The Best Division in Football?

 

After the NFC North was mostly controlled by the Lions last season, it will look a lot different in 2024 as every team is ready to compete for its crown. So the question looms, is the NFC North the best division in the NFL? 

As of now, I'm going to say yes. Even though the Lions cruised to their first division title in over 30 years, this year will be an uphill climb. The Packers shocked some critics in the playoffs last year, the Bears might have had one of the best offseason's in football, and the Vikings are not far removed from working their way back to their last division title in 2022. 

First let's talk about the defending division champions, the Lions. Dan Campbell and the front office looked at this team and said let's evaluate our weaknesses and patch them up. So, they did. They ranked 27th in total passing defense last season and decided to revamp most of their secondary. They did this in the draft and free agency and are primed for a much needed boost this year. 

Other than that, the rest of the team was incredible last season. The offense was producing at great levels, week in and week out. The rushing defense was phenomenal and ranked second in the entire NFL. With all of their success, they were finally able to conquer what they hadn't done in 32 years: to win a playoff game. 

They advanced all the way to the NFC Championship and came so close to making a Super Bowl appearance after not having any success for the past three decades. Detroit will definitely be the frontrunner in the division, but they should not take these familiar foes lightly. 

Moving onto the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay was the youngest team in the NFL a year ago, yet they still won a playoff game and almost shocked the world by winning a second one. With their extremely young team, the number one thing the Packers needed to gain was experience and they sure did. 

The most important result that the Packers got last season was solidifying that they have yet another franchise quarterback on their hands. It didn't take very long since Aaron Rodgers' departure, but the Pack is in good hands with Jordan Love. That's why they just made him one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the National Football League. 

Like Detroit, the Packers went through some minor personnel changes. Their biggest move was replacing their longtime running back, Aaron Jones, with Josh Jacobs. Not many other drastic changes happened in upstate Wisconsin this offseason for the Pack. So after a solid 2023 with expectations of only improvement in 2024, the Packers will definitely give the Lions a run for their money for the division title. 

One of the busiest offseason's throughout football, the Bears certainly look upgraded to say the least. To put it in simple terms, the offense looks nothing like a year ago. Drafting Caleb Williams to take over the team at quarterback called for some new weapons to come into the Windy City. D'Andre Swift will now takeover the backfield, and Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze will now join DJ Moore in what looks like the best receivers room in the sport. 

The question that circled Chicago for months on end, is it time to move on from Justin Fields? And did they ever do so. Although his time in Chicago was short, the Bears knew that this was the time to pounce and upgrade this team. On paper they did an excellent job. The defense was a bright spot in 2023 after holding the number one defense against the rush. 

Some development and minor acquisitions on that end, I really like the direction this team is headed in. Chicago has been waiting on their franchise quarterback forever and it looks like they finally got one. I'm really excited to see how the Bears shape up this season. My bold prediction is that they sneak into the NFC Wild Card and prove that this offseason was no joke. 

Last but not least, the Minnesota Vikings. When you have Justin Jefferson on your team, it doesn't matter who is throwing the football, just get him the ball. The Vikings did receive some bad news after drafting JJ McCarthy as he will miss the entire season. After a QB carousel last season, the Vikings will rely on Sam Darnold in 2024. 

Suffering their fair share of injuries on both ends of the football, the Vikings look poised for an enhanced defense. New faces such as Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, Jonathan Greenard, and more were brought in to improve this defense after its middle of the pack finish a year ago. 

Despite all of the quarterback changes and injuries last season, it came down to the final week to determine whether the Vikings would be playoff bound or not. Minnesota looks like an upgraded team from just a season ago and could possibly be a team that can turn a lot of heads this season. 

This division is going to be an absolute rollercoaster this season. Although the Lions may be favored to avenge their title from last year, I honestly don't know if this will be true come January. The NFC North definitely looks like it could run away with being the best division in the National Football League in 2024.