Here is how it will play out....
4. Detroit Lions (Bodog Over/Under 6.5)
Under. I know, I know Jon Kitna..you are going to win 10 games this year...well I am going to respectfully disagree. This franchise has not had a winning season since 2000 and even though they came close last year, 2008 will not be the year. After getting out to a 6-2 start last season they dropped 7 of their final 8 games and that led to the firing of offensive coordinator Mike Martz. With Martz gone , this offense will have a very different look in 2008; but different doesn't necessarily mean better.Jon Kitna will lead the Lions offensive attack in 2008, but the real strength of the team is at the Wide Receiver position. Roy Williams is entering his 5th year in the league and when healthy he is one of the better options at his position. The story this season though will not be number 11, but instead 2nd year player Calvin Johnson. For some reason this tremendous talent did not start every game in 07 and still managed to catch 48 balls for almost 800 yards. He is poised to have a breakout season in 2008 and along with Williams and Mike Furrey, make up a very good group of Wide Receivers.
Even with the dangerous players at WR, the Lions will still face major problems with the running game, which they are stressing is their focus in 08. Their 2007 rushing leader Kevin Jones is gone and the backfield is littered with mediocre backs such as Tatum Bell, Aveion Cason and Artose Pinner looking to win a starting job. Look for Bell to win the job, but rookie Kevin Smith to take it mid-season, as he has every down back potential.
On defense there is very little to talk about. Last season they gave up the most yards per game as well as points and were near the bottom in takeaways. There is not much talent on this side of the ball and will be a major concern all year for coach Marinelli.
The Lions will try to couple a running attack with a very dangerous passing game in 2008. This is going to be a very tough task considering how bad the defense is and how many games they will play from behind. Look for another stinker in Detroit this Winter.
Prediction: 4-12
3. Chicago Bears (Bodog Over/Under 8)
Under. Coach Lovie Smith enters his 5th year as Bears head coach with aspirations of getting back to the 13-3 ways of 2006 when they went all the way to the Super Bowl. It seems however that coach Smith is still looking for an answer to a problem that he had that season...Who is going to play QB for the Bears? I know recently it was announced by the Bears that Kyle Orton would start the season at the helm, but does that make anyone feel better? I do believe he is the right choice of Grossman, but that still does not mean they will get quality play from the position. Why this team did not attempt to address the QB position in the draft or by free agency boggles my mind.The rest of the offense is as much of a question mark as the QB position. The Bears lost their biggest weapon in Bernard Berrian to the Vikings and this left a glaring hole. Marty Booker was brought back, but don't look for anything close to the numbers he put up during his first stint in Chicago. On the other side the Bears will try to utilize the speed they have with special team players Rashied Davis and Devin Hester. On the ground they will look for production from rookie back Matt Forte. Forte will likely lose some carries to Kevin Jones (currently recovering from injury) and the other Adrian Peterson. No matter who gets the bulk of the carries, it will be tough to run the ball with as bad of a passing game as they have. This offense will be bad again in 2008.
Defensively this used to be one of the best units in the game. Last season they took a h
uge step back finishing 28th in the league in total defense giving up over 350 yards per game. Of course there is still a lot of talent with this group. Middle Linebacker Brian Urlacher is the heart of the unit, but is on the other side of 30 and was slowed by injuries last season. Tommie Harris is one of the better DTs in the game and help Adewale Ogunleye get pressure on the Quarterback. In the secondary, safety Mike Brown is a big time play maker who needs to stay healthy. Brown has missed most of the last 4 season with major injuries and will look to bounce back. If he can avoid the IR, Brown is a very good DB and will be the key to the secondary.If they want to win games in 2008, the Bears have to hope that Kyle Orton is the answer and the Defense returns to their 06 ways. While I think the Defense will bounce back from a bad 2007, Orton is not the answer and the rest of the offense is bad as well.
