Predicted Order of Finish
1. Green Bay- only Aaron Rodgers knows how close Aaron Rodgers was to leaving the after 16 seasons in Green Bay, thankfully for Packers fans number 12 will don the green and gold for a least another year, not only is Rodgers back to run the offense he will be again be joined by RB Aaron Jones who has posted 2 consecutive 1,000 rushing seasons, superstar WR Davante Adams is coming off a 115 reception and 18 touchdown season and should once again put up eye popping numbers catching passes from Rodgers, TE Robert Tonyan is coming off a break-out season catching 11 touchdown passes, the O-Line has some questions after losing center Corey Linsey, LT David Bakhtiari is coming off a torn ACL and his status is still up in the air going into the season, the defense was solid but not dominant and gave up big plays in inopportune times, nose tackle Kenny Clark is the leader up front and hopes to avoid injuries that hampered his 2020 season, linebacker Za’Darius Smith led the team with 12.5 sacks last year, cornerback Jaire Alexander made his first Pro Bowl last year and the secondary added more depth drafting cornerback Eric Stokes in the first round, after back to back NFC Championship losses Rodgers returns for his 17th season with has his sights set on a second Super Bowl title
2. Minnesota- the Viking were a major disappointment in 2020 finishing 7-9 and missing the playoffs, the offense did its part finishing in the top half of the league in scoring behind QB Kirk Cousins who passed for 4,265 yards and 35 touchdowns and RB Dalvin Cook who rushed for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns, the unit should once again put up big numbers if the O-Line can hold its own, first round pick Christian Darrisaw must replace departed Riley Reiff at LT, the collapse of the defense under HC Mike Zimmer was a surprise however a slew of injuries played a major factor as the team was down to an undrafted rookie starting at linebacker, 4 time Pro Bowler Anthony Barr is back after missing 14 games, linebacker Eric Kendricks also returns after a stellar year was derailed by injury, defensive end Danielle Hunter is back to lead the pass rush after missing the entire 2020 season, the secondary signed 8 time Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson at cornerback, which his defense healed Zimmer won’t allow another sub-par season which should propel the Vikings back to the playoffs
3. Chicago- everyone knows it’s not if 1st round pick QB Justin Fields takes over as starter it’s when , after Mitchell Trubisky failed to develop into a franchise quarterback HC Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace have rolled the dice on Fields hoping he can settle in as a future star, regardless veteran Andy Dalton will begin the season as the starter, WR Allen Robinson II is the primary target after catching 102 passed for 1,250 yards a year ago, RB David Montgomery also returns after surpassing the 1,000 rushing mark in 2020, the O-Line struggled and will look for a boost from a second round pick Teven Jenkins, defensively the Bear were serviceable in 2020, the unit finished 13th in the league in scoring but ranked in the bottom half in sacks and interceptions, LB Khalil Mack isn’t the dominant player his was in 2018 but still led the team with 9 sacks a year ago, Mack will be joined once again by Roquan Smith who led the team in tackles last year, nose tackle Eddie Goldman returns on the line after opting out due to Covid-19 concerns, cornerback Jaylon Johnson put together and impressive rookie season and should be fully recovered after missing the final month of 2020 due to injury, Fields may be the future of the franchise but will need at least a year to develop
4. Detroit- HC Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn were shown the door after a 5-11 record in 2020, Brad Holmes takes over as GM and Dan Campbell takes over as coach, the offense will have a new look at QB in Jared Goff after Matthew Stafford asked for a trade in the offseason, the receiving corps lacks talent and playmakers after losing Kenny Golladay to free agency, tight end T.J. Hockenson will be a key figure once again after catching 67 passes and 6 touchdowns last year, the O-Line is littered with young talent including 1st round pick Penei Sewell and will look to create running lanes for second year RB D’Andre Swift who rushed for 521 yards and also caught 46 passes a year ago, the defense surprisingly never produced for Patricia and bottomed out last year setting franchise records for points and yards allowed, DE Romeo Okwara returns up front after registering 10 of the teams 24 sacks in 2020, the team also added depth by drafting two tackles in the second and third rounds, free agent Alex Anzalone was added along with 4th round pick Derrick Barnes to upgrade at linebacker, the beleaguered secondary was retooled with the signing of cornerback Quinton Dunbar and Corn Elder and will welcome back Jeff Okudah who missed half the season last year due to injury, Goff is a proven QB but 3rd place in the North appears to be the ceiling
Buy- Minnesota
Sell- None
Best Bet- Minnesota OVER total wins