Stacking Up the NFC North

[Pokerbrat2000]

Well then convert bud!

I think he has been on the Purple koolaid too long....he's beyond our help now!

 

[swhitset]

nice rankings that i pretty much agree with. it all boils down to the Packers fighting for second in the division and a wild-card spot...9-7 (maybe 10-6).

I think you are underestimating how big of a difference that QB position may make.

 

[Dantés]

Well, according to you, Cook is running behind the worst O-line in the Division, Jones the best. Believe me, the O-line makes a difference.

There you go. That’s a good/fair point. I would counter that that Packers are the best for their pass pro, not their run blocking prowess and the Vikings are ranked last for the same reason. Also, Jones ran behind an OL that, while better at its best, was all kinds of banged up. He also had to play with Hundley quite a bit, which meant that the passing game drew little attention/respect from the defense.

 

[Dantés]

I think he has been on the Purple koolaid too long....he's beyond our help now!

Not so. We just need to let him slip in all quiet like so none of his tough Viking buddies notice. Give him time to get used to the water. Once he sees what it’s like, he’ll be like “SKLOL... I’m out.”

 

[gbgary]

Yeah remember Rodgers. You can't just look at who is better at each position because QB is so much more valuable. What was this teams record when he played last year? Do you think they are worse in talent around him this year?

worse? no. a quality guy opposite adams would sure help though. team wide, until the draft, i'd say over-all nothing had really changed. FA was a wash (gained vs lost) so no improvement there imo. the draft however could account for another win or two. i went from 8-8 to maybe 10-6. the o and the d both have learning curve to get over, a tough schedule in the middle of the season with lots of travel, and an all-outdoor/cold-weather december to deal with. we have the best qb but min and det are no slouches in that dept. it's a team game and as usual our d will be will decide how it goes. bottom third of the league d teams won't go far even if they have a great o, but it would be cool if they could get to 12-16 or better but i'm not holding my breath.

 

[bigbubbatd]

worse? no. a quality guy opposite adams would sure help though. team wide, until the draft, i'd say over-all nothing had really changed. FA was a wash (gained vs lost) so no improvement there imo. the draft however could account for another win or two. i went from 8-8 to maybe 10-6. the o and the d both have learning curve to get over, a tough schedule in the middle of the season with lots of travel, and an all-outdoor/cold-weather december to deal with. we have the best qb but min and det are no slouches in that dept. it's a team game and as usual our d will be will decide how it goes. bottom third of the league d teams won't go far even if they have a great o, but it would be cool if they could get to 12-16 or better but i'm not holding my breath.

So if they are not worse how do they go from 7-9 to 8-8 when adding one of the best players in football at qb instead of Hundley. That alone should be worth a couple wins and then the heart another win or two.

On defense their line is better. Corners are better. Coaching is better. Only drop off could be at safety. On offense they lose Jordy but gain Graham. Graham, Adams, Cobb and a running game with Rodgers should win some games.

 

[ExpatPacker]

Then is it also too early to evaluate Cook's?

Actually, I think that we'll need to see how Cook comes back from his injury. I want to agree with you about Aaron Jones fully. He looked real good last year when he played and I'm hoping he will progress this year to become the Packers' #1 back, followed by Jamaal Williams, who also looked good. If they both progress the Packers are in very good shape at RB.

I just don't know about Montgomery.

 

[ExpatPacker]

nice rankings that i pretty much agree with. it all boils down to the Packers fighting for second in the division and a wild-card spot...9-7 (maybe 10-6).

Nice write-up by Dantes. I find little to disagree with. Vikings are the class of the division again this year. Packers are improved but they have a lot of rookies who will need plenty of playing time -- Alexander, Jackson, Burks. Gutekunst seems to have a 2-year rebuild project in mind. 10-6 is within reach, 9-7 and they may miss the playoffs.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Then is it also too early to evaluate Cook's?

It's definitely too early to fairly evaluate Cook as well.

nice rankings that i pretty much agree with. it all boils down to the Packers fighting for second in the division and a wild-card spot...9-7 (maybe 10-6).

I fully expect the Packers to win more than 10 games as long as Rodgers stays healthy all season long.

The Packers are at best, average when it comes to run blocking, and I'm being pretty generous tbh.

I would counter that that Packers are the best for their pass pro, not their run blocking prowess and the Vikings are ranked last for the same reason.

It may be surprising but the Packers ranked fifth in the league in average yards before contact per rushing attempt last season while the Vikings finished in 20th.

Vikings are the class of the division again this year. Packers are improved but they have a lot of rookies who will need plenty of playing time -- Alexander, Jackson, Burks. Gutekunst seems to have a 2-year rebuild project in mind. 10-6 is within reach, 9-7 and they may miss the playoffs.

I definitely believe the Packers will be able to challenge the Vikings for the division crown.

 

[gbgary]

So if they are not worse how do they go from 7-9 to 8-8 when adding one of the best players in football at qb instead of Hundley. That alone should be worth a couple wins and then the heart another win or two.

On defense their line is better. Corners are better. Coaching is better. Only drop off could be at safety. On offense they lose Jordy but gain Graham. Graham, Adams, Cobb and a running game with Rodgers should win some games.

i don't think i'm being unreasonable.
the competition is be better, the schedule is tougher, and the o and d are both running new schemes so there'll be a learning curve. the d is full of question marks. defensively the middle of the field is probably weaker except for the d line. can williams experience/smarts make up for his 35 year old body? will the more physically gifted rookie cb's get on the field, and if they do how will they do? Rodgers is back but without his favorite wr. how strong is that right shoulder? graham will probably be graham but what about the hole opposite adams? cobb will be Rodgers' security blanket as usual. the o-line is pretty much unchanged to this point and the right side is in flux.
i said 10-6 was probably the result. that's 2 wins more than my pre-draft guess. a wildcard spot in the playoffs is realistic.

 

[sschind]

Cornerback: On February 21, 1809 Abraham Lincoln, our eventual 16th president and the man who preserved the union, was born in Hodgensville, Kentucky. Terence Newman was six.

That was completely unexpected ... and funny

 

[ExpatPacker]

I definitely believe the Packers will be able to challenge the Vikings for the division crown.

I tend to to agree with you. As long as Rodgers comes back and plays as well as he has been. I'm assuming the Packers will be better next year, but I will say that I do not think the Packers are poised to be Super Bowl contenders. We need to see how things shake out with the rookies -- Alexander, Jackson and Burks especially -- and whether any of them are capable of assuming a starting role and playing well. I also want to see what happens with the running game -- is Aaron Jones really that good, and can he and Jamaal Williams be a good one-two punch?

I'm hopeful that with Mo Wilkerson on board the pass rush will improve somewhat.

All these things tell me NFC north crown contender but not quite SB contender.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I tend to to agree with you. As long as Rodgers comes back and plays as well as he has been. I'm assuming the Packers will be better next year, but I will say that I do not think the Packers are poised to be Super Bowl contenders. We need to see how things shake out with the rookies -- Alexander, Jackson and Burks especially -- and whether any of them are capable of assuming a starting role and playing well. I also want to see what happens with the running game -- is Aaron Jones really that good, and can he and Jamaal Williams be a good one-two punch?

I'm hopeful that with Mo Wilkerson on board the pass rush will improve somewhat.

All these things tell me NFC north crown contender but not quite SB contender.

I agree that the Packers need several rookies to perform at a decent level to be considered a Super Bowl contender. While you're definitely right about the cornerbacks having to step up I think it's more important that one of the wide receivers develops into a reliable target for Rodgers than Burks having an impact.