NFL: 2024 NFC North Preview

We move to the home of my favorite team in the NFC North. It should be another hotly contested race for the division crown.

NFC North Preview

Green Bay Packers

• Coaching Staff: HC Matt LaFleur returns, and actually showed his mettle last year as a coach. Without Aaron Rodgers and a slow start with Jordan Love, no team was hotter in the NFL by the end of the year. Plus, they had the 49ers on the ropes in the Divisional Round. OC Adam Stenavich returns to call the LaFleur offense with more continuity for Love. On D, DC Jeff Hafley steps in with the departure of Joe Barry and comes from Boston College with NFL experience in various stops – not sure his philosophy. Regardless, Hafley inherits a good roster that underperformed mostly under Barry.
• Key Departures: RBs Aaron Jones (to MIN), OG Jon Runyan (to NYG), and LB De’Vondre Campbell (to SF)
• Key Additions: In the Draft, the Pack added youth in OT Jordan Morgan (1st Rd, Arizona), S Javon Bullard (2nd Rd, Georgia), LB Edgerrin Cooper (2nd Rd, Texas A&M), LB Ty’Ron Hopper (3rd Rd, Missouri), RB MarShawn Lloyd (3rd Rd, USC) S Evan Williams (4th Rd, Oregon), S Kitan Oladapo (5th Rd, Oregon State), and C Jacob Monk (5th Rd, Duke). In Free Agency, they signed some frontline talent in S Xavier McKinney (from NYG), and RB Josh Jacobs (from LVR).
• Team Outlook: Look, I hate the Pack, but it is hard to deny what this team is doing. QB Jordan Love signed a new deal after this big close last year with a young receiving corps that can do damage. The GM has gotten younger and deeper with the Draft and key signings in Jacobs and McKinney. I think they are the team to beat now. The only concern is the back up QB – Sean Clifford, Michael Pratt and Jacob Eason do not strike fear in opponents.
• Prediction: 13-4 – NFC North Winner

Detroit Lions

• Coaching Staff: HC Dan Campbell had a career year. I still disagree with the passing on FGs in the NFC Title Game, but his team was right there. OC Ben Johnson is one of the top OCs in the NFL with plenty of versatility. DC Aaron Glenn returns, but is the weak link on the staff. His D crumbed in the 2nd half, and they will need to improve to get to the Super Bowl.
• Key Departures: OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai (to ), CB Will Harris (to ), S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (to ), OG Jonah Jackson (to )
• Key Additions: In the Draft, the Pride added a couple of players: CB Terrion Arnold (1st Rd, ) and LT Giovanni Manu (4th Rd, ). The Lions made more of an impact in Free Agency with CB Carlton Davis (via trade with TB), OG Kevin Zeitler (from BAL), LB Marcus Davenport (from MIN), and DT DJ Reader (from CIN),
• Team Outlook: The Lions will be good again, but the lack of draft capital will haunt them if injuries hit. I like the Offense again with Goff, the RBs and solid WR corps, but the off the field stuff with Jameson Williams has to be in his past. Early reports are super positive with him, which can mean an even more dynamic attack. The D was upgraded, but can it hold up against GB and other top Offenses? That’s the question.
• Prediction: 11-6 – Wild Card team, but a step back from 2023

Chicago Bears

• Coaching Staff: HC Matt Eberflus returns saving his job with a late season surge in 2023, and he gets 2 new coordinators. We will see if that was the right move, as OC Shane Waldron steps in as OC after being the SEA OC for 3 years. That should help things with the completely revamped Offense. On D, DC Eric Washington is tapped as DC from the BUF staff. If he is a McDermott disciple, then he will do a 2 deep, blitzing scheme. The D wasn’t the issue in 2023.
• Key Departures: C Cody Whitehair (to LVR), S Eddie Jackson (to BAL), WR Darnell Mooney (to ATL), RB D’Onte Foreman (to CLE), DE Yannick Ngakoue (not signed yet), and DE Rasheem Green (not signed yet).
• Key Additions: The Bears Draft was top heavy, but big – #1 Overall Pick – QB Caleb Williams (USC) gets anointed the starter and gets WR Rome Odunze (1st Rd, WAS). Major moves in Free Agency include: RB D’Andre Swift (from PHI), WR Keenan Allen (via trade from LAC), OT Ryan Bates (via trade from BUF), TE Gerald Everett (from LAC), S Kevin Byard (from PHI), and CB Jonathan Owens (from GB).
• Team Outlook: The Bears went all in on Williams with a complete offense around him. The WR corps is hard to argue with now with DJ Moore (recently extended), Allen and Odunze plus Kmet and Everett at TE. RB Swift will take some pressure off. On paper, the Bears should be really good, and I do see improvement, but I do not think they overtake DET or GB. They will be close, but just outside the playoffs.
• Prediction: 9-8 – Just miss the playoffs, as 10-7 will be needed to make the 2nd season.

Minnesota Vikings

• Coaching Staff: HC Kevin O’Connell is back, and he will need to do his best coaching job yet. OC is Wes Phillips is back, too, but with 2 unproven QBs to deal with. DC Brian Flores was incredible last year with a sub-par roster.
• Key Departures: QB Kirk Cousins (to ATL) will hurt, DE Danielle Hunter (to ), RB Cam Akers (to ), LB Marcus Davenport (to DET), LB Anthony Barr (to ), LB Jordan Hicks (to ), OG Dalton Risner (to )
• Key Additions: In the Draft, QB JJ McCarthy (1st Rd, Michigan) becomes the heir apparent and a shot to start, LB Dallas Turner (1st Rd, Alabama), OT Walter Rouse (6th Rd, Oklahoma), and DT Levi Drake Rodriguez (7th Rd, Texas A&M-Commerce). MIN Free Agency picked up RB Aaron Jones (from GB), LB Jonathan Greenard (from HOU), LB Andrew Van Ginkel (from MIA), LB Blake Cashman (from HOU), QB Sam Darnold (from SF), and CB Shaq Griffin (from CAR).
• Team Outlook: The Vikings are in for a rough year. Yes, they have top targets for either Darnold or McCarthy – WRs Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison – TE TJ Hockenson starts on the PUP, though. Aaron Jones should help, but I think they will struggle out of the gates. Flores can do a lot with a little, but the Vikings D has the worst personnel in the division.
• Prediction: 3-14 – again, I’m pretty polarizing with bad teams – they will probably win 5 to 6, but no chance they make the playoffs.

Alright, we are halfway there. We move to the South divisions next week.

Wegs