In the past twenty-one years, the Green Bay Packers have owned the NFC divisional crown. In fact, the Packers have won 12 of 21 or nearly 57% of the divisional titles since the division’s inception. The results are not surprising given that it was a division dominated by Brett Favre succeeded by Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers legendarily screamed at the Chicago Bears fans ‘I still own you’. The truth is Aaron could have said that to the entire division, who will be rejoicing to see his departure. However, as we prepare for the 2023 season, it feels that this year the division will be up for grabs blessed with young talent ready to seize the moment. This article is the first in the series to preview each NFL division, look at the potential of each team, and project their likely records heading into the new season.
1. Detroit Lions- 11-6
The Motor City franchise has not won the division since 1993 and a playoff game since 1991. Ouch! The Lions were then led by Coach Wayne Fontes and driven to success by Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. Yes, that’s a long time ago. The franchise failed to put a winning product consistently on the field for nearly 30 years. However, this season, the Lions are primed to claim the division title and end this playoff drought. The team led by Dan Campbell showed they are going in the right direction after finishing 9-8 last season with an impressive win on the road to end their rivals, the Green Bay Packers season. The Lions enter the season brimming with confidence, an excellent defensive line, and elite offensive weapons including Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Jones Jr, and David Montgomery. I think this is Detroit’s year to end the drought.
2. Minnesota Vikings: 9-8
The Minnesota Vikings were a surprise Super Bowl contender last season after winning the division with a 13-4 record and claiming the number 3 spot in the playoff bracket. However, they were quickly bounced from the playoffs in the Wild Card round after losing 31-24 to the Giants on their home turf. It was a disappointing end to the season, but it was a microcosm of who this team was last season. In my opinion, the Vikings were like fools’ gold because 11 of the 13 regular season wins were within a touchdown or less. It means that they played well in tight football games, but also it suggested that they were vulnerable and beatable unit if their opponent had executed down the stretch. Therefore, I have the team taking a step backward with the departure of Dalvin Cook and a porous defense that forced them into winning high-scoring games. Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson are still one of the best tandems in the league, but I see the Vikings losing the division and dropping in the bubble wild card scenario.
3. Chicago Bears: 7-10
Justin Fields proved last season that he has the potential to become a top-tier quarterback soon in this league. In the 2023 season, the pressure will be on the young quarterback to prove he can take the next step and fulfill his potential. In the off-season, the Bears gave the former Ohio State alum some much-needed help by acquiring Wide Receiver DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers in the blockbuster trade of the number one pick. I think the Bears will improve on their 3-14 record by being a better outfit this season. Fields will start to blossom with better talent around him, but the defense is still in rebuilding mode. It will not mean a playoff birth, but things will look brighter this winter in the windy city.
4. Green Bay Packers: 5-12
All eyes will be on Jordan Love as he begins his first season as the starting quarterback for the legendary franchise. The roster is stacked with plenty of talent on the defensive side that will ease the pressure on the young quarterback. However, the success of the Packers will depend on the performance of Love. If Love can eliminate the mistakes and be a stabilizing force without being spectacular, then the Packers could be the surprise playoff team this season. However, there is another scenario that he fails to deliver, and the franchise is left reeling by looking in a different direction. My prediction is that he will have a tough start to the season, but he will show enough promise at the end that Green Bay may feel that they can build around Love.