By: Steve Johnson
In 2011, one division had 3 teams make the playoffs...not the NFC North, but this year I think that changes. The NFC North might be the best division in football in 2012. The Green Bay Packers (15-1) finished atop the North, followed by the Detroit Lions (10-6), Chicago Bears (8-8), and Minnesota Vikings (3-13). The Packers enter 2012 with just about the same personnel as their 2011 campaign for perfection. They lost Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin for the Dolphins Head Coach job, but have almost an identical roster. They added workhorse Cedric Benson to help the almost irrelevant run game. On defense they drafted another Trojan pass rusher in Nick Perry, to compliment Clay Matthews. Adding push rush, along with moving Charles Woodson to safety should help their last place pass defense. What won't help their pass defense is the addition of Brandon Marshall for the Chicago Bears. BMarsh caught 206 passes in 07 and 08 with Jay Cutler as his quarterback, that trend should continue, as long as the OLine can not be really really bad. The Lions should continue to improve as long as they can stay healthy...and out of jail. The Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson connection is the best in football, and has the potential to be one of the all-time greats. Watch for both Brandon Pettigrew and Titus Young to have break out years, which they will have to rely on tremendously without a running game. The Vikings should be better with a year under cool and collected Christian Ponder in this offense. If they can get All-Pro Adrian Peterson back relatively soon, they can be good team. Ponder and Wide Receiver Percy Harvin have a connection unlike many in the NFL...no I'm serious. They completed a higher percentage than any other connection in the league. I like Kyle Rudolph as a sleeper to have a huge year, he's big, strong, and can run.
Prediction:
Packers (12-4)
Bears (10-6)
Lions (10-6)
Vikings (5-11)
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