The Detroit Lions pounced on the power vacuum left in the NFC North by four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ departure from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets in 2023 and roared their way to a 12-5 record and a division title, their first since the 1993 season when it was the NFC Central, not the NFC North.
However, the Packers appeared to have found the quarterback they were hoping for in Jordan Love after he threw 18 touchdowns to only one interception in the final seven games of the regular season, which allowed Green Bay to sneak into the postseason as the NFC’s No. 7 seed. Once in, they demolished the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys 48-32 in the NFC wild-card round, a game in which they led 27-0. Love finished the regular season with 32 touchdowns passes, the second-most in the entire NFL behind only Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s 36. The Packers are hoping to lock Love into a long-term extension prior to training camp.
The Chicago Bears appear to have bright future and a dynamic offense after drafting 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams first overall out of USC and taking college football’s 2023 receiving yards leader, Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze, ninth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft on top of trading a fourth-round pick to acquire six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers. Those new acquisitions join incumbent wideout DJ Moore, whose 1,364 receiving yards in 2023 were the sixth-most in the entire NFL.
The Minnesota Vikings also boast one of the best offensive ecosystems in the NFL with 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Justin Jefferson, 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison, two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson, Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones and coach Kevin O’Connell in place to support whichever quarterback they start between Sam Darnold and 2024 10th overall pick J.J….
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfc-north-race-how-lions-packers-vikings-or-bears-can-capture-the-division-crown/
Author : Garrett Podell
Publish date : 2024-07-02 12:28:27
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