NFC North Preview

Chicago Bears

Last Season : 11 - 5



Players Drafted

1st Round - Gabe Carimi OL
2nd Round - Stephen Paea DT
3rd Round - Chris Conte DB
5th Round - Nathan Enderle QB
6th Round - James Thomas LB

Players in

Roy Williams

Marion Barber RB
Sam Hurd WR
Roy Williams WR
Matt Speath TE
Adam Podlesh P
Chris Spencer C
Amobi Okoye DL
Patrick Trahan LB
Brandon Meriweather S

Players out

Matt Gutierrez QB
Brandon Minor RB
Chester Taylor RB
Devin Aromashodu WR
Rashied Davis WR
Zeke Markshausen WR
Brad Maynard P
Richmond McGee P
Olin Kreutz C
Josh Bullocks S
Danieal Manning S

The Bears won this division last year, they then won through to the NFC Championship game.  Here they lost to the major division rivals, the Green Bay Packers.  They will be hoping that this year they will be able to go one better, but I just don't see it.  They had alot of problems along the OL last year, and QB Jay Cutler was hit often.  They selected OL Gabe Carimi in the 1st round of the draft, hoping to try and stop this happening again.  I don't like the fact though that they allowed veteran C Olin Kreutz to leave.  His experience will be missed.  They bought in RB Marion Barber, for the tough yards, but the interesting signing to me is WR Roy Williams.  Williams and the OC Mike Martz worked together in Detriot, and Williams had his best ever year under Martz.  Will they be able to recreate this?

This Bears defence isn't a classic one, but it is still pretty good.  They manage to get pressure off the edge thanks to DE Julius Peppers and LB Brian Urlacher makes it very difficult to run against them.  They did lose S Danieal Manning in the offseason, but replaced him with former Patriot Brandon Meriweather.  Meriweather's uncompromising style should fit in well in Chicago.  The Bears will be decent, but I can't see past the Packers this year.

Detroit Lions

Last Season : 6 - 10



Players Drafted

1st Round - Nick Fairley DT
2nd Round - Titus Young WR
2nd Round - Mikel LeShoure RB
5th Round - Douglas Hogue LB
7th Round - Johnny Culbreath OL

Players in

Jerome Harrison

Jerome Harrison RB
Keiland Williams FB
Rashied Davis WR
Nate Hughes WR
Maurice Stovall WR
Jacques McClendon OG
Rudy Niswanger C
Isaac Sowells OL
Keyunta Dawson DL
Quinn Pitcock DL
Cody Brown LB
Jason Durnant LB
Stephen Tulloch LB
Anthony Maddison CB
Eric Wright CB
Erik Coleman S
Aaron Francisco S

Players out

Bryant Johnson WR
Dave Rayner K
Turk McBride LB

The Lions are a very interesting, up and coming team in my eyes.  QB Matt Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson have a great connection, and should provide the Lions will a great passing game.  One problem that the Lions had last year was the lack of a running game.  RB Jahvid Best is seen as being injury-prone, so they bought in Mikel LeShore, with a 2nd round draft pick.  The problem is LeShoure tore his achilles, and will miss the season.  It would be asking alot for Best to carry the team, so they bought in former Brown, Jerome Harrison.  Will be interesting to see how this goes.

The defence of the Lions is SO exciting.  The DL includes Kyle Van Den Bosch, Ndamukung Suh, and now last years 1st Round pick Nick Fairley.  These 3 should put opposing QB's under HUGE pressure.  They have bought in LB's Jason Durant and Stephan Tullochm that should make this a dominant front 7.  The secondary should also be much improved, thanks to the signings of CB Eric Wright and S Aaron Francisco.  This much better looking defence have played well in the preseason, and I can't wait to see them in the games that matter.  I think the Lions will win more games than last year, and may even shock everyone by winning 8 or more games, something they haven't done for over a decade.

Green Bay Packers

Last Season : 10 - 6



Players Drafted

Will they repeat??