Prediction: 6-10
2. Green Bay Packers (Bodog Over/Under 8)
Push. We all know the story that surrounds the Packers heading into 2008. The question is how will Aaron Rodgers react to all the Brett Favre hoopla? All the pressure in the world will be put on the 24 year old who has attempted just 59 passes in his career. Letting a QB sit on the bench for a few years out of school is the key to making him a smart player, and that is just what Rodgers did. Of course it is silly to expect him to be Brett Favre in his first full season and lead the Pack back to the NFC title game.What will help Aaron in 2008 is how much talent the offense he is taking over has. At the WR position, Green Bay has a nice 1 2 with Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Driver is a veteran who has been over 1000 yards the last 4 seasons and Jennings is a young talent who caught 12 TDs in his first year as a starter. Donald Lee emerged last season as a nice target catching 6 TDs and 575 yards. In the backfield Ryan Grant had a monster 2nd half and was a big reason for the Packers success in 2007. The only question is weather or not Grant can keep up that pace over the course of 16 games. Behind Grant there is some nice depth with guys like Brandon Jackson and Deshawn Wynn, and they will look to share some of the load with Grant.
On Defense there is a lot of talented players who should make up a very strong unit in 2008. The core of the group is at the LB position with AJ Hawk and Nick Barnett. These guys roam the middle of the field and make tons of plays for the Pack. Hawk and Barnett, along with a lot of size up front will make this a difficult team to run on in 2008. In the passing game corners Charles Woodson and Al Harris are veteran guys who have a nose for the ball. They will be aided by two very good defensive ends in Aaron Kampman and KGB. This will be a strong defensive team in 08.
A strong defense and a good amount of weapons usually is a winning combination. The problem with the Packers will come with at the Quarterback position. I am not saying Rodgers will be bad, but he definitely will experience some growing pains as he adjusts to the starting job.
Prediction: 8-8
1. Minnesota Vikings (Bodog Over/Under 8.5)
Over. The Vikings appear to be everyones pick for surprise team in 2008, so I guess that really does not make them a surprise anymore. Without the ability to sneak up the league, the Vikings are going to have to rely on their talent....and boy do they have a lot of it. Like their NFC North counterparts however, the Vikings have question marks at the most important position...Quarterback. Coming into the 2008 season Brad Childress choose to go with the inexperience Tarvaris Jackson. Many considered Jackson to be a major weakness to the team and the only roadblock from a deep playoff run. While Tarvaris' numbers may show that is the case, I actually think he has what it takes to lead this team. I am not saying that Jackson will throw for 4,000 yards and 30 TDs or even run for 1,000, but this kid is a raw talent. Jackson should make significant improvements do well enough to manage the game and win a lot of them.Of course none of that matters if Jackson's knee is more seriously injured than the Vikings think, but I will assume he starts the season.
A big reason why I believe Jackson can be good enough is the backfield. Of course the star for Minnesota is second year player Adrian Peterson. Peterson tore through the NFL last se
ason going for over 100 yards 6 times and two of the times over 200. Purple Jesus is entering just his second year, and it is scary to imagine he will actually get better. Peterson is not alone in the backfield either. He is backed up by Chester Taylor, the man he took the starting job from last season. Taylor could be an every down back himself and he and Peterson might be the best 1 2 punch in the NFL. Guard Steve Hutchinson is the best run blocker in the game and will be a big reason why this running game will be so consistent. It is no coincidence that Shaun Alexander began to go downhill once Steve left the Seahawks.On the other side of the ball this team has a dominant front 7. Clogging up the middle of the offensive line are two 300lb plus Williams. Behind them at the linebacker position are names you may never heard of, but are some of the best at stopping the run in the game. E.J Henderson and Chad Greenway both were over 100 tackles last season and are a big reason why the Vikings had the #1 ranked run defense. Going along with that #1 run defense, the Vikings were ranked #32 against the pass. While that may have been a product of teams not wanting to run on them, Minnesota felt they needed to help the pass rush and brought in last years sack leader Jared Allen from the Chiefs. The secondary has some holes, but Darren Sharper loves to go after the ball from the safety spot and is one of the better players at his position. Look for this Defense to be one of the best in the game in 2008.
With their two headed running attack and a very good Defense, the Viking will be a team to look out for in 2008. If Tarvaris Jackson manages the game this team will win the division, and if he takes a few strides forward, they will go deep into the playoffs.
Prediction: 10-6
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