Official 2025 NFC North Thread

[Ninotores]

No one wants to believe me and that's fine. Let it play out. But I said it before, the NFC North is going to be a hot garbage division this year.

The Bears are the Bears.
The Packers continue to have no Defense and Love is suspect regardless of new receivers, noodle arm needs to get his accuracy back and stop lobbing every pass.
The Lions coaching and players are nothing like the last two seasons and I think Goff is about to fall off as most do near his age.
And The Vikings are going to see JJ is all hype while Aaron Jones behind him ages and slows down.

[Siberian13]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

No one wants to believe me and that's fine. Let it play out. But I said it before, the NFC North is going to be a hot garbage division this year.

The Bears are the Bears.
The Packers continue to have no Defense and Love is suspect regardless of new receivers, noodle arm needs to get his accuracy back and stop lobbing every pass.
The Lions coaching and players are nothing like the last two seasons and I think Goff is about to fall off as most do near his age.
And The Vikings are going to see JJ is all hype while Aaron Jones behind him ages and slows down.

What’s your predicted records? I’ll go with this. I know, not very bold.

Lions 10-7
Packers 9-8
Bears 8-9
Vikings 8-9

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

No one wants to believe me and that's fine. Let it play out. But I said it before, the NFC North is going to be a hot garbage division this year.

The Bears are the Bears.
The Packers continue to have no Defense and Love is suspect regardless of new receivers, noodle arm needs to get his accuracy back and stop lobbing every pass.
The Lions coaching and players are nothing like the last two seasons and I think Goff is about to fall off as most do near his age.
And The Vikings are going to see JJ is all hype while Aaron Jones behind him ages and slows down.

What do you think each team's record is going to be?

I don't think the NFCN is going to start off 20-4 against non-NFCN opponents or whatever that insane stat was last year, especially since everyone plays the AFCN this year.

I am cautiously optimistic (10 wins?) about Da Bears, but their schedule is brutal. I wouldn't be surprised if they finished 4th with 7-8 wins.

[erock28]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

No one wants to believe me and that's fine. Let it play out. But I said it before, the NFC North is going to be a hot garbage division this year.

The Bears are the Bears.
The Packers continue to have no Defense and Love is suspect regardless of new receivers, noodle arm needs to get his accuracy back and stop lobbing every pass.
The Lions coaching and players are nothing like the last two seasons and I think Goff is about to fall off as most do near his age.
And The Vikings are going to see JJ is all hype while Aaron Jones behind him ages and slows down.

They won't win as many games in 2025, but hot garbage division? That's a bold take. They got fat in 2024 partially from playing the AFC South and AFC East as their out of conference games. Playing the AFC North in full and AFC West as the bonus game will not lead to a combined 16-4 record. But each of the four teams has teeth. Detroit will take a step back losing high end coaches and O-Line stars. But they get Hutch and the rest of what was a lights out defense back. Chicago took the coveted Detroit coaches and put some patches on the O-Line, potentially solving their two glaring shortcomings. Green Bay had a great draft IMO, and I think other than a second pass rusher, their D is set - especially if Jaire comes back. It will surprise people. The Vikes are probably the best coached on both sides of the ball, their season hinges on McCarthy. I'd have to think if Rodgers offered to play for $10 MM and they turned him down, Minnesota brass much be pretty sold on McCarthy being a top half of the league QB.

Personally I'd still rank all four teams in the top 20 in the league...possibly top half if Chicago's O-Line is fixed. I'd be stunned if it didn't play out that way.

[hairysasquatch]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

No one wants to believe me and that's fine. Let it play out. But I said it before, the NFC North is going to be a hot garbage division this year.

The Bears are the Bears.
The Packers continue to have no Defense and Love is suspect regardless of new receivers, noodle arm needs to get his accuracy back and stop lobbing every pass.
The Lions coaching and players are nothing like the last two seasons and I think Goff is about to fall off as most do near his age.
And The Vikings are going to see JJ is all hype while Aaron Jones behind him ages and slows down.

Another Bears fan projecting his self-loathing onto the rest of the division.

Yawn.

[Siberian13]

Let’s save the hot garbage title for the AFC and NFC South guys.

[packman80]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

No one wants to believe me and that's fine. Let it play out. But I said it before, the NFC North is going to be a hot garbage division this year.

The Bears are the Bears.
The Packers continue to have no Defense and Love is suspect regardless of new receivers, noodle arm needs to get his accuracy back and stop lobbing every pass.
The Lions coaching and players are nothing like the last two seasons and I think Goff is about to fall off as most do near his age.
And The Vikings are going to see JJ is all hype while Aaron Jones behind him ages and slows down.

I always laugh when you say Love has a noodle arm when he actually has a pretty strong arm.

Also the Packers D was top 10 last year so to say they have no defense. The DC they hired really improved things last year.

[Boo]

Originally Posted by Siberian13

Dang Lions oline falling apart. Didn’t see that coming.

