NFC North Soccer Preview 2005
SUMMARY: NFC North
Look for a changing of the guard in the NFC North in 2005 as I look forward to seeing the Green Bay Packers pass the torch to the Vikings and finish under the .500 mark, Pack QB Brett Favre has gone 14 of his 15 seasons in the NFL in Green Bay and has had a Hall of Fame career that includes the honor of being the only three-time NFL MVP, Favre also has the distinction of being the “Iron Man” of the NFL with from his initial 225 consecutive games.
However, Favre will turn 36 on October 10 and his offensive line is significantly weaker with key losses to starting offensive guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle, and those losses are in addition to losses to starter S Darren Sharper and the little players S Michael Hawthorne. and S Bhawoh Jue, who provided depth in an already weak defensive secondary.
Aside from snagging Favre’s replacement at QB Aaron Rogers with his first-draft pick, the Packers had a very average draft, which isn’t a good thing considering they didn’t really pick anyone of importance in free agency, Green. Bay opened their 2004 campaign with a 1-4 straight and ATS record that includes losing their first three home games to the Bears, Giants and Titans, which is not a good sign considering these three teams finished 2004 with a combined record of 16-32 upwards.
The Vikings appear to be the heirs to the NFC North throne, as the ouster of WR Randy Moss, which was nothing more than a distraction along with the best draft of any team in the division, and a good crop of free agents could turn these Vikings into a team. Serious contender for the NFC overall crown when the smoke clears.
However, with that said, the real question is whether the Vikings can overcome the distraction of the team being sold, as well as the silly playing time decisions and mismanagement of the clock by HC Mike Tice, who, if you recall, was arrested. for reselling Super Bowl tickets.
Detroit plans to give the Vikings a battle for the crown as long as they can stay healthy, HC Leon Steve Mariucci is in his third year with the organization and needs to advance this year if he wants GM Matt Millen to stay after 2005. Steve Mariucci was hired after the Lions finished in 2001 and 2002 with a combined record of 5-27 outright and 15-16-1 ATS.
In Mariucci’s two seasons with the Lions, they’ve gone 11-21 straight and 17-15 ATS, meaning that while there has been a slow improvement, the Lions drafted three Pac-10 players with their top three picks. by selecting WR Mike Williams out of USC. with his first pick, making this the third consecutive draft in which a WR was chosen with the Lions ‘first overall pick, with the Lions’ second pick, USC’s DT Shaun Cody and with their third pick they elected CB Stanley Wilson of Stanford.
The Lions got a potential steal in the fifth round with Connecticut quarterback Dan Orlovsky, Detroit was also very active in the free agent wars by picking up quarterback Jeff Garcia, who used to play for Mariucci in San Francisco and, therefore, he knows this offense very well. If quarterback Joey Harrington continues to underperform, expect to see a trade to Garcia. The additions of problem kid WR Kevin Johnson and TE Marcus Pollard will bring veteran leadership to the offense.
HC Lovie Smith and his Bears continue to be a work in progress as they will once again be at the rear in 2005, the Windy City faithful had high hopes for this team after a 13-4 straight and 11 season. -5-1 ATS in 2001, however in the three seasons since that 2001 break-up year, these Bears have set a lousy record of 16-32 outright and 20-28 ATS and the song will remain the same in 2005, since the Bears used their first pick in the draft. RB Cedric Benson.
It is very likely that Benson is a great running back, the problem lies in the fact that the Bears do not have an offensive line to block for the poor guy, Chicago’s terrible offensive line in 2004 was the main cause of the Bears seeing three quarterbacks, including Rex Grossman, were sidelined with injuries, his head shaking things to consider that this offensive line allowed a staggering 66 sacks that ultimately caused the Bears to end up with an overall offensive ranking of 32 in the league. .
In closing, I see the NFC North as a race between Vikings and Lions for first place with the Packers in third place and in the rear, if it weren’t for the bad training of the Vikings, I would expect to see them win this division comfortably. However, Viking HC Mike Tice will likely cost his team two close losses due to poor decisions when said and done.
The Vikings will likely be a crowd favorite for most of the season, so not much “Courage” will be found in backing them, instead they will look to play the Vikes when they settle as favorites on the road this season, already. who are 4-10 ATS in In this role for the past four years, the Vikings also tend to be highly overrated by the public when playing at home, as evidenced by Vikes 1-10 ATS record as a home favorite of over six points.
Look to jump on the Lion bandwagon this season when they set up like doggies on the road, Detroit posted a 3-5 straight line and 5-3 ATS mark in 2004, which is somewhat telling when you consider that they had lost 24 games. consecutive as visitors. Before 2004, if these Lions can stay healthy and QB Joey Harrington or Jeff Garcia have a decent season, these Lions will have an offense that will keep them in whatever game they play.