NFC North division preview
2024 predicted order of finish, record
Detroit Lions (12-5)
Playmakers and power in the trenches take the offense to another level. If the young secondary holds up, competing for home-field advantage isn’t out of the question.
Green Bay Packers (12-5)
Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs drive a dynamic offense and Green Bay’s new-look defense might end up making even more noise.
Chicago Bears (9-8)
Everything is looking up in Chicago with Caleb Williams at the controls. Double-digit wins for the first time since 2018 is a bridge too far.
Minnesota Vikings (7-10)
Head coach Kevin O’Connell was dealt a rough hand with the Kirk Cousins exit and J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending knee surgery.
–NFC North MVP candidates
Lions QB Jared Goff
GM Brad Holmes hitched the franchise to Goff with a massive contract that spells out Detroit’s belief in the maligned quarterback in big, round numbers. Goff’s 2023 season bordered on special with 30 TD passes and 4,575 yards. An elite No. 1 receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown and a rising talent at tight end, Sam LaPorta, helps while the muscle up front and run-first mentality of head coach Dan Campbell promises balance to test any defensive scheme.
Packers QB Jordan Love
Send your apology letters to GM Brian Gutekunst at his Lambeau Field office if you were among those who labeled Love a bust in the first half of last season, when he was trending toward being good enough to lose close games. But Love isn’t the anti-Aaron Rodgers in performance after all. Instead, the evolving talent takes a next step in stride with an underrated cadre of wide receivers.
Packers RB Josh Jacobs
Two years removed from leading the NFL in rushing, Jacobs is the player the Packers want on the field after a timeshare approach in the backfield most of the 2023 season. A better receiver than most understand, the only roadblock to a massive season appears to be durability.
–NFC North breakout players
Bears RB-WR-RS Velus Jones Jr.
Nobody suggests he’ll take work from D’Andre Swift or DJ Moore. Taking advantage of Jones’ quickness and speed is the goal. He was used as a wide receiver, running back and returner in training camp. Don’t be surprised if he throws one, too.
Lions MLB Jack Campbell
Height, range and speed are the qualities Campbell combines to draw comparisons to some of the best modern-day versatile playmakers at the position.
Lions WR Jameson Williams
When the Lions jumped 20 spots in the 2022 draft to select Williams, the belief was he had No. 1 wide receiver potential. A speed threat with acrobatic athleticism, he’s had moments of brilliance as a downfield target. Teammates and coaches relayed a shared opinion from training camp that a more focused and mature Williams could be in for a huge season.
Packers TE Luke Musgrave
A lacerated kidney cost Musgrave six games as a rookie. He has size and speed to exploit the middle of the field and keep defenses honest as they crowd the line of scrimmage to contain Jacobs.
Packers FS Javon Bullard
The 58th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Bullard’s role in Green Bay’s new-look defense will be varied and bring ample chances to make a massive impact.
Vikings RB Ty Chandler
Aaron Jones signed as a free agent to start in Minnesota with Chandler knocking on the door for a defined role. At the outset of the season, that includes kick return duties. He’ll open eyes and dig into Jones’ hold on the every-down role if he stays healthy.
Vikings OLB Dallas Turner
A rookie with a veteran’s approach to the pass-rushing role, Turner should blossom under the tutelage of Brian Flores.
Week 1 outlook
Packers vs. Eagles, Friday, 8:15 p.m. ET (Brazil)
Playoff participants in January take the rare Friday Night Lights spotlight in Brazil. Hyper-active roster remodeling is nothing new for Howie Roseman and the Eagles, who’ll introduce Saquon Barkley at running back and hope the reconfigured back end of the defense — highlighted by first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell — stands tall behind a stronger pass rush. The Packers picked up their own elite RB, signing Josh Jacobs to complement Jordan Love.
Bears vs. Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
A planned grand unveiling of new franchise quarterback Caleb Williams and his array of receivers against first-year coach Brian Callahan of the Titans, who’d like nothing more than to shift the gathering into Will Levis’ coming-out party. A shootout isn’t out of the question but the Bears’ defense was dominant the final six games of the 2023 season and might be due more attention.
Lions vs. Rams, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
A rematch of the January divisional playoff reunion with Matt Stafford at Ford Field, Detroit will be bouncing for the primetime opener as the Lions launch their mission to repeat as the dominant predator in the NFC North and beyond. The Rams lost their top defensive player — DT Aaron Donald retired — but the Lions’ young secondary is in for a stiff test facing Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, who is over a knee injury that bogged down his August.
Vikings at Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Sam Darnold is back in his original home stadium. The No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft flatlined with the Jets, fell behind with the Panthers and rode the clipboard as Brock Purdy’s backup in San Francisco last season. Sunday, he’ll get the call as the QB1 in Week 1 for the first time since beating the Jets in Carolina to start the 2021 season. A main attraction is the pairing of LSU products Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Malik Nabers (Giants), top targets capable of putting on a show if their QBs cooperate.
–Field Level Media
