1. Chicago Bears
Somebody has to win this crap division, might as well be the only team that has at least one above-average unit. The Bears defense is a great unit, though as Carolina proved in the playoffs, not quite as good as once thought. The offense just terrible last season and it has to improve, be it with Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton or newcomer Brian Griese running the show. One sour note: the Bears seem to be set on lowballing defensive stars Lance Briggs and Nathan Vasher.
2. Detroit Lions
Good God, does Matt Millen still have a job? Apparently so after cashiering his hand-picked coach and friend Steve Mariucci. The new guy is Rod Marinelli, a tough former Bucs assistant that has -if nothing else- killed the country club atmosphere the Lions featured the past several years. Marinelli hired former Ram coach Mike Martz to run the offense, which is both a plus and minus. The Lions will be an attacking, down-the-field offense, but will also be prone to mistakes if Martz’s past is any indication.
3. Minnesota Vikings
No matter what happens in Minnesota this season, they won’t be half as entertaining as they were last year. No Mike Tice, no Daunte, presumably no Sex Boat…. Oh well, at least they are off to a roaring start, releasing Koren Robinson after yet another problem with substance abuse. They do have one heck of an offensive line after stealing Steve Hutchinson from the Seahawks.
And for that I hope they get hives.
4. Green Bay Packers
There just isn’t much difference between any of the four teams in this division. It wouldn’t take more than a break either way and any of the four could be 10-6 or 4-12. The Pack was 4-12 last season, and that got Mike Sherman fired. To replace him, Green Bay hired rookie Mike McCarthy, the 49ers’ offensive coordinator. The Niners finished -you guessed it- 4-12 last year, and McCarthy’s offense was dead last in the NFL in total offense.
You figure it out.
Champion: Chicago Bears
Wild Card: Are you kidding?
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Posted by Frinklin at September 7, 2006 10:45 PM | TrackBack