1st Round - Derek Sherrod OL
2nd Round - Randell Cobb WR
3rd Round - Alex Green RB
4th Round - Davon House DB
5th Round - D.J Williams TE
6th Round - Caleb Schlauderaff OL
6th Round - D.J Smith LB
6th Round - Ricky Elmore DL
7th Round - Ryan Taylor TE
7th Round - Lawrence Guy DT

Players in

Players out

Ahman Green RB
Brandon Jackson RB
Korey Hall FB
Calvin Russell WR
Donald Lee TE
Daryn Colledge OG
Jason Spitz C
Cullen Jenkins DT
Nick Barnett LB
Brady Poppinga LB
Atari Bigby S
Michael Greco S
The Packers of course won it all last year, and you would have to be a brave man to bet against them doing it again.  They have got back all of the players that had season ending injuries last year, including RB Ryan Grant, TE Jermichael Finley and T Mark Tauscher. All of these players will return, and I can't see anything but success for this offence. 

On defence, the Packers have lost LB Nick Barnett, and DT Cullen Jenkins, but this defence is way to good to let this hold them back.  I can't see anyone in this division stopping the Pack, and if they get a bye in week 1 of the playoffs, somebody in the NFC will have to play the game of the year to stop them reaching the Superbowl.

Minnesota Vikings

Last Season : 6 - 10



Players Drafted

1st Round - Christian Ponder QB
2nd Round - Kyle Rudolf TE
4th Round - Christian Ballard DL
5th Round - Brandon Burton DB
6th Round - Demarcus Love OL
6th Round - Mistral Raymond DB
6th Round - Brandon Fusco OL
6th Round - Ross Homan LB
7th Round - D'Aundre Reed DL
7th Round - Stephan Burton WR

Players in

Donovan McNabb

Donovam McNabb QB
Tristan Davis RB
Devin Aromashodu WR
Michael Jenkins WR
Charlie Johnson OT
Scott Kooistra OG
Remi Ayodele DL
Colby Whitlock DL
Xavier Adibi LB
Mark Washington LB

Players out

Brett Farve QB
Tarvaris Jackson QB
Sidney Rice WR
Bryant McKinnie OT
Ryan Cook OG
Ray Edwards DL
Ben Leber LB
Lito Sheppard CB
Frank Walker CB

The Vikings are a very confusing team to me.  Out goes QB Brett Farve, who has been replaced by Donovan McNabb.  Alot of the pass catching responsibilities now fall on the shoulders of injury prone WR Percy Harvin, thanks to the departure of Sidney Rice (to Seattle).  Harvin is a very talented WR, but has had many injuries since he came into the NFL.  If he gets hurt again this year, the Vikings will struggle in the pass game.  They do though have the best RB in the game, Adrian Peterson.  Expect the Vikings to lean heavily on Peterson, and him to have huge numbers this year.

This Viking defence is not the unit it has been.  They have lost DT Ray Edwards who was a big part in that DL that gave them so much success.  I think that the Vikings will struggle this year, and will finish bottom of this very competitive division.

Preseason Week 2 : Saturday Nights Games

Here are Saturdays highlights from the NFL preseason

Saints 14 Texans 27



Raiders 3 49'ers 17



Titans 16 Rams 17



Bills 10 Broncos 24



Vikings 20 Seahawks 7

Cowboys 21 Vikings 24

The 'Game of the week' took place in Minnesota this week, when the 1 - 3 Vikings and the 1 - 3 Cowboys came up against one another.  Only 5 % of teams that have started 1 - 4 have ever made the playoffs since the new playoff system was bought in 20 years ago.  This game was therefore nicknamed the 'Panic Bowl' by reporters in both Minnesota and Dallas.  Both teams were seen as potential Superbowl contenders in the pre season, but which of them would be in a huge hole after just 6 weeks.

In the first half Cowboys QB Tony Romo moved the offence up and down the field connecting with WR Roy Williams for 2 TD's (15, 2 yards).  Between these 2 TD's Vikings QB Brett Farve found WR Greg Camarillo for a 10 yard TD.  Romo had a decent game for the Cowboys, throwing for 220 yards and 3 TD's.  He did though have 2 INT's, and the Cowboys could not get the running game going.  RB's Felix Jones and Marion Barber only managed 63 yards on the ground, with a long of just 6 yards.  Despite this, the Cowboys led 14 - 7 at half time.

