Will the Detroit Lions live up to the hype or will the Minnesota Vikings win the NFC North in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2009?
Ever since the Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 last season to still not qualify for the playoffs, the team that has never won the NFC North since it debuted in 2002 has been the favorite to win the division crown in 2023 instead of the Minnesota Vikings, who won 13 games and the NFC North last season.
But not only have the Lions never won the NFC North, they also haven't won enough games in a season to earn a playoff berth since 2016.
Did Detroit make any monumental changes to their roster this offseason? When compared to every other team in the division, not really. One could argue that the Chicago Bears have added more talent and improved their roster more than the Lions in the last few months.
Look, everyone is anticipating some regression from the Vikings this year, and that's fair. Minnesota has never won at least 12 games in back-to-back seasons since 1970.
But the Vikings are returning 9 of their 11 offensive starters from a unit that scored the eighth-most points in the NFL last year and they've added a dynamic rookie receiver in Jordan Addison to their arsenal. Not to mention, Minnesota's defense should no longer be an end zone valet for opposing offenses following the hiring of Brian Flores as the team's defensive coordinator this offseason.
And why is everyone so sure that the Bears and Green Bay Packers are just going to be total non-factors in the division? Chicago showed some promise last season, and even though it's annoying, the Packers aren't probably going to collapse because their cave-dwelling quarterback left them to follow in Brett Favre's footsteps in New York.
So, how will the NFC North look after the upcoming regular season? Will the Vikings keep their spot at the top of the division, or will they be pushed aside by the Lions, Packers, or Bears?
Let's go ahead and see if we can predict how the NFC will turn out in 2023.
4th Place in the NFC North
Detroit Lions
- Final Record: 9-8
- Division Record: 1-5
That's right, the Detroit Lions will be at the bottom of the division, right where they belong. All of this offseason hype has been just that: hype.
It's understandable to get excited about a team that finished the previous season strong. But did everyone just forget about Detroit's past? Did everyone forget that the Lions are one of the most dysfunctional franchises in NFL history?
Sure, Detroit had one of the top-scoring offenses in the league last year, and yes, they will still have quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown leading the way. But that unit has gone through a lot of changes in the last few months, and they're going to be counting on a pair of rookies in tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs to pick up the slack.
Sorry, but it's hard to feel excited about an offense that is one injury away from a 33-year-old Marvin Jones Jr. or Josh Reynolds taking over as the team's No. 1 wide receiver.
Then, on the defensive side of the ball, the Lions completely revamped their secondary with the veteran additions of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley, and Cameron Sutton to go along with rookie safety Brain Branch, who they drafted in the second round this year.
Detroit also used one of their two 2023 first-round draft picks on former Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell, who should help improve what was a terrible run defense last season.
But here's the biggest question. Why should we expect the Lions' defense to improve under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in his third year with the team after the unit ranked 28th or worse in the NFL in points allowed in each of his first two seasons with the franchise?
Vikings fans know all too well that a defensive scheme can be just as important, if not more, to the success of that unit out on the field. So until Detroit's defense shows some real progress under Glenn, there's no reason to think things are going to drastically change for them on that side of the ball.
3rd Place in the NFC North
Green Bay Packers
- Final Record: 9-8
- Division Record: 3-3
Are the Green Bay Packers worse this year without Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback? The simple answer is probably yes, but are the Packers now about to be one of the worst teams in the NFL because Rodgers is gone? No, that doesn't seem very likely.
Green Bay's offense is the team's unit with the most question marks surrounding it entering the 2023 season, and rightfully so.
Jordan Love will be the Packers' starting quarterback after waiting patiently behind Rodgers for the last three years. Green Bay's wide receiver room is full of youth and potential that might still need some time to meet their expectations. And if the recent rumors about the Packers wanting to trade for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor are true, what does that say about the team's confidence in their current group of running backs?
For the first time in quite a while, Green Bay's defense is likely going to be what keeps them in games this season. The Packers' defense is easily the most talented unit on their roster, and they're likely going to need that side of the ball to make even more plays than they have in the recent past.
Green Bay is in a new era this season, but it's likely not going to be an era that sees them stumbling week after week. There will be some hiccups, but the Packers are still going to be a competitive team that opponents have to fully prepare for.
2nd Place in the NFC North
Chicago Bears
- Final Record: 10-7
- Division Record: 3-3
Yes, the Chicago Bears. A team with one of the most dynamic young quarterbacks in the NFL in Justin Fields. We saw Jalen Hurts take a significant step in his development last year with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Fields has the potential to do something very similar with the Bears in 2023.
It took a bit of time, but it seemed like Chicago finally figured out the correct way to use Fields in their offense last season. He's a major threat with his legs, but the addition of wide receiver D.J. Moore this offseason could help make the young quarterback a serious threat with his arm as well this year.
Even when Fields was playing out of his mind last season, the Bears didn't have much of a chance, thanks to their beyond-terrible defense (32nd in points allowed).
In Chicago's second season under head coach Matt Eberflus, one would assume the defense will at least begin to take some steps in the right direction. The Bears certainly spent enough money in free agency this year to at least improve the talent level of their defense (over $109 million).
Chicago is probably going to surprise some people this season, including the three other teams in their division.
1st Place in the NFC North
Minnesota Vikings
- Final Record: 12-5
- Division Record: 5-1
Listen, if it truly seemed like the Minnesota Vikings are going to tumble back down to Earth this year after winning 13 games last season, I'd be the first person to agree with this thought. But the Vikings might actually be better than the team they had out on the field in 2022.
Minnesota replaced an aging Adam Thielen with a first-round rookie in Jordan Addison, who put on a show during every training camp practice this summer. The Vikings parted with one of 2022's least efficient running backs in the NFL in Dalvin Cook, and they appear to be leaning towards utilizing a more physical rushing attack.
Kirk Cousins (you know, that guy everyone likes now following his appearance in Netflix's "Quarterback" docu-series this summer?) gets to work with the same play-caller and run the same offensive scheme for the second year in a row for the first time since he was with Sean McVay in Washington.
Cousins also gets to throw to the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year in superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson and Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson, who just signed on to continue being one of his quarterback's favorite targets for the next few seasons.
On the defensive side of the ball, Minnesota doesn't have a very high bar to clear to be regarded as better than last year's unit. The Vikings' defense is now night and day compared to last season, with new defensive coordinator Brian Flores implementing an aggressive scheme that is going to make the opposing quarterback's life miserable with all the pressure that will be sent his way.
Lastly, this might not seem as obvious, but Kevin O'Connell now having a full year under his belt as Minnesota's head coach is significant. O'Connell should be even more comfortable in his role as the cool and collected leader of the Vikings, and this should have a positive impact on the team's chance for success this season.