive line is okay but aging. Chan Clifton had an outstand year but is getting older. Right tackle Mark Tauscher is very good.
The defense is very good starting with the defensive line. Aaron Kampman is one of the games most dynamic pass rushers. The pack will look for 07' first round pick Justin Harrell to take another step forward in his game. Johnny Jolly will be back from injury adding toughness. The linebackers are a strong unit. Nick Barnett led the team with tackles with 165. A.J. Hawk had a good season making 129 tackles. The defensivebacks are also solid. Charles Woodson and Al Harris are still playing at a high level despite there age. Atari Bigby had a good first season as a starter. Aaron Rouse will try to take the other safety spot from Nick Collins. Green Bay could find themselves back in the NFC championship game if Rodgers can play well and the O=line can stay healthy.

2. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) Smash mouth football comes to mind when I think of the Vikings. Adrian Peterson had a sensational rookie season. It will be tough to repeat becuase Bryant McKinney is out for four games due to a Violation of the leagues substance abuse policy. Also the passing game wont be much better than last year. Chester Taylor is a great back up to Peterson and could start for alot of teams. Tavaris Jackson will be back at QB. He needs to play more mistake free football. The wide outs aren't very strong. Bernard Berrian was signed from Chicago and gives them a legit number one guy. Something they lacked last year. But he will find frequent double teams. Sidney Rice enters his second and should be able to stretch the field with his blazing speed. The O-Line is dominant but the loss of left tackle McKinney for four games will hurt.
The Defense may be the best in the NFL. The D-Line is huge. Pat and Kevin Williams are beasts at the tackle position. Minnesota also added Jared Allen in an off season trade. He had 12.5 sacks for Kansas City in 07'. E.J. Henderson had a great season at middle linebacker. Former first round pick Chad Greenway stayed healthy last year and also played well. The Defensive backs are very good. Madeau Williams was added via free agency and should step right into the safety position. Darren Sharper will start at the other safety position. But don't be surprised to see rookie Tyrell Johnson take over for sharper toward seasons end. Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin will start at corner and are an excellent duo.

3. Detroit Lions (5-11) Jon Kitna is still a decent quarterback. He has many weapons like Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams to throw to. The question is if the O-Line can give him any time to throw. Jeff Backus should be more effective at left tackle now that he is out of Mike Martz's offense. They will need Rookie Gosder Cherilous to play well on the right side. The running game is a bit of a question mark. Artrose Pinner looks to be the early starter. Rookie Kevin Smith will battle for the starting role during the season. Shaun McDonald looks like he is back after knee surgery. He was a very good possession receiver and punt returner.
The defense is very different from last year. Gone are starters Kalimba Edwards and Shaun Rogers. This is a big weakness for the team. Corey Redding will have to move inside from end. Dewayne White will be the teams best pass rusher. But he is not elite by any means. Jordan Dizon will be put in the middle linebacker spot to do what he does best, Make tackles. Ernie Sims will play the weak side and could be a pro bowler in the near future. Paris Lenon will be moved back to strong side where he fits best. Leigh Bodden was a major boost for the defensive backfield. Bodden is the most underrated corner in the game. Veteran Brian Kelly will play the other corner spot. The Lions signed safety Dwight Smith from rival Minnesota boosting the safety position. No playoffs for the Lions but they could be better than people think. Not that will take a whole lot!

Chicago Bears (4-12) There is still no answer at QB. Why they didn't try to address it is a mystery. Losing Bernard Berrian is a major hit to the receiving core. Earl Bennett who was drafted in the third round could step in and be a play maker. But who can get him the ball. I'm sure we will see Orton and Grossman this season. Matt Forte and Kevin Jones we added to the running game which was a major flaw in 07'. The O-line is O-k. They took Chris Williams in the first round in the draft. Williams and Bennett were teammates at Vanderbilt. But Williams health is an issue early in camp. Center Olin Kreutz is still the main guy. He is as good as it gets. The rest of the line is in transition.
The D-Line is still good. Adewale Ogunleye has been great since coming over from Miami. Tommy Harris is a rock at tackle but tends to wear down at the end of seasons. Brian Urlacher is in a contract dispute with the team. He also has an arthritic lower back. Lance Briggs is a perennial pro bowler and Hunter Hillenmeyer will soon be. The D-backs are the weakness. Mike Brown is always hurt. Only time will tell if he can make it back 100% from a week 1 injury last year. The corners are great but injuries have been a problem. Vasher missed 12 games in 07'. Charles Tillman is a very good corner and doesn't get the credit he deserves. This unit could make or break the defense. If the D can play strong and stay healthy and the quarterback situation gets a little better. The bears could make a playoff push. But i don't see it happening.