With the regular season is quickly approaching, here are the biggest question marks for the teams in the NFC North.
Minnesota Vikings
Is the defense good enough? The Vikings’ defense is just that. It will keep the team in games. And it will have very good games. But consistency week after week would help this team tremendously.
Healthy Dalvin Cook? This is potentially the biggest question the Vikings are faced with. Dalvin Cook was lights out as the rookie proved he belonged in this league. Cook tore his left ACL and missed the rest of his first season. Poised to come back last year, a bum hamstring seemed to slow him down the second half of the season. If these injuries are behind him, Minnesota will benefit from having him on their team.
More aerial attack? With receivers like Adam Theilen and Stefon Diggs, Kirk Cousins proved he was worth the money the Vikings invested in him. This season looks to be more of the same. In addition to those two guys, tight end Kyle Rudolph is one of the NFL’s best at his position.
Green Bay Packers
Does Rodgers still have it? Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback whose stats most would like to achieve, showed his toughness last season when he appeared to suffer a season-ending knee injury against the rival Bears, only to come back later and lead his team to victory. It also doesn’t hurt to have DeVante Adams to throw passes to. You can’t count Rodgers and the Packers out, at least not yet.
Who’s the leader now? Fan favorite and Packer staple, Clay Matthews, is gone. With a leader like that no longer here, the next guy up has big shoes to fill. If this team has a weakness, it’s the defense.
Another elite Jones? Running back Aaron Jones ran very effectively last season, and he did it behind an okay offensive line. If Green Bay can make enough holes for Jones this season, he could be a top five back.
Chicago Bears
Mack attack back? Stud linebacker Khalil Mack was hands down the biggest impact to his new team. He all but fell into the Bears’ lap. Year 2 in the windy city for Mack will be even better — it should again include January football.
In Trubisky they trust? The Bears took Mitchell Trubisky second overall in the 2017 NFL draft. He was selected ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. But after a couple seasons, Trubisky has proven that the Bears knew what they were doing. He is quietly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league. That is in spite of not having a so-called household name to throw to. That is a credit to Trubisky, who makes smart reads and decisions, which in turn will fare well for this team this season.
Davis and Cohen associates? The Bears’ backfield sounds more like a law firm. Mike Davis, who comes over from Seattle where he was successful with the ball in his hands, joins Tarik Cohen, who has been a solid back for the Bears throughout his time in Chicago, in a solid Bears backfield. Provided they run like they have, they will take enough pressure off of Trubisky for the Bears’ offense to be successful.
Detroit Lions
Eleventh season the charm? Matthew Stafford has been the quarterback in the Motor City for more than a decade. To say he and this team has had more than their share of disappointing seasons would be an understatement. Stafford quite simply is a good quarterback on a bad Lions team. This season looks to be more of the same.
What’s that guy’s name again? Like the Bears, the Lions wide receivers since Calvin Johnson have not been household names. Last season, Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones may have changed that. Almost every week, one or both of them made the highlight shows. Add a veteran in Danny Amendola and Stafford may have some long overdue firepower.
Is that a running game? Kerryon Johnson ran very well in 10 games last season, so much so that he was selected to the Pro Bowl and was named a First Team All-Pro. Then there’s CJ Anderson, who was all but forgotten until last season. The Rams came calling to ease the wear and tear on Todd Gurley, and Anderson was himself of old and more so. These two running like they can should allow this team to improve.
This division is as close to evenly matched as you can get. The edge goes to Minnesota for taking the top spot. But the other three teams could be vying for a wildcard spot — yes, I’m seriously including the Lions in the Wild Card conversation.