Wait until you see the wins drop off this coming year.

[Grid]

Originally Posted by hairysasquatch

Another Bears fan projecting his self-loathing onto the rest of the division.

Yawn.

Incorrect. Ninotores has already stated his hatred for both the Bears and the city of Chicago. Really not sure why they post in here, but they made it clear they "loathe" the Bears numerous times already.

[Ninotores]

Originally Posted by hairysasquatch

Another Bears fan projecting his self-loathing onto the rest of the division.

Yawn.

Apparently, you have the memory of a gold fish. I can't stand the Bears and have gotten into it with Grid several times. But ok...

FYI I'm a self loathing Packers fan.

[Ninotores]

Originally Posted by Siberian13

What’s your predicted records? I’ll go with this. I know, not very bold.

Lions 10-7
Packers 9-8
Bears 8-9
Vikings 8-9

I don't think the Packers will go .500 or anywhere close, otherwise that looks like a solid prediction. Brutal schedule this year.

[hairysasquatch]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

Apparently, you have the memory of a gold fish. I can't stand the Bears and have gotten into it with Grid several times. But ok...

FYI I'm a self loathing Packers fan.

My apologies.

While I don't doubt the Lions W-L record in 2025 will be less successful than 2024, I think they are a playoff team and if they stay healthy can line up against any opponent and have a shot.

It's still the Liins' division whether you like it or not.

[Ninotores]

Originally Posted by packman80

I always laugh when you say Love has a noodle arm when he actually has a pretty strong arm.

Also the Packers D was top 10 last year so to say they have no defense. The DC they hired really improved things last year.

The Defense, as any Packer fan knows, has been the achilles heel of our team for 2 decades. I don't care what it says on paper. If we are up by less than a touchdown and the other team has the ball with at least a minute left, we are losing. Last year we had a better defense, I wouldn't say it was good enough, our front 4 is especially weak. There's lots of "if this guy gets it together" "if this guy has a better season" "now that this guy is healthy". That's Bears fan talk. I live in reality. The Packers defense is always sus. Always. 10 years ago it was our run game and defense. Now it's just defense. Maybe in ten years they'll have it right.

[Ninotores]

Originally Posted by hairysasquatch

My apologies.

While I don't doubt the Lions W-L record in 2025 will be less successful than 2024, I think they are a playoff team and if they stay healthy can line up against any opponent and have a shot.

It's still the Liins' division whether you like it or not.

I agree with this. I just don't think the Lions will be as dominant as last year. Not close. But in how I view the division this coming season, they won't need to be to be on top. They are still the best team in the division. But they need to act fast because the way a lot of contracts are setup, they have big salary cap issues ahead of them and an aging QB. But, I expect them to take the division this year. I just don't see them being much of a threat once they make playoffs.

[Kent Clements]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

I agree with this. I just don't think the Lions will be as dominant as last year. Not close. But in how I view the division this coming season, they won't need to be to be on top. They are still the best team in the division. But they need to act fast because the way a lot of contracts are setup, they have big salary cap issues ahead of them and an aging QB. But, I expect them to take the division this year. I just don't see them being much of a threat once they make playoffs.

Aging QB ??? Goff is 31

[Ninotores]

Originally Posted by Kent Clements

Aging QB ??? Goff is 31

10 years is usually peak for most QBs. ( )

[hairysasquatch]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

I agree with this. I just don't think the Lions will be as dominant as last year. Not close. But in how I view the division this coming season, they won't need to be to be on top. They are still the best team in the division. But they need to act fast because the way a lot of contracts are setup, they have big salary cap issues ahead of them and an aging QB. But, I expect them to take the division this year. I just don't see them being much of a threat once they make playoffs.

This is more measured. I agree their immediate window is narrow. Have to get it done this year or next. They'll win 11-12 and make a deep playoff run at least.

[Grid]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

10 years is usually peak for most QBs. ( )

This we agree on. Everyone wants to point to Manning, Brady or Brees. And act like its normal to still be that good, at that age. They are the exception, not the rule.

Most NFL quarterbacks peak between the ages of 26 and 30. This is often considered their prime, with 29 being a typical peak age.

Prime Years:
The five-year period from 26 to 30 is generally considered the prime of a quarterback's career.

Peak Age:
Many quarterbacks peak around age 29.

Decline:
While there are exceptions, most quarterbacks begin to decline in performance after their mid-30s, typically retiring between 35 and 40.

[erock28]

Originally Posted by Ninotores

The Defense, as any Packer fan knows, has been the achilles heel of our team for 2 decades. I don't care what it says on paper. If we are up by less than a touchdown and the other team has the ball with at least a minute left, we are losing. Last year we had a better defense, I wouldn't say it was good enough, our front 4 is especially weak. There's lots of "if this guy gets it together" "if this guy has a better season" "now that this guy is healthy". That's Bears fan talk. I live in reality. The Packers defense is always sus. Always. 10 years ago it was our run game and defense. Now it's just defense. Maybe in ten years they'll have it right.