The Cowboys had to kick off for the 2nd half, and back to return was former Florida Gator utility player Percy Harvin.  He took the ball at the 5 yard line, and took it back 95 yards for a TD.  This levelled the score line, but tipped the tide of emotion in the favour of the Vikings.  On their next possession they drove down the field behind the running of Adrian Peterson, who ran for 73 yards.  Peterson finished the drive with a 1 yard run for a TD to give the Vikings the lead.  This seemed like it may be the end of the road for the Cowboys, who once again committed penalty after penalty.  They gave up 11 penalties for 91 yards and teams giving up this kind of yardage cannot win games.  The Cowboys did however manage to get another drive going, and Romo found WR Dez Bryant for a 31 yard TD to level the scores.  There was just 10 mins left, which of these desperate teams could pull this out??

The Vikings went 3 and out on the following possession, and had to punt the ball back to the resurgent Cowboys.  The Cowboys ran the ball twice and got themselves in a 3rd and 2 situation.  Romo dropped back to pass, and looked for his prime target TE Jason Witten.  The ball though never arrived in Witten's hands as Minnesota Vikings MLB E.J Henderson picked the ball off, and lifted the roof off the dome.  The Vikings moved themselves into FG range, and kicker Ryan Longwell hit what turned out to be the winning 3 points.  This was a huge win for the Vikings, one that has put them right back in the hunt for the NFC North following defeats for the Bears and Packers.  The Cowboys are however in huge trouble in the NFC East, will they be able to be one of the 5 % that make the playoffs after starting 1 - 4, something tells me they won't!

The Keys to Training Camp - NFC North

Chicago Bears

The Bears finished 2009 with a 7 - 9 record.  This record left them in 3rd place in the division behind the Vikings and Packers, and also out of the playoffs.  This is not good enough for this sports crazy city.  During the off season they have bought in the innovative Mike Martz as their offensive coordinator.  Will his system help the Bears get back to the Superbowl?


What will the offence look like?

It is no secret that the Bears offence struggled a lot last year.  They came in ranked 17th in the pass game, and a really poor 29th in the run game.  This stat is particularly shocking of a Chicago team, that are always so well known for their run game.  QB Jay Cutler (pictured) was bought in at the beginning of last year to be their saviour, he struggled throwing almost as many INT's as TD's (26 : 27).  This has led the Bears to bring in new OC Mike Martz.  Mike is known as an offensive genius around the league.  He was in charge of the Rams offence that became known has the 'greatest show on turf'.  Will Martz be able to recreate this kind of offence in Chicago, and does he have the pieces in place?

Who are the receivers?

 This is a major question in Chicago at the moment.  The Mike Martz system is very aggressive, very explosive, and relies on big plays from WR's.  It also does not include many passes to TE's, which is a shame, as the Bear with the most catches last year was TE Greg Olsen.  In fact, after Olsen came WR Devin Hester (pictured) and after him came RB Matt Forte.  Only 1 WR in the top 3??  The Bears have also failed to address this situation in the draft.  Devin Hester is a very exciting football player.  His returns are a joy to watch.  He was the player that ran the opening kick off of Superbowl 41 back for a TD.  The Bears have tried to mold him into a WR, but he is struggling slightly with the transition.  After Hester are Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett.  Both players are decent, but neither is a star WR.  How will these players fit the new system?

Can they get back to 'Bears defence'?

The Bears over the years have been known as a dominant football team.  When you look at last years stats - 13th against the pass, 23rd against the run - they aren't to bad, but they aren't Bears defence.  A major reason for the struggling defence was the injury to star MLB Brian Urlacher.  He missed a big section of the season last year, and in my mind, this is the reason they struggled so bad against the run.  It will be interesting to see how close to 100% he looks in camp.  Also it will be interesting to see how the Bears plan on using big off season acquisition DE Julius Peppers (pictured).  Peppers on his day is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.  His presence can make the whole defence look better.  Can Chicago get the best from him?



Detroit Lions

The Lions had another poor year last year, finishing at the bottom of the NFC North with a 2 - 14 record.  The Lions have been struggling for a number of years now, but because of this have managed to get quite a few very high draft picks, and this year was no exception.  So what are the major talking points going into camp.


