NFC North Outlook by Bill Milton of Triple Threat Sports

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Triple Threat Sports - 8/15/2007 3:28 AM

For the past few years anyone wanting to read my preseason report on each team, four pages worth, could simply order the Inside Football News NFL Preview Magazine. Unfortunately, Insiders Football News has taken a year off of production this year for a variety of reasons, with a planned and hoped for return in 2008. However, I of course am still preparing for the season the same way I always have when I was writing a preview, and I am very excited about things getting underway.

This report on the NFC North continues a nine (there will be an overall wrap up) part series detailing my projections for the upcoming year. For all 32 teams I will list the area of biggest improvement, the biggest myth for each team, the biggest reason for hope, and scheduling notes. I will save my actual division projections until ALL of the work is done, but each of the individual division forecasts will hopefully shed some light on things for 2007.

Chicago:

Biggest Improvement: Chicago's pass defense was the only portion of the defense not in the Top Ten last season, and while part of that was opponents having to pass all of the time to catch up, another part was a lack of talent and depth. That is not the case this year with the return to health of Mike Brown and the free agent acquisition of Adam Archuleta to join a cast of Charles Tillman, Ricky Manning, Chris Harris, Danieal Manning, and star Nathan Vasher.

Biggest Myth: I do not feel the running game will miss a beat without Thomas Jones. Cedric Benson is a big time talent, Adrian Peterson has done well when called up, and Garrett Wolfe had an incredible college career. The Chicago RB situation is nowhere close to being in as much trouble as most national experts proclaim. br>
Biggest Reason for Hope: Lovie Smith. This guy just wins. He did it as Defensive Coordinator in St Louis and Tampa Bay, and he has done it here. This guy can flat coach, and the Brinks Truck worth of money he was given in his contract extenstion was money well spent by ownership.

Scheduling Notes: They open with the "It Coulda Been Bowl" against the Chargers and play six games against 2006 playoff foes. They finish the season with two home games and play five of their away games in non weather problem cities/stadiums, something Grossman - who thrives under such conditions - was certainly happy to see.

Detroit:

Biggest Improvement: The offense is going to be better in the second year of the complicated Mike Martz system, and after being 22nd last season should get into the upper half of the league, as long as Jon Kitna stays healthy.

Biggest Myth: Matt Millen has a brain? Sorry, that was too easy. To me the biggest myth was that the team should have passed on WR Calvin Johnson since they have had high WR draft pick busts in the past. That is like passing on a Picasso since your four year old's finger painting did not conjure images of the Sistene Chapel. Some things are just too good to pass up, and that was the case with Johnson.

Biggest Reason for Hope: Jonhson should go a long way towards curing the red zone issues of last season, a year that saw the Lions place just 30th in Red Zone Offense.

Scheduling Notes: Mark it down, this team is going to start 2-0, as they open with games against Oakland and Minnesota. Things do get tougher after that, of course, and the Lions play six playoff teams from a year ago. Finally, they may have the honor of being on the field for Brett Favre's final game, as they close the season at Lambeau.

Green Bay:

Biggest Improvement: I expect the Packers to have one of the best LB corps in the NFC with AJ Hawk now into his second year, Brady Poppinga fully recovered from a knee injury, and the best LB you have never heard of - Nick Barnett - leading the way.

Biggest Myth: Lots of folks question the offensive line, but this was an extremely young group last year and only allowed 24 sacks, and now they are much more seasoned.

Biggest Reason for Hope: Barring an injury Aaron Rodgers will again not be the opening day starter.

Scheduling Notes: Quietly, Green Bay went 5-1 in division games in 2006, although the last win over Chicago really was only an exhibition for the Bears. Unlike the Lions above, the Cheeseheads were done no favors in the scheduling department early on, as four of the first five games are vs Philadelphia, at the Giants, home vs san Diego, and home vs Chicago. All four of those teams were in the playoffs a year ago, and the other game in that brutal opening stretch is at Minnesota, and while the Vikings are going to be awful, Favre has traditionally struggled in the Metrodome. If the team can survive the first five weeks things get a great deal easier, with only two more 2006 playoff foes on the docket.

Minnesota:

Biggest Improvement: Loss of Fred Smoot will be more than made up for by the additions of Mike Doss and Tank Williams to go along with the drafting of Marcus McCauley in the third round. As such, the secondary should be better.

Biggest Myth: Zone blocking is not a cure all. The Vikes are sticking with the Denver based system again this year despite the fact that Steve Hutchinson, Bryant McKinnie and Matt Birk are not really good fits for that type of scheme.

Biggest Reason for Hope: 2008 will be here before Twin Cities fans know it, and Josh David Booty, Colt Brennan, Brian Brohm or Chad Henne will all be available when the Vikings draft.

Scheduling Note
The Vikings open with two of three away, not exactly good for a young QB like Tavaris Jackson. However, the first game against a 2006 playoff for does not come until October, and they play six such games overall, much like the rest of the division.

I hope you enjoyed this look at the NFC North, and stay tuned for the remaining articles in this series. We started off the preseason with a great record, and both our Totals Play of the Week and Side Play of the Week (Seattle + over San Diego) were winners! Do not miss any NFLX Winners this week...JOIN US!!!

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