I think you're stuck in the recent Pettine/Joe Barry reality. Sure, in recent YEARS they seemed to always give up a go ahead or winning score late, but that wasn't the case in 2024. They finished 6th in points allowed, and as the year wore on, you could see them getting better and better. The only reason they didn't lose the playoff game by 30 was by the efforts of the defense. The same Eagles offense that put up 40 in the Bowl and 55 in the NFCCG was held to 22 by Green Bay. They do lack a second upper level pass rusher...but I'll still take their D over most in the league.

[Ninotores]

Originally Posted by Grid

This we agree on. Everyone wants to point to Manning, Brady or Brees. And act like its normal to still be that good, at that age. They are the exception, not the rule.

Most NFL quarterbacks peak between the ages of 26 and 30. This is often considered their prime, with 29 being a typical peak age.

Prime Years:
The five-year period from 26 to 30 is generally considered the prime of a quarterback's career.

Peak Age:
Many quarterbacks peak around age 29.

Decline:
While there are exceptions, most quarterbacks begin to decline in performance after their mid-30s, typically retiring between 35 and 40.

A rare moment where we see eye to eye sir. Lol.

[hairysasquatch]

Originally Posted by Grid

This we agree on. Everyone wants to point to Manning, Brady or Brees. And act like its normal to still be that good, at that age. They are the exception, not the rule.

Most NFL quarterbacks peak between the ages of 26 and 30. This is often considered their prime, with 29 being a typical peak age.

Prime Years:
The five-year period from 26 to 30 is generally considered the prime of a quarterback's career.

Peak Age:
Many quarterbacks peak around age 29.

Decline:
While there are exceptions, most quarterbacks begin to decline in performance after their mid-30s, typically retiring between 35 and 40.

Originally Posted by Ninotores

A rare moment where we see eye to eye sir. Lol.

31 year old Jared Goff will be the best QB in the NFCN this season. 31 is not "mid-30s."

[coltsnsox07]

R.I.P. Jim Marshall, tough DE who started 282 games in a row and returned a fumble 66 yards the wrong way vs SF.

[Grid]

Originally Posted by hairysasquatch

31 year old Jared Goff will be the best QB in the NFCN this season. 31 is not "mid-30s."

Who said 31 was mid 30's? Ninotores said past 30 is aging. My cut and paste from google, says peak is typically 29. Prime is typically 26 to 30. Goff is on the wrong end of both of those.

So he is both past "peak" & "prime" in a general sense.

To be clear, Ninotores said the Lions "need to act fast because the way a lot of contracts are setup, they have big salary cap issues ahead of them and an aging QB"

The Lions window is closing for all those reasons. And every season that goes by, Goff ages. None of that is wrong

[Ninotores]

Originally Posted by Grid

Who said 31 was mid 30's? Ninotores said past 30 is aging. My cut and paste from google, says peak is typically 29. Prime is typically 26 to 30. Goff is on the wrong end of both of those.

So he is both past "peak" & "prime" in a general sense.

To be clear, Ninotores said the Lions "need to act fast because the way a lot of contracts are setup, they have big salary cap issues ahead of them and an aging QB"

The Lions window is closing for all those reasons. And every season that goes by, Goff ages. None of that is wrong

That's just it. Lions are setup to win NOW. They have a small window left after the last 3 years of not getting it done. Maybe Goff can play at a high level until he's 40. Who knows? But for the most part, QB's hit 30 and start slowly diminishing and usually crap out at 35/36/37.

Look at Russell Wilson (36, he's been bad since at least 33/34). Look At Kirk Cousins (36). Carr just retired at 34? Prescott is 31..sure doesn't seem like his body can hold up much longer (where's slyguy to argue this?). Deshaun Watson is 28, we see that story. These are all recent. What Tom Brady did was nothing short of incredible. And I am an avid Tom Brady hater. It is not the norm.

Heck, even Manning didn't have much business still playing those last 2 years in Denver. He couldn't throw anything. That defense kept that team going.

So again, can Goff last until 40? Maybe. But history has shown it's a slow decline after your 30's for MOST QB's. There are always exceptions. Stafford is still playing at a high level. All I know is if I'm a Lions fan, I'm getting nervous if they don't get it done in the next 2-3 years.

[Fulmer4MVP]

Originally Posted by Grid

Who said 31 was mid 30's? Ninotores said past 30 is aging. My cut and paste from google, says peak is typically 29. Prime is typically 26 to 30. Goff is on the wrong end of both of those.

So he is both past "peak" & "prime" in a general sense.

To be clear, Ninotores said the Lions "need to act fast because the way a lot of contracts are setup, they have big salary cap issues ahead of them and an aging QB"

The Lions window is closing for all those reasons. And every season that goes by, Goff ages. None of that is wrong

Goff probably will age better because he is a pure pocket passer who is as mobile as the bolder in my yard. So as long as the Lions O line holds up, he should be fine.