Kansas City Chiefs: 2016 NFL Preview And Predictions

NFC North

Chicago Bears: 6-10 in 2015 (4th in NFC North)

The Chicago Bears do not look good right now.  It’s actually kind of a mystery.  This team has talent, especially on offense.  The Bears should essentially be playing catch with Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White.  However, you never know which Jay Cutler is going to show up on Sundays.  Furthermore, even if you get goo Cutler, there is a 50/50 shot at which version of the Bears offensive line will show up.  That has spelled disaster for Chicago recently, and I don’t see it changing this year.  What I find really interesting here though is that this Bears squad does not seem to resemble the teams that Head Coach John Fox has had success with in the past.  There may be some disconnect between Fox and the front office, and that is not good.  The Bears need to establish an identity, and do it fast.  The bottom of the NFC north is a very tough place to climb out from.

Prediction: 4-12 (4th in NFC North)

Detroit Lions: 7-9 in 2015 (3rd in NFC North)

The Detroit Lions have been mired in mediocrity for about as long as I can remember.  Before that, they just flat out stunk.  Now Detroit is in danger of returning to the bad ol’ days.  The retirement of Calvin Johnson has left the Lions without an identity.  The team has made efforts to replace Johnson, but none of the options on the roster carry that kind of ability.  The run game has continued to struggle, but this year could change that with Ameer Abdullah taking over.  The defense isn’t overly impressive for Detroit, but it may be able to hold up this year.  To be honest, if it wasn’t for the fact the Bears look even worse, I would have the Lions finishing even lower than I currently see them.  This team needs to hit a home run (or three) in the offseason or risk returning to being the laughing stock of the NFL.

Prediction: 6-10 (3rd in NFC North)

Green Bay Packers: 10-6 in 2015 (2nd in NFC North)

The perennial NFC North favorite Green Bay Packers suffered a major setback in 2015.  The top target for Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, suffered a season ending injury early on.  Despite a lackluster receiving group, the Packers were still able to make a run at the playoffs.  That is just about all Aaron Rodgers, who just makes the players around him that much better.  With Nelson back this year, and a bit more stability to the wide receiver corps with him, Green Bay should return to the top of the NFC North and again be one of the more dangerous offenses in the NFL.

Prediction: 11-5 (1st in NFC North)

Minnesota Vikings: 11-5 in 2015 (1st in NFC North)

The Minnesota Vikings could have been contenders for the Super Bowl in 2016, but those chances took a huge blow when quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was lost for the year.  Now the Vikings are turning to Sam Bradford as their leader.  While the former #1 overall pick still has his share of supporters, the truth is that his hype has never matched his production.  It is almost a guarantee that Bradford will go down at some point in the season.  The fact that the Vikes gave up so much to get him is almost tragic.  However, the real shame here is that this team is good enough to put up a winning record even with Bradford at the helm.  Adrian Peterson is going to be carrying a heavy load this season, and the defense will be asked to hold opponents to a very low point total.  If this team falls behind in games, I don’t see the offensive firepower for them to regain leads.

Prediction: 9-7 (2nd in NFC North)

Next: NFC South