NFC North Prediction

[Forty-six]

How do you see the NFC North shaking out this year? The division is the definition of mediocre. I could see a team winning the division with 10 wins, maybe 9. The Rodgers trade has cracked the division wide open. Every team has significant question marks. My prediction...

1. Lions
2. Vikings
3. Packers
4. Bears

While I think the Bears finish 4th this year I also think they have the brightest future of any team in the division. In the 2024-2025 season I could see a scenario where the Bears win the division as Fields establishes himself as the best QB in the division and a top 10 QB in the league. The Packers have realized Jordan Love is a middle of the road QB and have become basically irrelevant, the Vikings have faded away with a 36 year old Cousins and the Lions are trying to move off Geoff and on to Hooker.

The division is for the taking IF Fields is the guy and IF Poles has the ability to acquire talent. Those are big if's.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

What kind of talent do you expect Poles to land between now and the start of the season?

 

[KittiesKorner]

it will all come down to the trenches

 

[pseudonym]

1. Vikings
2. Lions
3. Bears
4. Packers

Could see Bears #2 if this all takes off.

 

[nc0gnet0]

How do you see the NFC North shaking out this year? The division is the definition of mediocre. I could see a team winning the division with 10 wins, maybe 9. The Rodgers trade has cracked the division wide open. Every team has significant question marks. My prediction...

1. Lions
2. Vikings
3. Packers
4. Bears

While I think the Bears finish 4th this year I also think they have the brightest future of any team in the division. In the 2024-2025 season I could see a scenario where the Bears win the division as Fields establishes himself as the best QB in the division and a top 10 QB in the league. The Packers have realized Jordan Love is a middle of the road QB and have become basically irrelevant, the Vikings have faded away with a 36 year old Cousins and the Lions are trying to move off Geoff and on to Hooker.

The division is for the taking IF Fields is the guy and IF Poles has the ability to acquire talent. Those are big if's.

 

[msadows]

Think the bucs have a good chance to win the central.

Lions are always losers, so they will finish in 5th

 

[knoxville7]

Think the bucs have a good chance to win the central.

Lions are always losers, so they will finish in 5th

They’ve certainly won it more recently!!

I’ll go…

1. Bears
2. Lions
3. Vikings
4. That other team with ugly colors

 

[dabears70]

Lions and Vikings will be 1st and 2nd in either order.

Bears and Packers will be 3rd and 4th in either order.

You're welcome

 

[Warrior Spirit]

How do you see the NFC North shaking out this year? The division is the definition of mediocre. I could see a team winning the division with 10 wins, maybe 9. The Rodgers trade has cracked the division wide open. Every team has significant question marks. My prediction...

1. Lions
2. Vikings
3. Packers
4. Bears

While I think the Bears finish 4th this year I also think they have the brightest future of any team in the division. In the 2024-2025 season I could see a scenario where the Bears win the division as Fields establishes himself as the best QB in the division and a top 10 QB in the league. The Packers have realized Jordan Love is a middle of the road QB and have become basically irrelevant, the Vikings have faded away with a 36 year old Cousins and the Lions are trying to move off Geoff and on to Hooker.

The division is for the taking IF Fields is the guy and IF Poles has the ability to acquire talent. Those are big if's.

Don't think Packers have realized any such thing. They'll be looking to get a long hard look at their new starting QB and if it doesn't look like it's looking real good, give them 4th place as they'll be tanking for Caleb.

It's not Kirk Cousins or anything on offense you should be looking at when assessing where they'll be compared to last year, it's their deplorable defense. They were #31 in yards allowed and #28 in points allowed. It's crazy the Vikes still managed 13 wins. They've really done nothing other than change coaches to help that shit D. Don't think the offense can carry them to the top again.

Lions certainly not trying to move on to Hooker any time soon. He's coming off a serious injury and was obviously going to need a full year of development besides that. He won't see the field unless Goff is injured and he is said to be 100% healthy. Nobody had him pegged as a ready to go type starter anyway cause he's not that. Goff definitely their starter for this full upcoming season and Gibbs was drafted to aid him more in the passing game than the running game as his value is that of an elite receiving back.

Think the Bears definitely did more than the Vikes or Packers to improve their team this off season. Should finish ahead of the Packers but will need far better QB play to keep up with the Lions and Vikings.

1. Lions
2. Vikings
3. Bears
4. Packers

 

[Bears4Ever_34]

I'll stick with my initial thoughts since free agency:

1- MIN (~10-11 wins)
2- CHI (~9-10 wins)
3- GB (~7-8 wins)
4- DET (~5-6 wins)

-MIN still has a top flight offense that will be tough for most defenses to handle, and, as funny as it is to say, they have the most stable QB situation in the division, so I will stick with them to narrowly repeat as NFC North champs, though I think their win total will be a little down from last year.

-I really wanted to pick the Bears to win the division, but I have to see the dramatic improvement from Fields with my own eyes before I can confidently pick the Bears to be a divisional champ. I do, however, think they can compete for a WC spot because of their schedule, as well as the addition of DJ Moore, who I expect to be a godsend, similar to the way Brandon Marshall was during the Emery era.

