NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
What will happen in the NFC North for the 2023-24 NFL season? Will the Minnesota Vikings take command yet again or will the Detroit Lions find a way to dethrone them? The Chicago Bears are putting everything on the shoulders of their young QB, while the Green Bay Packers are gearing up for a new era. Who will come out on top in the wild NFC North?
Last season, the NFC North almost placed 3 teams in the playoffs but the Lions and Packers fell short at the finish line. Will it be more of the same? This is a division that saw a lot of turnover during the offseason so there will be plenty of growing pains and chemistry issues early on.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are at a crossroads. According to some, they have a franchise QB with Justin Fields but on the other hand, he’s still under a microscope. The Bears added weapons but will it be enough to challenge in the North? After a 3-14 finish and adding a few good players, many are excepting a jump by the Bears.
What will Felids do entering year 3? This is the year where the QBs are supposed to make that jump or either solidly the bust talk. Fields has what he needs to go in the right direction. It’s on him to do what needs to be done. The ground game will need to be successful outside of Fields as the Bears will rely on Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman. The WR room added DJ Moore this offseason which should help Fields as long as he does his check downs and does not take off running at the first sign of trouble.
No matter what Fields does on offense, if the Bears can’t stop their opponents, it doesn’t matter. Last season, the Bears gave surrendered 27.2 points per game. The NFC North is a division where the offense is key. Who will become that playmaker for the Bears on the defensive side of the ball?
Green Bay Packers
The Aaron Rodgers era is over. The Green Bay Packers now belong to Jordan Love. What does that mean exactly, well, no one knows. Truth be told, Love was not convincing in his spot duty and yet, the Packers had no choice but to retain and pay him.
The offense was not as bad as many would like us to believe. Delete the early season struggles between Rodgers and his young receivers, they did make one hell of a playoff run before it all came to an abrupt halt. What this did was give them confidence for this year. The ground game is still led by the double attack and Aaron Jones and AJ Dillion. If Love can make some plays downfield and not turn the ball over, the rushing attack will take care of the rest.
The Packers have their hands full on defense. The Lions can put points. The Vikings as well, and if Fields can get his accuracy together, the Bears will no longer be an easy win for any team. Can the Packers muster up any kind of consistent pressure on the QB? There is a new era in Green Bay and that will come with growing pains.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings will play the 2023-24 season in faith. Following a 13-4 campaign, the Vikings will lean heavily on Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson as they look to take another NFC North title. With Adam Thielen gone to the Panthers and the Vikings cutting Dalvin Cook, their offense is a who’s who of where the production will come from. Jefferson will see more double teams and with Cook gone, is there a reason for any defense to stack the box now?
Who Will Win The NFC North
Cousins may not be a fantasy favorite but it’s had to ignore his production. Jefferson is arguably one of the best receivers in the NFL but even he can’t continue to make catches with 2-3 guys strapped around him almost every snap. Will Alexander Mattison turn into the every down back the Vikings need him to be?
The 2023 defense was not ideal. The offense scored points while the defensive unit gave them up in bunches. With the Eagles, Cowboys, and 49ers all improving in some capacity this offseason, it appears the Vikings took a step back. The NFC North no longer belongs to the Vikings.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are here and they’re official. While they missed the playoffs last season, the Lions proved they belonged in the hunt. This offseason, instead of reaching for the big names, the Lions’ front office played it smart and held tight to their young players, and used their draft picks rather wisely.
While Jared Goff has taken heat throughout his career, he has has more success than many give him credit for. The Lions’ resurrection is not even possible without his play at QB. The ground game took a slight hit this offseason with the loss and D’Andre Swift but by drafting Jahmry Gibbs and signing David Montgomery, they more than made up for his departure. Now it’s up to the receivers to make some noise and put this team over the top.
The defense is where the Lions must make a stand in order to be successful in the NFC North and beyond. As a young team, growing pains will come. However, now is the time to correct them. No more excuses. Shoring up their secondary was a smart move with the addition of CJ Gardner-Johnson who had an excellent season with the Eagles. If Aidan Hutchinson can continue to grow up front, the Lions will be there at the end.
