NFC North Early Predictcions 

With the reinstatement of Adrian Peterson, a new head coach in Chicago and the loss of Ndamnukong Suh, the NFC North has been causing waves throughout the NFL offseason. Let’s see where each team may stand at the end of the season: 

The Packers haven’t been to the Super Bowl in a few years, but in my opinion, they are the best team in the NFC. Aaron Rodgers is playing at a dominating level, and the receiving core of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb may be the best in the NFL. The Packers truly have run the NFC North in recent years, and I don’t expect anything differently in 2015. 

With the loss of Ndamnukong Suh, the defense will defiantly pay the price when it comes to giving the opposing quarterback an extra second to throw the ball. Detorit still has arguably the best receiver on the squad, Calvin Johnson, as well as a guy who can easily be seen as underrated this season, Golden Tate. Matthew Stafford would have to keep his cool in order to lead his team above 8-8 this year. Will they be a wild card team? It’s entirely possible. 

This is actually a bold prediction. The Vikings are getting Adrian Peterson, who is easily seen as a top 5 running back in the NFL for 2015. With Peterson healthy, the Vikings could themselves in the NFC playoff hunt. The pressure would be taken off of Teddy Bridgewater’s back, and there is no doubt that the additions the team has made in the offseason could pay off in the long run. 

I feel as though the NFC North will be especially hard on the Bears this season. With the loss of Brandon Marshall, look for Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White to step up with Jay Cutler under center. John Fox as the new head coach could be a blessing or a curse, but I don’t think it’s enough to turn the Bears’ luck around. The only player I can truly rely on for the Bears is Matt Forte. Unless the Bears can hand the ball off in the way that the Cowboys did with DeMarco Murray in 2014, I don’t see the Bears even as a wild card spot this upcoming season.