Can the defence improve?

O dear!!!  The Lions defence was absolutely horrid last year.  They came in dead last in points per game, total yards per game, pass yards per game and 25th in run yards per game.  This was a very bad defence.  But, lets give the owners credit, they went out this off season, and completely changed this defence.  At the very opening of free agency the Lions bought in talented DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (pictured).  He and first round draft pick (2nd overall) Ndamukung Suh will certainly improve this D line, and will get pressure on opposing QB's.  The interesting thing will be to see how the rest off the defence comes together.


How good can the Stafford - Johnson combo be?

As I mentioned earlier, the Lions have had a lot of very early picks in the draft in recent years.  One benefit of this is that they are gathering a number of very talented individuals.  On the offensive side of the ball there is no doubt that the most exciting combination is QB Matt Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson (pictured).  Last season both players had their injuries, so we didn't really see how good this could be.  Both players are incredibly talented and if this combo works out, could be the best QB - WR combo in the league - potentially.

Can the mentality be changed?

If I was a member of the coaching staff, or a fan of the Lions, the thing that would worry me is that the team are just so used to losing.  The Lions have not had a winning record since 2000, and have only won 33 games since then.  This is a major concern.  In sports, especially football, so much of what you do on the field is achieved by believing you can do it.  If you go out thinking you will lose, you defiantly will.  This is what is happening in Detroit, and it needs to change.


Green Bay Packers

The Packers finished 2009 with a 11 - 5 record, which saw them as runners up in the NFC North, but the record was good enough for a place in the playoffs through a wildcard entry.  The Packers went out to Arizona on wildcardKarlos Dansby returned INT in overtime to win the game.  So how do the Packers get back to the playoffs, and make the next step?

Can the O Line improve?

Rodgers goes down again.

When it came to writing this piece about the Packers the first thing that jumped into my mind about last year was how often it seemed Aaron Rodgers got sacked.  I went to look at the numbers and found that the Packers actually gave up the most sacks in the NFL last year with 51.  Most embarrassingly they actually had 14 against the rival Vikings.  When you add to this the fact that Julius Peppers and Ndamukung Suh have also moved into the NFC North, this becomes a real concern for Packers fans.  The Packers will hope that first round draft pick Brian Bulaga will help to solve this problem.  Also the Packers will hope to have Mark Tauscher fit and healthy for the season.  T Tauscher only managed to start 8 games in '09.

How much of an impact will the Johnny Jolly suspension have?

The Packers had a fantastic defence last year.  After the initial struggle of changing from a 4 - 3 team to a 3 - 4 team were passed, the Packers defence went on to become one of the best units in the league.  This statement was backed up by the numbers - 5th pass defence, 1st run defence.  A big part of that great run defence was DT Johnny Jolly.  This year though the Pack will have to play without Jolly.  Jolly has been suspended for the entire season following an arrest do to drug possession.  This could be of huge consequence for the Packers, as the NT is a massive piece in the 3 - 4.  There is talk that 2nd year pro B.J Raji will move to NT.  Can he be as effective?


Where will the pass rush come from?

Even though Green Bay had a great defence last year, they did seem to struggle when they came up against an elite QB.  Farve on 2 occasions, Big Ben, Carson Palmer and Kurt Warner all torched the Packers defence last year,and the Packers lost all 5 games.  A huge part of this is down to the fact that the Packers struggle to get a pass rush.  With the Jolly suspension, and Aaron Kampman now being a Jaguar, a lot of this responsibility will now fall on 2nd year pro Clay Matthews (pictured).  Clay had a fantastic rookie year scoring 10 sacks in total.  The Packers will need at least a repeat of this performance from Matthews if they are to move forward this year.



Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings finished last year on top of the NFC North with a 12 - 4 record, which not only gave them a spot in the playoffs, but also gave them 2nd seed in the whole NFC.  The Vikings then welcomed the Dallas Cowboys to Minnesota, and swiftly sent them back to Texas with their tail between their legs following an impressive 34 - 3 beating.  The Vikings then travelled to New Orleans for the NFC Championship game, a nail biting game that they eventually lost 31 - 28 to the eventual Superbowl winners.  So can the Vikings get one step further this year?



