Almost 1/4 of the way there.

[Upnorth]

So GB is 3-0 with Denver visiting us next week.
Det is 3-0 going to Dallas
Chi is 1-2 with Carolina visiting them
And Min is 0-3 (hehehe) going to KC

Of the 4 NFCN teams Det and Chi have a bit of a challenge this week, while GB and Min have easier games.
The bears and queens both look better than their W/L says, but are clearly not as good as the pack or lions.

Based of the play we have seen so far it looks like the road to the SB for the NFC goes through the North. Both the pack and the lions look great, but have some weakness. The packers pass d, the strongest part of the team last year, is puking up passing yards, but look to be playing a high risk / high reward takeaway style of pass d. The lions great dline is giving up over 5 yards per rush, while the pass d has solidified from historic ineptitude of 08/09 seasons.

They get the 49ers, we get the rams, advantage us, but we play the giants who are better than I expected so our scheduals are mostly a wash. What do you think the NFCN final standings will be and which NFC teams pose a threat to have home feild advantage?
I think we will be 13-3, the lions will be 12-4.
NO looks 12-4, falcons 10-6, was 11-5 and nyg 10-6.

[sharpe1027]

Solid post.

Capers made a good point about the pass defense. The numbers have been skewed by the yards they have given up in their two-minute defense. That certainly does not explain everything, but looking purely at yards given up is misleading.

[denverYooper]

I'm still not convinced that the Lions are even better than Chicago yet. I think they'll have a tough time producing against that D for the same reason that the Packers O usually does -- that Bears team has a good front 4 and a lot of smart vets back there that can give the younger guys fits. Not sure how Cutler and Co will hold up on the other side of the ball against Detriot's monster D-Line but that Bears O is better as a whole than the Vikes O, IMO. If the Bears play with a 20 point lead, Detroit will have a much harder time getting back in the game.

I like Schwartz a lot and think he's building a dangerous (to the rest of the NFCN) program in Detroit but I think they have one more good draft yet to hit the elite tier. In particular, I think they'll have a tough time against teams that can block up their line.

[Tony Oday]

Its been three games...Stafford has about 4 left then they are a fringe Wild Card Team.

[vince]

If they stay healthy, I think the Lions are for real. Their o-line has been doing the job in pass pro and that front four d-line is tough as nails. They're 7-0 in their last 7 games going back to their defeat of the Packers last year. They can be scored on, but so can the Pack thus far. Their offense has been more productive than the Packers' thus far. Megatron is a man-beast like Finley. Not sure who's going to guard that guy. No Packers' CB matches up real well.

[denverYooper]

If they stay healthy, I think the Lions are for real. Their o-line has been doing the job in pass pro and that front four d-line is tough as nails. They're 7-0 in their last 7 games going back to their defeat of the Packers last year. They can be scored on, but so can the Pack thus far. Their offense has been more productive than the Packers' thus far. Megatron is a man-beast like Finley. Not sure who's going to guard that guy. No Packers' CB matches up real well.

Mark Schlereth seems to think their tackles need a lot of work: http://www.freep.com/article/2011092...s-tackle-Lions

The only Lions football I've seen is when they put the end of the #%$#! Det-Minny game on last week over the first 6 minutes of the Packers game, so I don't really know.

[mmmdk]

2011 game: Denver at Green Bay, reminds me of 2010 game: Miami at Green Bay and also of 2009 game: Cincinnati at Green Bay.

IT'S A TRAP [Game] We're doomed!

[Upnorth]

2011 game: Denver at Green Bay, reminds me of 2010 game: Miami at Green Bay and also of 2009 game: Cincinnati at Green Bay.

IT'S A TRAP [Game] We're doomed!

So to further kill the horse, MM has had his problem in the past with trap's, as recently as 2 weeks ago. How big of an impact will this hold on the season? We have the offence to over come a slow start, but that is a lot of pressure to put on the o

[Deputy Nutz]

Detroit's offensive line is still pretty bad. Jeff Backus is a turnstyle at left tackle. They have to improved their defensive secondary and their offensive line and then they will be a very difficult team to deal with. I see them as a 9-7 10-6 team in 2011.

[vince]

I thought they were bad too. The Lions haven't run the ball real well, but have only given up 5 sacks a game in 3 games. That's not too bad. Stafford has thrived thus far.

[mraynrand]

Detroit's offensive line is still pretty bad. Jeff Backus is a turnstyle at left tackle. They have to improved their defensive secondary and their offensive line and then they will be a very difficult team to deal with. I see them as a 9-7 10-6 team in 2011.

Even though they have a tough schedule, they have a lot of positives. They already have won two road games, and they don't have to play a cold out of doors game until Jan 1 at Lambeau. Nov. 13 at Chicago is their only other road game that could possibly be cold. 10-6 at the least. They will slaughter Chicago twice, simply because Chicago will get sacked into oblivion.

That Jan 1 game could turn out to be for all the NFC bananas.

[denverYooper]

I thought they were bad too. The Lions haven't run the ball real well, but have only given up 5 sacks a game in 3 games. That's not too bad. Stafford has thrived thus far.

They gave up 5 sacks against the Vikings. 3 to Allen, 2 to Robison. They're probably going to have their hands full against the Bears too.

DeMarcus Ware might get 5 by himself on Sunday.

[denverYooper]

Maybe the Lions will just change their strategy to "Max protect and heave it to Megatron".

[pbmax]

[vince]

They gave up 5 sacks against the Vikings. 3 to Allen, 2 to Robison. They're probably going to have their hands full against the Bears too.

DeMarcus Ware might get 5 by himself on Sunday.

That's the first game he's been sacked then. He has 5 total on the year according to NFL.com. I'd love to see Ware tear it up this week.