Packers Biggest Threat in Defending NFC North Division Title

Not sure I worded the title right... But you guys get the point. Who do you think the Packers biggest threat in defending their division title will be this year? Since I like lists, I'll make mine into a list.

#3- Minnsesota Vikings- (4th place), 3-13 last year.
Don't think they'll be much improved next year if at all. Ponder will get more experience but beyond that I think it will be tough. We'll see how fast and how good AP comes back at who is always scary. Never understood Percy Harvin only playing half the snaps last year. He will get more this year by the looks of it. In the draft they got Kalil who will be a beast but as we've seen in Miami, Drafting OL early won't result in a change in record. (Jake Long) Not sold on Harrison Smith. Josh Robinson and Darius Wright are yet to be determined.

Threat- Mild
Predicted Record- 6-10

#2- Detroit Lions- (2nd place), 10-6 last year
Ahh. How an off-season can change things. Went from being the top threat to the Packers I thought and 7 arrests later, their not. Really reckless team with Suh's stomps, 7 arrests, Best's silly putty brain, oft injured Leshoure, old Kevin Smith and a bad secondary. As many bad things as I just named though they make up for it with the Matthew Stafford- Calvin Johnson duo. For some reason this team just can't seem to keep it together though. They had a good draft. They got Bryan Bulaga-- I mean Riley Rieff in the 1st and Ryan Broyles in the 2nd. I thought Ronnell Lewis in the 4th, If he stays healthy is a steal.

Threat- Medium
Predicted Record- 9-7

#1- Chicago Bears- (3rd place), 8-8 last year.
Da Bears...Would of gave Detroit a real run for their money last year had Cutler not been injured in my opinion. The additions of Marshall, Weems and Bush should help too. Marshall gives them a legit number one receiver they haven't had since... ever. Weems is a special teams star when he isn't fumbling like tonight and Bush should help where Forte (Now happy with a new restructured contract) struggles- goal line rushes. Neglected the O Line again this year for some reason?? Then promoted their O Line coach to Offensive Coordinator. Expect Cutler to get knocked around this year again too. Had an average draft. Stole Shea McClellin from the Packers in the 1st. And is putting him at DE, where he is tremendously undersized for and will be strictly a pass rush specialist this year. Got the huge WR Alshon Jeffery in the 2nd. He's a big target who will be hard to cover as long as he keeps his weight in check.

Threat- High
Predicted Record- 11-5



Long article. Thanks for reading. Interested to hear what you all think!

That's pretty close to my view.

It's a process of elimination. The Vikes are a mess, and they picked the wrong horse for QB. I'm not sure if Detroit is more undisciplined on offense, defense, in the coaching ranks, or off the field....Hey, why choose?

The Bears should be better...when you have both the worst O-Line and worst receiving corp in the league, there's nowhere to go but up. They've got some weapons now besides Forte which can't be anything but an improvement. They didn't ignore the O-Line entirely...with Carimi playing, it's like having drafted an OT in the first round this year. Cutler is underrated in these parts in my opinion; he's got some game. The question is whether their D can hold it together one more year. I agree about McClellin. I'm looking for 10-6 out of them.

Definitely agree, bears could be a 11-5, 12-4 team.

Detroit is a better team than the bears. Haven't seen anything tonight by the bears to change my mind. Secondary again not that good, and they will have a hard time going toe to toe offensively with Packers and lions.

I think the Lions could be a bigger threat than the Bears, largely due to Johnson/Stafford. There defense did improve some, even with the discipline issues, that doesn't take away from their talent. They are short on a running game with all their guys hurt except Kevin Smith, and their DB situation being a big question mark for them.

fettpett, Exactly. That's why I think the Lions are a bigger threat. The packers went 15-1 purely because of offense. If you want to knock off the packers, you have to outscore them. Bears can't. Lions can. Offense wins in today's NFL. Great defenses win championships. However, few teams have good defense, so if you can put a powerful offense on the field, you will win most of your regular season games. You may not go far in playoffs, but you will likely win 12 to 14 games a year with a great offense. Bear offense is good, not great. Lions offense on the verge of being great.

I think the Marshall/Cutler thing is being overhyped...they haven't played together in what? 5 years? they may have been good together once, but I doubt they will be this year (maybe next), where as Johnson/Stafford have been together for the last few years as have Rodgers/Jennings/Nelson and still have that chemistry.

At the start of last year the Lions were young, hungry, immensely talented and their ceiling was sky-high. It's all been downhill since. Not to say all is lost, they're still a dangerous team. But I feel they've missed their potential.

While DET was 6th. in the league in first downs, they were 20th. in third down conversions...their passing offense is unbalanced and undisciplined. 30th. in the league in penalties...undisciplined. Their O-Line is weak; their secondary is suspect; Kevin Smith is looking like their feature back.

