2006 NFC North Forecast

If the 2006 NFC North were a travelogue, commentators would be using old clichés like "land of contrasts" and "blend of old and new." Like no other division in the NFL, the NFC North features four teams all on utterly different tracks and all in different phases of franchise history. For those seeking to travel to these colder football climes, herewith are this sportswriter's predictions on four squads that are past, present, future, and the Minnesota Vikings.

For the Chicago Bears, the future is now. In 2005, playing in arguably the weakest division in the NFL, Dah Bearsss ran up a 11-5 record after starting the season a dismal 1-3 which had some Chicago Bears fans whispering for the head of Lovie Smith. They say defense wins championships? Bolstered by the most dominant force in NFL D, Brian Urlacher, the Chicago Bears held opponents to ten points of fewer an incredible nine times while allowing just over 200 points for the year, no. 1 in the league in that department. Want evidence that they're just as tough in 2006? Check out that 24-3 preseason win against the San Diego Chargers. At halftime, the score was Chicago Bears defense and special teams 14, San Diego Chargers 3.

The good news for the Chicago Bears? No significant losses in the off-season, and rookies DT Dusty Dvoracek, CB Devin Hester, DB Danieal Manning and LB Jamar Williams have all impressed in camp. The bad news? Well, hopefully defense alone can win championships. Smith is stubbornly sticking with Rex Grossman at QB, though the media murmurs of a quarterback controversy involving Brian Griese, who has had an excellent preseason.

The 2006 Chicago Bears should once again cruise through this division, and fans are thinking Super Bowl already. This squad is no 1985 Chicago Bears, but may just be equivalent to the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the last defense to carry the team to victory in The Big Game. Prediction: 13-3.

After nearly fifty years of futility, the Detroit Lions may finally be on the verge of greatness. Kicking off camp by erasing huge bust QB Joey Harrington from the roster, new head coach Rod "Almighty" Marinelli has promised a new breed of game known as "Lions football." Marinelli is the former linebacker coach for Jon Gruden's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was christened "the best coach in the NFL. Period" by Simeon Rice. Marinelli earned much acclaim as the man responsible for the dominant play of the champion Buccaneers' D.

Mike Martz, former head coach of the St. Louis Rams, is the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator; though Martz ultimately ran the Rams into the ground, Detroit Lions brass perceptively decided to keep him away from the other side of the ball.

Reportedly, Marinelli and company have eliminated the "country club mentality" that has pervaded Detroit Lions' camps past, and it shows. The defense has played with intensity and the three-headed monster of Jon Kitna, Josh McCown and Dan Orlovsky has been at least adequate.

In the end, Detroit Lions fans will approach their boys' chances with guarded optimism, as opposed to the guarded pessimism they've held since Harrington drove in. Conservative off-season play and subpar QBs, however, mean that 8-8 will probably be considered a successful season. The Lions last won the NFL championship after the 1957 season. Is fifty years of bad karma enough? Prediction: Going out on a limb and factoring in a generally weak NFC, 9-7 and a wild-card bid.

The Green Bay Packers, on the other hand, may have to look to history for solace. Despite QB Brett Favre's claim that "this is … the most talented team I've been on," this Green Bay Packers team is a mess. While we know the Pack will be running a West Coast Offensive scheme in 2006, the depth chart at receiver is hardly set beyond Donald Driver. The word on injured Ahman Green is ... well, it's non-existent. The preseason has seen guys like Najeh Davenport, Samkon Gado and Noah Herron get lots of time and generally fail to impress; (desperate) word out of Green Bay Packers camp is that rookie head coach Mike McCarthy is toying with a "tailback-by-committee" game plan.

On the plus side, the Green Bay Packers had perhaps the best draft in the league, picking up LB A.J. Hawk, probable starter WR Greg Jennings, WR Cory Rodgers, CB Will Blackmon and QB Ingle Martin IV. Aside from Hawk and perhaps Jennings, however, these guys represent the future and will mostly see bench this year.

And then there's Favre. After messing around with Green Bay Packers media, fans and front office for a few winter months, Favre announced he'd be returning to the field for the '06 season. He promptly threw five interceptions in his first practice session. As with past success, with Favre lies the reasons for the team's dismal 4-12 in 2005 and what may be a Titanic-like 2006. Favre has reportedly refused to assist in tutoring heir apparent Aaron Rodgers and is slow to learn McCarthy's particular West Coast Offense. To honest observers, it is clear that the future Hall of Famer has been playing on borrowed time for about two seasons, and McCarthy's blind eye to Favre's recent inconsistency spells doom for this Green Bay Packers team. With all due respect to a legend, the biggest question facing the Green Bay Packers in 2006 might well be when to sit Favre down in favor of youngsters Rodgers and Martin. Folks, the emperor wears no clothes. Prediction: 3-13.

If you can't make heads or tails of the 2006 Minnesota Vikings' potential, you're not alone. After last year's bizarre "Love Boat" scandal, miffed owner Zygi Wilf changed everything from head coach, QB and practice facility on down. Gone are Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. In are Brad Johnson, coach Brad Childress and defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin. Halfback Chester Taylor is new to the Minnesota Vikings and has been named the starter here after three seasons of decent, if not spectacular, play for the Baltimore Ravens. DeQuincy Scott is a new Viking and will start on the defensive line.

All in all, though, this Minnesota Vikings squad looks like a fair-to-middling drafted team in Madden NFL football and will experience new dimensions of that sports phenomenon known as "gelling." At least they get to play the Green Bay Packers twice. Prediction: 6-10.