You gotta love speculation when you’re just three games into
the season. Nevertheless, there are several things worth noting about the four
teams of the NFC North thus far.
The oft-titled “Black & Blue” division has already
established itself as one of the more intriguing division races in the NFL. So
let’s touch on the latest rumblings, jottings, thoughts and quips on the
North.
Three teams have
improved since last year
That being Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay.
While Minnesota got on the right foot against Detroit, the
Vikings certainly have not shown any improvement. With Sidney Rice sidelined
and Brett Favre struggling to tip the scales in favor of touchdowns rather than
interceptions once again, the Viking offense seems flat. Their defense,
however, looks as inflexible as last year – having not allowed more than 14
points in a game yet. As long as Favre can steer his offense close to 24 points
in a given game, the Vikings should stand in favorable odds.
The 2009 season for Minnesota was a special one by anyone’s
standards, so a drop-off in performance shouldn’t be seen as devastating. They
still remain, rightfully so, a postseason contender. The only problem is
there’s more competition within the division.
Right now, the gears of the Packers and Bears are turning
with less friction (although neither of them are perfect either) and the Lions
(the Lions!) are shedding their reputation of handing out free wins and
replacing it with one of being a nuisance. Far from a playoff contender, the
Lions aren’t 0-3 simply because they don’t have any of the big kids on their
team anymore.
They were vexed by a peculiar ruling against Chicago and
then made Philadelphia and Minnesota earn their victories. With Michael Vick
quarterbacking the Eagles, that makes three playoff contenders, by the way.
Week in and week out they’re far from postseason caliber, but I would deem them
to be a potential spoiler. They can certainly influence the division.
And did I just say that Minnesota and Chicago are playoff
contenders? Along with Green Bay, that makes three in the NFC North. The North
has only produced two playoff teams in one year twice since the divisions were
redrawn in 2002. In many of the year’s in between, the North had been
considered one of the league’s weakest.
But right now, the NFC West is the league’s worst division. I’m not buying
into Tampa Bay. Washington and New York most definitely cannot run with the
league’s best. Dallas though, however overrated, could still wrest a playoff
spot for themselves.
That leaves the North with a respectable chance at posting
three playoff teams. It’s a rare occurrence, but the North clearly has the best
chance at doing so in the NFC this season.
Aaron Rodgers, at the
moment, is the best QB in the division
Leading up to Monday’s confrontation between Rodgers and Jay
Cutler, some chatter developed as to which quarterback deserved the QB crown of
the Midwest. While most Packer fans might dismiss the question as farcical
before considering the question – it was actually quite legitimate. Cutler has
already changed teams and systems, and as a young quarterback, it’s hard to
adjust to such things (while Rodgers was able to sit and study for three years
prior to becoming Green Bay’s No. 1).
In entering that game, Cutler hosted the attention of the
league as he boasted football’s best passer rating – 102.2 – after having just
thrown 26 interceptions the year before. The question between Rodgers and
Cutler was worth asking.
But in the ensuing quarterback joust, Rodgers bested Cutler
both off and on the stat sheet. Rodgers completed just over 75 percent of his
passes while Cutler fell just below 60 percent. Rodgers had more yards and a
better passer rating.
What the stat sheet doesn’t see is what the Packers
gift-wrapped for him. Cutler had two interceptions that would have devastated
Chicago’s chances at winning but were nullified by Green Bay penalties. The
pseudo-interception by Nick Barnett would have prevented the game tying field
goal but was called back due to a helmet-to-helmet collision by Frank Zombo on
Cutler immediately after the pass was thrown. The second would have erased the
game-winning field goal. All pass interferences aside on that particular play,
Cutler tossed up an amateurish throw that jeopardized the game for Chicago.
Consider that alongside his pass directly to Packers safety
Sam Shields in the end zone (which was not called back), and there’s no
questioning that Rodgers was able to steady his hand more so than Cutler in the
first important game of either quarterback’s season.
The Packers need a
revelation at running back
There’s a difference between a passing offense and a
one-dimensional offense. While the Packers can pass the ball as well as anyone,
their running game is barely is alive. Brandon Jackson is far too nervous when
it comes to hitting the line with momentum. In watching Monday night’s game,
Jackson probably took twice as many footsteps with the ball as any other
running back would as he took the ball to run between the tackles.
Not including Ryan Grant’s production against Philadelphia
in the season opener in which he got injured, Green Bay is averaging a meager
3.8 yards per carry.
Late in the 4th quarter against the Bears, when the Packers
found themselves on the 7-yard line with a first down, the drive was stymied
by Jackson’s 1-yard gain on first down and a no-gainer on second (which came
after a 3-yard penalty on Chicago for roughing the passer). The Packers then
saw the ball slip through the hands of tight end Andrew Quarless in the end zone
and the subsequent field goal blocked.
A decent running game could have given the Packers six
points on that drive. You can rely on the pass if you want, but it can’t always
come through.
And as the season continues and the temperatures dip, a
running game is going to become more and more of a necessity in order to win.
Back in the 2007 season, the Packers faced the very same
situation: a high rolling passing game whose attitude was that they could
transcend dead weight in the running game, all in the face of Super Bowl hopes.
Fortunately, the Packers found their revelation that year in Ryan Grant and
once he worked his way into the starting lineup, the Packers scored over 30
points in seven of the final nine games and then 42 against Seattle in the
playoff game that was played in a snow globe.
Green Bay doesn’t necessarily have to go out and barter with
other teams for a new ball carrier. If they choose not to (which already seems
to be the case), then someone better light a firecracker behind Jackson.
Elliot is a junior planning on declaring a major soon. Any thoughts on the Bears-Packers game last night? Can the NFC North really send three teams to the playoffs? Email him at [email protected]
