NFC North is returning to the the Black and Blue Division

Defense wins championships and the NFC North is setting themselves up for success by having some of the best defensive units in the NFL.

There was a time when the NFC North was feared for their stout defenses. However, in recent history, that hasn’t been true for the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions.

Before the arrival of Mike Zimmer in Minnesota, the Vikings defense was actually a bit embarrassing. Meanwhile, the Packers were involved in numerous offensive shutouts while the Lions struggled to get wins and the Bears struggled to find an identity.

Heading into the 2019 NFL season, it’s obvious these teams have placed a lot of focus on being able to stop other teams rather than invest primarily in players who would help their offense.

Minnesota doubled down on their strategy by giving extensions to many of their key defensive players. Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, and Eric Kendricks are all locked down through the 2023 season with Everson Griffen, Xavier Rhodes, and Linval Joseph all with contracts which expire following the 2022 season.

But they aren’t the only team in the division doing a great job acquiring defensive talent for multiple years. Here are some key defenders who received long-term deals from NFC North teams according to Spotrac:

2025 Free Agents

• Khalil Mack, LB – Bears

2024 Free Agents

• Trey Flowers, DE – Lions

2023 Free Agents

• Adrian Amos, S – Packers
• Justin Coleman, CB – Lions
• Eddie Goldman, DT – Bears
• Preston Smith, LB – Packers
• Za’Darius Smith, LB – Packers

2022 Free Agents

• Quandre Diggs, CB – Lions: FA in 2022
• Kyle Fuller, CB – Bears: FA in 2022
• Aikem Hicks, CB – Bears: FA in 2022

Combining these veteran players with the young, talented players on their rookie deals will be a recipe for success defensively. The teams should get better as those young and old players become more familiar with each other.

In fact, this transition has been happening for the last few seasons as the teams acquired talent in both free agency and the draft. Here are how the teams in the NFC North ranked in terms of fewest yards allowed in 2018 according to ESPN:

• 3 – Chicago Bears
• 4 – Minnesota Vikings
• 10 – Detroit Lions
• 18 – Green Bay Packers

By all accounts, these rankings could get even better in 2019 for several reasons. The Vikings have invested in their offense to keep the defense off the field more. The Packers went heavy defensively in the draft the last few years and were finally aggressive in free agency. Detroit is building themselves back up and the Bears are still blending their young players with their established veterans on defense.

Fans who love watching hard-hitting, smash-mouth, defensive football should really enjoy watching the NFC North over the next few years. With so much talent on the rosters and the competition teams have to offer, no team outside the new Black and Blue Division should be happy to see these four teams on their schedule.