ESPN NFC North Overview

[HoosierCat]

AFCN is up next in the series. Meantime, Lenny looks at our upcoming NFC division foes...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...d=2067198&num=0

Too bad there's been so much investment in the various secondaries, tho I think there's less there than meets the eye, except in Minny.

IMHO, the Vikes are going to be the class of the division...could even topple the Eagles as best team in the NFC. I am not looking forward to that game. At least it's at home early (week 2), so their D may still be in the process of coming together.

Chicago only concerns me because the Bengals have a bad habit of losing one or two games each season that they ought to have won (see Arizona two years ago, Tennessee last year, etc.). By all rights, the Bengals should be more than a match for the Bears. And a September game means we shouldn't have to worry about really nasty weather.

Green Bay comes to Cincy for Halloween, so at least we don't have to worry about their winning habits in December than Lenny mentions. Their o-line looks ripe for our pass rush to tee off on. If we can keep Green in check we ought to be able to win this one.

Detroit in mid-December. Detroit could be a sleeper this year. Imagine that: a mid-December game between the Bengals and the Lions that might actually mean something -- for BOTH teams! If so, someone better check the temperature in hell, it might be skiiing weather. Any bets that Garcia will be starting by then? The way he picked us apart in Cleveburg early last year, I don't relish the possibility, especially given the weapons they've got at wideout. This one has all the marks of a shootout.

[Kirkendall]

IMHO, the Vikes are going to be the class of the division...could even topple the Eagles as best team in the NFC. I am not looking forward to that game. At least it's at home early (week 2), so their D may still be in the process of coming together.

The key for Minnesota is how well they play outside the dome. Will they be relegated as a dome team or be able to play good football outdoors. The Moss factor is huge, but good. Now Culpepper can play more quarterback rather than looking for Moss on 70-yard bombs (not his style). Cull is the high completion type of thrower. Running-wise, how well can Melwade Moore do in place of O.Smith and an often injured Michael Bennett. I thought he played very well last season when given the opp.

The improvements on defense are pretty self-explainatory but still very suspect...

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

You know the best lines in the NFC North breakdown was this...

"Last year, the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings all statistically rated 23rd or lower in pass defense. The teams surrendered a cumulative 115 touchdown passes, 10 more than the next worse division, an ugly average of 28.75 per club."

If they continue to struggle against the pass like this with Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, TJ Alphabet, and Chris Henry on the field, Carson Palmer will be joining Chad Johnson in the Pro Bowl.

[HoosierCat]

If they continue to struggle against the pass like this with Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, TJ Alphabet, and Chris Henry on the field, Carson Palmer will be joining Chad Johnson in the Pro Bowl.

What I found interesting about Lenny keying on the pass D was that Kirwan tags the run D (at least for Minny and Green Bay) as the problem in his latest piece...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8498118

I think the Bengals can take Chicago and Green Bay, and ought to have a fighting chance against Minny. Detroit? Who knows? I get the feeling that they're going to be either very good...or very bad. Hopefully the latter.

[BengalNation1281]

...and I will bet that Garcia has another flameout like he did in Cleveburg and is a non-factor for the Lions this year.

We all talk about how good Palmer will be with the weapons that he has...and the same goes for Joey Harrington. I bet he has a breakout year in 2005 and everyone gets off of his back.

In the NFC North, Minnesota will be the class, with GB and Detroit duking it out for 2nd and Chicago showing improvement but still ending up in 4th place.

I actually see GB doing no better than about 8-8. With GB's defense being as shaky as it is, Detroit needs to step up and do something now, but they won't have a Penguin's chance in Hell with Garcia at QB.

[schweinhart]

IMHO, the Vikes are going to be the class of the division...could even topple the Eagles as best team in the NFC. I am not looking forward to that game. At least it's at home early (week 2), so their D may still be in the process of coming together.

The Vikes made huge upgrades on D. Sharper, Pat Williams, and Sam Cowart should all provide veteran boosts. Smoot is a perfect complement to Winfield at CB. Add Napoleon Harris and Erasmus James plus figure Udeze really turns it on this year and Kevin Williams keeps it turned on and this is a scary looking defense.

Playing them early should be in Bengals favor but I thought the same thing about the Jets last year after all the offseason turnover they had on D.

The Vikes might also struggle early on offense. The Vikes are somewhat used to playing w/o Moss and Whizzinator Smith but those 2 were their 2 best offense weapons besides Daunte.

The Lions look like the next best team in this division with an evolving high-powered offense and impressive defense. The Pack should drop off a ledge on offense this year and the Bears proly won't improve much on offense.

Hard to think the Bengals could go 4-0 vs. NFC again this year but there's an outside shot. To be playoff bound, they just about have to go 3-1.

[HoosierCat]

The Lions look like the next best team in this division with an evolving high-powered offense and impressive defense. The Pack should drop off a ledge on offense this year and the Bears proly won't improve much on offense.

Hard to think the Bengals could go 4-0 vs. NFC again this year but there's an outside shot. To be playoff bound, they just about have to go 3-1.