Will Brett Farve return? (and when?)

 There is only really one place that you can start when talking about the Minnesota Vikings for the upcoming season.  I believe that Brett Farve is the difference between the Vikings being a Superbowl team, or not.  The Vikings have the talent both on defence and offence, they just need somebody to steer the ship.  Welcome Captain Farve.  People continually say that Farve is past it, he can't play another year, but he keeps on proving them wrong.  Last year Farve had a great season throwing for over 4,200 yards, 33 TD's and only 7 INT's.  Are you trying to tell me that these numbers could be achieved by Tarvaris Jackson?  Not a chance!  If Farve comes back this year he will get the right people involved at the right time, and I believe, get the Vikings back to the NFC Championship at least.

How will they replace Chester Taylor?

 There is no question whatsoever that Adrian Peterson is an every down RB.  He is a fantastic talent both running the ball, and receiving coming out of the backfield.  Even AP though cannot be expected to play every single down during a game.  This is where Chester Taylor came in last year.  He would spell Peterson when he needed a break, and production would not drop off.  Taylor though was traded to the Bears during the off season, and I'm looking forward to finding out how the Vikes plan on replacing him.  They took RB Toby Gerhart in the 2nd round of this years draft, but he won't be as effective as a pass catcher.  There is also rumours that WR Percy Harvin may fill in at times.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out during camp.

Who will play at CB?

 The main area of weakness in the Vikings defence is against the pass.  Last season they ranked 19th against the pass, their worse ranking in any major category.  The projected 2 starting CB's Antoine Winfield (pictured) and Cedric Griffin are both coming off injuries and so are a concern.  The Vikes did though bring in Lito Sheppard from the Jets, and draft Chris Cook in the 2nd round.  Camp will be very interesting to see which of these CB's will step up and take the starting role for the opening game of the 2010 season against the defending champion New Orleans Saints on Thursday 9th September.


Check back tomorrow for a look at the NFC South.

Draft Previews

Cincinnati Bengals

Last season - 10 - 6 1st in AFC North


Team needs - TE, S, OL, DL, LB

Players in - Antonio Bryant WR.

Players out - Shaun Smith DT, Larry Johnson RB.

Draft Positions : 


1st Round : 21st pick
2nd Round : 22nd pick
3rd Round : 20th pick, 32nd pick
4th Round : 22nd pick, 33rd pick
5th Round : 21st pick
6th Round : 22nd pick
7th Round : 21st pick

Total : 9 picks

New England Patriots


Last season - 10 - 6 1st in AFC East


Team needs - LB, RB, TE, T, DE, CB


Players in - Damion Lewis DT, Alge Crumpler TE, Torry Holt WR, Marques Murrell LB.


Players out - Ben Watson TE, Jarvis Green DE, Chris Baker TE.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 22nd pick

2nd Round : 12th pick, 15th pick, 21st pick

4th Round : 21st pick

6th Round : 21st pick, 36th pick

7th Round : 22nd pick, 24th pick, 40th pick, 41st pick, 43rd pick

Total : 12 picks

Green Bay Packers


Last season - 11 - 5 2nd in NFC North

Team needs - OL, LB, S, CB

Players in - 


Players out - Matt Giodano DB, Aaron Kampman DE, Mike Montgomery DE.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 23rd pick

2nd Round : 24th pick

3rd Round : 22nd pick

4th Round : 24th pick

5th Round : 23rd pick, 38th pick

6th Round : 24th pick

7th Round : 23rd pick

Total : 8 picks

Philadelphia Eagles

Last season - 11 - 5 2nd in NFC East


Team needs RB, OL, DT, LB, S


Players in - Mike Bell RB, Hank Basket WR, Marlin Jackson CB.


Players out - Sean Jones FS, Will Witherspoon MLB, Jason Babin DE.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 24th pick

2nd Round : 5th pick, 23rd pick

3rd Round : 6th pick, 23rd pick

4th Round : 7th pick, 23rd pick

6th Round : 31st pick

7th Round : 36th pick, 37th pick

Total : 10 picks

Baltimore Ravens


Last season - 9 - 7 2nd in AFC North


Team needs - WR, QB, TE, C, DT, S, CB


Players in - Corey Redding DE.