This is not a fundamentally sound football team.

Maybe if I have a couple of shots and a doobie and then go punch out a teammate I might see it differently,

I still favor Lions over Bears but everyone I talk to seems to favor Bears over Lions. Then again I live around some Bears fans so that doesn't help.

As long as the Bears have Jay Cutler at the helm and a weak left tackle, the Lions definitely have the edge.

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I went with the lions. Mostly because of what the bears didn't do. They didn't address theweakest part of their team, and it just so happens that part of the team is protecting the most important part of their team. I agree with those who think cutler will get battered early and start chucking it at Marshall every play. It will work for some games and keep them competitive but I think in the long run he will throw a lot of picks and lead them to the 9-7 record and the lions just eeking above them at 10-6 or 11-5

If this happens they will be an incredible threat IMO.

I do feel that the Lions are a threat also, but the Bears just look on point so far. Jay Cutler looks like maybe he didn't actually smash his head in with a brick before this season started. Edwards seems to be his go-to man and doing a good job of it.

Someone mentioned the Lions going after MJD. I dunno if Detroit has that kind of bankroll, but IF they got him that would be REALLY scary. It would also make for one HELL of a division. The Packers with Rodgers/Jennings/Benson (Yes, I whole heartedly feel that Benson will be a premier back for us!) and the Bears with Cutler/Edwards/Forte, then the Lions with Stafford/Johnson/Jones-Drew. EEK!

I know it is only pre-season but I was getting real upset that the BEARS were looking better than us out there. Then Greg Jennings came back to play and we are looking like we should! Well...minus the interception by Terrance Newman. That did NOT look like a classic Rodgerian throw to me. Almost looked like he was trying to go back shoulder, but Newman sniffed it out. Perhaps I am just spoiled by the 2009 and 2011 seasons where he through a total of 13 picks between the two seasons. That being said, he threw 11 or 13 in 2010 and we won the Super Bowl.

Da Bears.....

still can't get over the fact they got Brandon Marshall for nothing. he is a huge threat at WR

Great pic of Reggie on top of Elway! I was at that game, a night game on TNT! Reggie got 2 or 3 sacks at the end of the game.

But the BEARS are, by far, our biggest threat and this from a guy who was scared of the Lions last year.

The Bears defense does a better job against Rodgers than anyone else does. Now they have a much improved offense.

Going with the Lions. Yeah da bears are going to be hungry for redemption after last season, but I just don't see an NFC Championship in their future. The lions are getting better, and are a real threat in our division and on the field! Waiting for them to be involved in some bounty gate scandal. Swear they recruit from the Federal Penal Arena Football League. The vikings? HA!!! The Vikings are professional choke artist, if they go undefeated this season I'll stop watching football and start living in a church preparing my soul.

Bears O line will be their thorn in the side this year. It is weak all the way down the line. Cutler/Marshall won't be as big of a threat combo as Stafford/Megatron or Arod/Nelson. Marshall is WAY overhyped.....if he is so damn good, why is this his 3rd team in a short career so far? He is locker room poison and overhype. fact.

Cutler has looked like complete doo-doo this preseason. He went 9 out of 21 passing for 96 yards in the 3rd game. Less than 50% passing and a low rating. He spent time getting chased around and getting frustrated. He was cursing out his recievers, and his O linemen, you could see that.

Lions are a WAY bigger threat. Their defense has some plain out nasty/mean/dirty players that will stop at nothing to injure Arod or any other top players. Suh has already said he "loves to hit Arod" and look at what he did to EDS. The lions will be a threat as long as stafford and megatron stay healthy.

Bears. Both have pass rush. Lions have a marginally better pasing attack, and a better o line. Bears have the better secondary and are more effective on the ground. Bears make bad calls, Lions make penalties. We can outscore the Gobots. What tips it towards the Bears is Special Teams play.

"I told you we drafted him out of Penn State!"

This might sounds dumb, but I think the bigger threat is the Bears because they are the BEARS. They always play the Packers close no matter what the circumstance. I think the long-standing rivalry with the Bears makes them a bigger threat. Plus they did improve quite a bit this offseason.

I just don't think the Lions have the composure to win the division honestly.

I think the bears might be nasty this year.

A dilemma. Lions shoot themselves in the foot. They have Schwartz and Suh doing stupid ****. Bears have Cutler and Lovie. Tossup.

Nothing else really matters. The Bears and Lions both have their own demons and most of our collective opinions are that they'll finish with roughly the same records. Therefore, the only equalizer is that Stafford to Megatron could decimate our defense in a close game. I don't see the Bears doing that