I agree completely. The Chicago and Green Bay games ought to be very winnable. But they are going to have to take one of the other two. IMHO, it would be huge is they could knock off the Vikes in week 2. Assuming they beat Cleveland the week before -- and they should, soundly -- I think they'd have a legitimate shot at 6-0 (and in that case I would be expecting no worse than 5-1).

That'd be a nice cushion to take into the real meat of the sked immediately following: Pitt, GB, Baltimore, Indy, Baltimore, Pitt.

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Chicago is going to be a tougher game than you imagine. Rex is a good QB, and he has some weapons and a damned good running back now. Plus their defense is nothing to be laughed at without all the injuries they had last year.

Personally I'm more worried about Chicago than the Lions and the Vikings.

[HoosierCat]

Chicago is going to be a tougher game than you imagine. Rex is a good QB, and he has some weapons and a damned good running back now. Plus their defense is nothing to be laughed at without all the injuries they had last year.

Personally I'm more worried about Chicago than the Lions and the Vikings.

Hey, any given Sunday, y'know? No game is ever easy in this league.

I just think that when all is said and done, Minny, Indy, and the 2 games each versus Baltimore and Pitt are going to be the roughest. I don't think any of the other 10 teams we'll face are better than the bengals, and some are plainly worse.

As for the Bears...I'm not sold on Grossman and Muhammed doesn't scare me. Benson will be a challenge (heck, stopping an 80-year-old with a walker is a challenge for our D) but while the Bears have some good defensive talent I don't think they'll be able to slow down Carson & Co.

[BengalNation1281]

Chicago has to worry about the same thing that it did last year...if Grossman gets hurt, the entire season is done. Chad Hutchinson had one good game before falling apart at the end of last year, and I don't know if Orton is the answer, either.

The improvements made in the running game won't mean anything if Grossman goes out again.

Detroit looks to have the best chance to grab 2nd place, but GB always seems to take at least 2nd place even when they experience a lean year, like 2005 looks to be.

I am worried about playing Minnesota and Detroit, but I think that we will take GB and Chicago.

I am dying to see CJ take the GB secondary to the woodshed :player:

[schweinhart]

Chicago is going to be a tougher game than you imagine. Rex is a good QB, and he has some weapons and a damned good running back now. Plus their defense is nothing to be laughed at without all the injuries they had last year.

Personally I'm more worried about Chicago than the Lions and the Vikings.

No doubt Rex is a gamer and having somebody to throw to now in Muhammad will help. But the WR corps is still thin after that w/ Eddie Berlin, Mark Bradley, and Bobby Wade.

We'll see how good Benson is. I am not convinced yet he's fast enough to consistently get to the second level in the NFL or strong enough to break the tackles on Sundays that he broke in college. Of course, if the Bengals run D doesn't improve this year, Benson will just have to be average to run at will.

The Bears D no doubt is a force if O-Gun, Urlacher, and Mike Brown can stay on the field, but CP should pick apart their CBS regardless if Rudi gets stonewalled.

Bears-Bengals should be a good one to watch. The Stripes got to kick some a$$ on the road this year and this game is a definite test of where they are at.

[schweinhart]

Green Bay comes to Cincy for Halloween, so at least we don't have to worry about their winning habits in December than Lenny mentions. Their o-line looks ripe for our pass rush to tee off on. If we can keep Green in check we ought to be able to win this one.

Yeah, the Pack didn't do much to bolster their O line w/ the losses of Rivera and Wahle. They did sign old Bengal O'Dwyer and ex-Pat Adrian Klemm. They did re-sign Grey Ruegamer at C who filled in for IR Mike Flanagan last year. But their only O-line draft pick was Junius Coston at C.

WR wise, the Pack did get a couple nice value draft picks in Terrence Murphy and Craig Bragg, but they shouldn't matter much this year w/ Walker-Driver-Ferguson. Still, if Farve or whoever, has no time to throw, it won't matter who their wide-outs are.

Green is the most likely threat vs. Bengals, but again, with their O-line as it is, how effective will they run the ball? I wouldn't be surprised to see Najeh Davenport get more work this year, especially if Green reverts back to his fumbling ways.

All the Bengals D should have to do for this one is bend but don't break. Do that and CP & Company should shred the Pack D enough to win double digits.

[HoosierCat]

It's probably worth noting here that Minnesota starting C Matt Birk just had hip surgery, and is looking at a 60-90 day recovery period. Word is that he could miss a few early games. So we may have that working in our favor come week 2.

[schweinhart]

It's probably worth noting here that Minnesota starting C Matt Birk just had hip surgery, and is looking at a 60-90 day recovery period. Word is that he could miss a few early games. So we may have that working in our favor come week 2.

Birk is a tough SOB. I'd be surprised if he weren't in. But if not, they did cut vet back-up Cory Withrow then re-sign him. There O-line question seems to be how they will shift the rest of their O-line around to replace the ancient David Dixon at guard. Draft pick Marcus Johnson is being considered for starting at G and I hope he does because I think he'll have a hard transition from college tackle, especially early in season.