The NFC North is going to be a battlefield in 2024 — apologies to Pat Benatar. All four of the teams have significant areas of strength and it seems clear that the Detroit Lions have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations and the Green Bay Packers may be dark horses for the same kind of results.
The Chicago Bears are not in that category, but they are substantially stronger than they were either of the last two years. While training camp won’t begin until next month, the Bears will consider the season a failure if they don’t make the playoffs.
The Vikings are clearly going through a transition without last year’s starting quarterback and top defensive player – Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter – but they have a chance to surprise most observers because they have the best wide receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson.
Here are the greatest strengths of each of the NFC North teams, and the area that each must improve in to have fulfill their potential
The Lions have a brilliant and diverse offensive team. The Lions gambled three years ago when they brought in Jared Goff to take over the QB1 role, and it turned out to be a winning move. He had lost confidence in Los Angeles with the Rams, but few quarterbacks can match his efficiency. His teammates clearly believe in him, and the team’s two best offensive attributes include wide out Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back David Montgomery. The supporting cast includes tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
The Lions will score, but the defense hast to get better. They showed improvement last year as they went from the No. 32 defense to 19th, but they were just 27th against the pass. The Lions are dependent on Aidan Hutchinson (11.5 sacks) picking up where he left off last year when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks, but the team’s cornerback play must improve.
The Packers were laughed off at the start of last season and a lot of haters thought the team would fall apart with Jordan Love at quarterback instead of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. Love did not set the world on fire at the start of the season, but he did improve steadily as the season progressed.
By the time the money was on the table in the season’s final month, Love was on top of his game. His numbers were simply huge last year – 372 of 579 for 4,159 yards with 32 TDs and 11 interceptions – and he was even better in the postseason. One of the reasons Love was able to climb up the ladder was the blocking he received from his protectors.
The Packers return four of five starters on the offensive line, and right tackle Zach Tom is a star who allowed just two sacks while center Josh Myers had his best season.
The defense has to step up under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who replaces Joe Barry, The Packers are leaving their 3-4 setup behind and moving to a 4-3. They must improve against the run because they were far too generous in that area last year after ranking 28th in rushing yards allowed.
The Bears are counting on No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams turning into this year’s version of C.J. Stroud. They are giving the rookie quarterback a brilliant receiving trio that includes D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze.
If the offensive line performs adequately, Williams have an opportunity to give the Bears an offense that is capable of sustaining drives for all 17 games. That is something the Bears have lacked for decades.
However, the pressure on Williams will be monumental. If he starts the season with a couple of poor game against the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, experts and Bears fans will compare him with Carolina quarterback Bryce Young. That will not be a good thing for Chicago.
The Vikings are counting on Jefferson and Jordan Addison forming perhaps the best 1-2 punch at the wider receiver position in the league. If tight end T.J. Hockenson is healthy and head coach Kevin O’Connell can find a solid No. 3 receiver, the Vikings should have one of the most skilled offensive teams in the league.
The Vikings added Aaron Jones to solidify the running game, but head coach Kevin O’Connell is betting most of his chips on Sam Darnold doing a very good job until J.J. McCarthy is ready at the midseason mark to take over. That’s a wager O’Connell must win if the Vikings are going to have a respectable season.
The loss of Hunter will hurt because he had 16.5 sacks a year ago. The combination of first-round draft pick Dallas Turner and newcomers Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel must find a way to make up for that if the Vikings are going to have a top-10 defense.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is one of the best at his job in the league, and he has tools to work with. If he is successful with the Vikings defense, he should be fronting his own team in 2025.