-The decision between picking GB or DET in 3rd or 4th place was tough. I think GB will be almost in the exact same position they were in last year—kind of a middling team that flirts with ~.500 ball. I think Love will be wildly inconsistent in his first season as the starter, but GB's defense still has enough talent to keep them in games.

-Detroit will be the NFL's most disappointing team in 2023. I don't buy their arrival as some kind of NFC North juggernaut when they haven't won the division in over 3 decades. Last year was easy for them because they were playing with nothing to lose; nobody expected them to do anything after the start they had. They haven't played with real expectations on them until now, and I don't think they will handle it well.

Between DET and GB, I could see one of these two teams going full tank somewhere near the trade deadline if they feel like they are out of it and want to enter the Caleb Williams/Maye sweepstakes.

 

[Bears4Ever_34]

**Sidenote:** I do find it interesting how many people in this thread seem to have such low expectations for this years Bears team. It's funny because I remember each of the last two years, it felt like the expectations were way too high while I was saying they'd be one of the worst teams in football, and now, it feels like a complete reversal.

They've added quite a bit of talent on offense from last year, and they only play two upper echelon QB's the entire regular season. The defense might still suck without a dominant pass rusher, but if Fields can take another step in his development, they should not be that far away from competing in this division, especially with Rodgers gone.

I think 6 wins is their floor, but anything less than 8, I feel like would be a disappointment. If they can't win at least 8, either they've dealt with a crap ton of injuries to some very important players or Justin Fields is not the guy.

 

[pseudonym]

Best I can see this year, without drinking the Kool-Aid is 2nd place and a Wild Card spot. .500 or so record, 9-8 or 8-9.

 

[nc0gnet0]

**Sidenote:** I do find it interesting how many people in this thread seem to have such low expectations for this years Bears team. It's funny because I remember each of the last two years, it felt like the expectations were way too high while I was saying they'd be one of the worst teams in football, and now, it feels like a complete reversal.

They've added quite a bit of talent on offense from last year, and they only play two upper echelon QB's the entire regular season. The defense might still suck without a dominant pass rusher, but if Fields can take another step in his development, they should not be that far away from competing in this division, especially with Rodgers gone.

I think 6 wins is their floor, but anything less than 8, I feel like would be a disappointment. If they can't win at least 8, either they've dealt with a crap ton of injuries to some very important players or Justin Fields is not the guy.

You're delusional. The lions swept an Aaron Rodgers lead Packers team last year, and improved much more than them in the off season, yet you think somehow the Lions will finish last? Vikings are the WC. The bears might be last year's Lions, starting slow and finishing strong, but it is between them and the Packers fighting it out for the bottom. Edge goes to the Packers, because, like always, The Pack owns the Bears until proven otherwise.

 

[didshereallysaythat]

You're delusional. The lions swept an Aaron Rodgers lead Packers team last year, and improved much more than them in the off season, yet you think somehow the Lions will finish last? Vikings are the WC. The bears might be last year's Lions, starting slow and finishing strong, but it is between them and the Packers fighting it out for the bottom. Edge goes to the Packers, because, like always, The Pack owns the Bears until proven otherwise.

If the Packers sweep the Bears again I am going to be so pissed.

 

[nc0gnet0]

If the Packers sweep the Bears again I am going to be so pissed.

IF Jordan Love outplays Justin Fields, there will be a long reality check taking place on this forum.

 

[hyatt151]

Lions. Vikings, Bears, Packers

 

[Marley's Liberality]

1. Bears
2. Who Cares
3. Who Cares
4. Who Cares

 

[Forty-six]

What kind of talent do you expect Poles to land between now and the start of the season?

None. I think the Bears will finish 4th this year but I feel they have the brightest future of any team in the division. Let me clarify. What I said was if Fields proves to be the guy this season and if Poles can then acquire talent in the offseason prior to 2024-25 season, the Bears are poised to win the division in 2024-25 and maybe for years to come.

I see the Vikings as trending down as well as the Packers over the next two years. The Lions are an intriguing team that play awfully hard for their coach but Geoff isn't an elite QB and at some point they'll try to move to Hooker, maybe in a couple of years. All those factors are in the Bears favor but it really comes down to whether Fields is the guy or not. I'm 60% he's the guy.

 

[nc0gnet0]

None. I think the Bears will finish 4th this year but I feel they have the brightest future of any team in the division. Let me clarify. What I said was if Fields proves to be the guy this season and if Poles can then acquire talent in the offseason prior to 2024-25 season, the Bears are poised to win the division in 2024-25 and maybe for years to come.

I see the Vikings as trending down as well as the Packers over the next two years. The Lions are an intriguing team that play awfully hard for their coach but Geoff isn't an elite QB and at some point they'll try to move to Hooker, maybe in a couple of years. All those factors are in the Bears favor but it really comes down to whether Fields is the guy or not. I'm 60% he's the guy.

Geoff?

 

[Noonthirtyjoe]

If Fields takes the next step? I see us winning the division. As GB proved many many times--- The best QB wins the division. I would take Fields over these other QBs so I go. Bears MN Det GB