Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below the main deck of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken are presently hard at work examining the multiple strategies and developing the analytical skills needed to perform their myriad of duties ...
At least they’re off the couch for once.
Anyway, as promised in the last post, a look at the NFC North. It used to be the NFC Central, but changed its name when some deskbound suit at NFL headquarters in New York City decided it was vital to avoid any possible conclusion by the casual fan that anything having to do with the central part of the country was, in fact, central to anything. Never underestimate the power of the East Coast bias.
MORE: RedState Sports Report: 2025 NFC Western Division Preview
The four teams that comprise the NFC North have been playing each other so long that the Minnesota Vikings are still referred to as the new kids on the block even though they have been in the NFL since 1960. The second “youngest” team is the Detroit Lions, who entered the league in 1930. The Chicago Bears started in 1920, and the Green Bay Packers kicked things off in 1919. If you have ever desired proof that familiarity breeds contempt, check out any given NFC North contest regardless of the respective team’s records.
Breaking it down team by team:
- Chicago Bears — The Bears have been bad news for their fans the past several years, running through a string of quarterbacks and coaches in hopes that somewhere along the line, some combination thereof will rekindle hopes of another Super Bowl shuffle. Presently, hopes reside in second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and first-year coach Ben Johnson. Williams hopes that Johnson has assembled an offensive line enabling him to run a play other than the only one he could use last year, namely, “Hut - Hike - Watch me run for my life.”
- Detroit Lions — The Lions’ most recent NFL championship came in 1957. Those t-shirts must be getting quite threadbare by now. Anyway, this year’s team has at least a reasonable shot of breaking the string and enabling Motor City fans to bust out some new threads. Quarterback Jared Goff is capable of making winning plays, but is heavily dependent on his offensive line keeping him upright, as he does not do well when being pressured in the pocket. Detroit has weapons both receiving and running, so scoring points is not a problem. The question is on defense. Last year, the Lions were strong against the run, but woeful against the pass. Have they done enough in these key areas (offensive line and defensive backfield) to ensure a deep playoff run, or will head coach Dan Campbell be starting his off-season job at Applebee’s far earlier than desired?
- Green Bay Packers — Is Jordan Love the next great Green Bay quarterback, or is he merely good enough to not quite be good enough? The offensive line was stout last year in giving Love sufficient time to pass, and the Packers’ running game is excellent. Defensively (all Dallas Cowboys fans should skip this next sentence), the acquisition of Micah Parsons, once he is up to speed health-wise, makes an already outstanding defense decidedly scary. If Love delivers on his promise, Green Bay is a team to watch.
- Minnesota Vikings — Minnesota is entrusting its offense to de facto rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie campaign last year with an injury. But hey, no pressure. The Vikings were middle of the pack last year statistically on both sides of the ball, yet consistently found a way to win behind quarterback reclamation project Sam Darnold, whose reward for his efforts was a one-way ticket to Seattle. Did I mention no pressure, J.J.?
Next up, the NFC South.
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