(Photo: Dynasty Nerds)
1. Detroit Lions: It was a year to remember for the Detroit Lions. They won their first division title since the 90s, hosted their first playoff game at Ford Field, and got to the NFC Championship game where they were a game away from advancing to the Super Bowl. Despite how things ended, this team and the fanbase have nothing to hang their heads down for. In the off-season, the Lions were able to extend three pieces of their puzzle in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, and Jared Goff. The defense also added D.J. Reader who will bring a veteran presence. I said it throughout the year in 2023: These aren’t the same Detroit Lions. This team fights back this time and they close out games. They were the class of the NFC North by a wide margin and won 12 games. Now, they enter this year as the “hunted” and not the hunters.Expectations are high for the Lions once again.
2. Green Bay Packers: Year one without Aaron Rodgers. We finally got to see Jordan Love and this kid has a bright future ahead of himself. at one time, the Packers were 3-6 and way out of the playoff picture. The turning point for them was Thanksgiving Day against the Detroit Lions and a game later when they upset the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field on a Sunday night. They would drop two consecutive games to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before going on a winning streak and clinching the final playoff spot in the NFC. They caught my eye in the Wild Card round when they went into AT&T Stadium and stunned the Cowboys becoming the first seven-seed to win a playoff game. They gave the San Francisco 49ers everything they could handle but fell short in the divisional round. I’m excited to see what this team can do this year. Jordan has a full year of starting experience under his belt and in the off-season, the Packers signed Josh Jacobs.
3. Minnesota Vikings: The easy thing to do in football these days is to make the Quarterback when all else fails. Anytime things went wrong in Minnesota, Kirk Cousins was always the one to blame, but the last I checked, he didn’t play defense. All he could do was score and put the team in the right position. Last season, Kirk tore his ACL and I can guarantee you that if he had been on the field last year, the Vikings would have been a playoff team. Look at 2022 when they won the NFC North. Now, Kirk is gone and in the draft, they traded up to select J.J. McCarthy from Michigan. In the off-season, they added Aaron Jones from the rival Green Bay Packers, and just a few weeks ago, they signed Justin Jefferson to a contract extension making him the highest-paid non-quarterback ever. They’re in the midst of a rebuild now. However, their biggest win was resigning Justin. He’s their best player and they have a better chance of winning games with him than without.
4. Chicago Bears: Last year would end up being the end of the Justin Fields experiment. People will sit here and tell me Justin was never a good Quarterback, then I respond and say, yes he was, but what exactly have the Bears put around him? For your Quarterback to succeed, place him in the position to succeed. The Bears this off-season acquired Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers and signed D’Andre Swift in free agency. As expected, they drafted Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, and at nine, they could’ve gone in many different directions and decided to draft Rome Odunze from Washington. Caleb, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and D.J. Moore could give the Bears offense their best passing attack. This defense must get better when it comes to rushing the passer. If they can fix that issue, watch out. The Bears have been the most polarizing team in the off-season.
2024 Predictions
1. Packers (12-5)
2. Lions (10-7)
3. Bears (9-8)
4. Vikings (6-11)
This will be a fun division to watch. I’m picking the Packers to win the NFC North for the fourth time under Matt LaFleur. If Josh Jacobs is on the field and he can stay healthy, he will give this offense a boost. The Packers are young, full of energy, and will only get better. Jordan Love plays with so much poise and I want to see what he does now that there’s a full year of film on him. The biggest question mark with them has always been their defense and with a new Defensive Coordinator in Jeff Hafley, can they climb that ladder? I expect the Packers to be in the fold not just for the division title, but make a nice run in the playoffs come January.
