Packers 11-6
The Packers lost Devante Adams. Adams is just one piece though, and football is a team game, and on paper, this Packers roster looks like one of the best teams in the NFC. The defense looks like it may be one of the best in the entire league with a stellar defensive line, emerging pass-rushing talent Rashan Gary and under-the-radar contributor Kenny Clark leading a great front seven. The back half of the defense looks even better with Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas, potentially one of the best corner duos in the entire league. Then you have Aaron Rodgers the two time, back-to-back, defending NFL MVP as your starting QB. If anyone can survive without a star-wide receiver it’s Rodgers. Another 13-win season? Unlikely, but the Packers will be in the mix come January, they have demons to slay though. Anything aside from a Super Bowl berth at this point would be a disappointment considering the team’s recent playoff struggles. You cannot lose in the divisional round again this year and call that a success even if you do it without the All-pro Devante Adams.
Vikings 11-6
The Vikings, as written about in the biggest questions article, are at a crossroads. If you can’t win with Kirk Cousins, an offensive guru at head coach and a loaded roster, maybe it’s time to give up serious assets to acquire a new signal caller. This will be year five of the Kirk experiment, we have seen enough at this point. You can either be fine wasting away in the middle forever or you can make moves to change things up. All that said I see the Vikings as a playoff team this year, how far they go is up to Cousins.
Lions 6-11
The Lions are a year away but a fun team. By November Jameson Williams should be in the mix of a wide receiving core that looks downright fun. Jared Goff is Jared Goff, but he could provide some sparks and knock some division rivals off in November. The Lions are still searching for the QB, but the roster is getting there. The offensive line is solid, and the team hopes rookie Aidan Hutchinson will be able to elevate the pass rush. On the downside, the secondary looks shaky and this has to be a do-or-die season for Jeff Okudah who has not materialized into anything near what the team was hoping for when they drafted him. The record will ultimately show this is a team in transition still, but don’t be surprised when the Lions roll into 2023 with a new QB as one of the off-season hype teams.
Bears 3-14
The team is rebuilding, it is what it is, it would be nice if they could count on Justin Fields as the QB of the future but the front office made no such investment in him this off-season. Fields could be fine this year and make the Bears competitive, but it’s more likely he’ll be crushed behind one of the weakest offensive lines in the league and limited by the lack of talent around him. The Bears are playing for the future, Justin Fields was not Ryan Poles’ pick, it is clear he is not fully on board with the previous regime’s visions of the future. As an outside observer, I just hope Fields isn’t hurt this year or that his confidence isn’t damaged beyond repair, he deserves a real shot in a better situation. It is also sneaky time to start pointing fingers at Bears ownership, this has been consistently one of the most middling to bad franchises in the league for three different regimes at this point. Matt Eberflus has a lot to fix, starting with an abysmal culture.