Players out - Dean Edwards DE, Justin Bannan DE, Adam Terry T. 

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 25th pick

2nd Round : 25th pick

5th Round : 25th pick, 26th pick

6th Round : 25th pick

Total : 5 picks

Arizona Cardinals


Last Season - 10 - 6 1st in NFC West 


Team needs - OL, DL, QB, TE, LB, RB, ILB, DT, S, CB


Players in - Derek Anderson QB, Joey Porter OLB, Paris Lennon OLB, Jay Feeley K, Rex Hadnot G.


Players out - Neil Rackers K, Jerheme Urban WR, Karlos Dansby MLB, Antrel Rolle S, Sean Morrey WR.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 26th pick

2nd Round : 26th pick

3rd Round : 24th pick, 25th pick

4th Round : 25th pick

6th Round : 26th pick

7th Round : 26th pick

Total : 7 picks

Dallas Cowboys


Last season - 11 - 5 1st in NFC East


Team needs - S, T, DE


Players in - 


Players out -

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 27th pick

2nd Round : 27th pick

3rd Round : 26th pick

4th Round : 27th pick

6th Round : 27th pick

7th Round : 27th pick

Total : 6 picks

San Diego Chargers


Last season - 13 - 3 1st in AFC West


Team needs - RB, DL, C, CB, LB, S


Players in - Donald Strickland CB, Nathan Vasher CB, Marcus Mason RB.


Players out - Brandon Manumaleuna TE, Eric Ghiaciuc C, Jamal Williams NT, Kassim Osgood WR, LaDainian Tomlinson RB, Charlie Whitehurst QB.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 28th pick

2nd Round : 8th pick

3rd Round : 27th pick

4th Round : 28th pick

5th Round : 28th pick, 37th pick

7th Round : 28th pick

Total : 7 picks

New York Jets


Last season - 9 - 7 2nd in AFC East

Team needs - DE, CB, WR, RB, OLB, S


Players in - LaDainian Tomlinson RB, Antonio Cromartie CB, Jason Taylor LB, Lance Laury LB, Brodney Pool S, Santonio Holmes WR.


Players out - Jay Feeley K, Wallace Wright WR, Thomas Jones RB, Marques Murrell LB, Donald Strickland CB, Howard Green DT.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 29th pick

2nd Round : 29th pick

4th Round : 26th pick 

6th Round : 29th pick

7th Round : 29th pick

Total : 5 picks

Minnesota Vikings


Last season - 12 - 4 1st in NFC North


Team needs - S, CB, C, ILB, FS


Players in - Rhys Lloyd K, Mike Montgomery DE.


Players out - Chester Taylor RB, Karl Paymah CB, Artis Hicks G.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 30th pick

2nd Round : 30th pick

3rd Round : 29th pick

4th Round : 30th pick

5th Round : 30th pick, 36th pick

6th Round : 30th pick

7th Round : 30th pick

Total : 8 picks

Indianapolis Colts


Last season - 14 - 2 1st in AFC South


Team needs - T, G, DT, CB, OLB, FS

Players in - Adam Terry T, Andy Alleman G.


Players out - Aaron Francisco S, Tim Jennings CB, Ryan Lija G, Jim Sorgi QB, Hank Baskett WR, Marlin Jackson CB.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 31st pick

2nd Round : 31st pick

3rd Round : 30th pick

4th Round : 31st pick

5th Round : 31st pick

7th Round : 31st pick, 33rd pick, 39th pick

Total : 8 picks

New Orleans Saints


Last season - 13 - 3 1st in NFC South


Team needs OLB, DL, S, T


Players in - Jimmy Wilkerson DE, Alex Brown DE.


Players out - Scott Fujita LB, Mike Bell RB.

Draft Positions : 

1st Round : 32nd pick

2nd Round : 32nd pick

3rd Round : 31st pick

4th Round : 32nd pick

6th Round : 32nd pick

7th Round : 32nd pick

Total : 6 picks