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NFC North still polarized
Posted: Sept. 4, 2007
SportsDay
Bob Wolfley
The gap between the Chicago Bears and the rest of the teams in the NFC North remains wide and the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions are not good enough to challenge for the division title.
That's the opinion shared by Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson of Fox Sports when they were asked to handicap the Packers' division.
The two analysts made their comments Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. Aikman is his network's lead game analyst. Johnson is part of Fox's Sunday studio crew.
Rex Grossman or no Rex Grossman at quarterback, the Bears are the clear favorites. In fact, Aikman picked the Bears to return to the Super Bowl, this time to play against the San Diego Chargers. Chicago lost the championship game last season to the Indianapolis Colts.
"Chicago is head and shoulders above," Johnson said, referring to the NFC North. "The entire division (is) getting better. I do believe Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay could get better, but they can't catch Chicago."
Aikman said the distance between the Bears and whatever the second-place team is this season will not be any narrower than last season, when Chicago finished 13-3 and the Packers were next at 8-8.
"I think there will be a tightening of the division, but I don't think there will be a tightening between Chicago and whoever ends up finishing in second place," Aikman said. "I see Chicago winning the division. I see Minnesota getting better from where they were a year ago (6-10). And I believe Detroit should be better as well with another year under (Rod) Marinelli and what appears to be another decent draft class. I see that group tightening up, but I don't see anyone contending with Chicago."
Aikman said the Bears might not be the most talented team in the NFC but because no team in their division can challenge them, they are positioned to gain home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
San Diego is scheduled to face Chicago on Sunday.
Johnson, who coached Dan Marino in Miami from 1996-'99, was asked about Brett Favre's pursuit of Marino's career touchdown record this season. Marino ended his career with 420 touchdown passes. Favre starts this season with 414.
"I think the more we talk about records and individual accolades, it takes away from the team concept," Johnson said. "Nobody is going to set a record unless they have got a lot of role players putting in just as much work, just as much time as (record-setters) are. It's a team game.
"But as far as Brett Favre individually, obviously one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game. As far as going back to my years in Miami, when I took over the Dolphins, Dan had had umpteen surgeries on his legs. Really, in his last two years (1998-'99) he could not move at all. The thing that impresses me about Brett is, and one reason he is still able to play at such a high level, is he has kept himself in tremendous condition. He is still able to move around. He's mobile. Obviously he can still throw the football. I think he can still play at a high level."
Silly seasoning
There is at the heart of such an exercise a silliness, even absurdity, but it's foolery that's fun.
Ranking the best players in the National Football League has epic and sweeping pretension to precision that's laughable.
So Peter King's list of the NFL's 500 best players is grand hoo-hah, befitting a man named King, but no one was harmed in the making of the list.
Although it may not be exactly nutritious, it's not a bad tailgate snack.
Packers fans need only know that King put 13 Packers on his top 500, with only three making the top 100.
The highest rated Packers player on King's list is defensive end Aaron Kampman at No. 16, up there in difference-maker territory. Next is wide receiver Donald Driver at 89, just ahead of tackle Chad Clifton at 92.
King put quarterback Brett Favre at 113, ahead of cornerbacks Al Harris (142) and Charles Woodson (169) and linebacker A.J. Hawk (177).
Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, New England quarterback Tom Brady, San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson, Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers and Miami defensive end Jason Taylor are the top five.
Posted: Sept. 4, 2007
SportsDay
Bob Wolfley
The gap between the Chicago Bears and the rest of the teams in the NFC North remains wide and the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions are not good enough to challenge for the division title.
That's the opinion shared by Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson of Fox Sports when they were asked to handicap the Packers' division.
The two analysts made their comments Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. Aikman is his network's lead game analyst. Johnson is part of Fox's Sunday studio crew.
Rex Grossman or no Rex Grossman at quarterback, the Bears are the clear favorites. In fact, Aikman picked the Bears to return to the Super Bowl, this time to play against the San Diego Chargers. Chicago lost the championship game last season to the Indianapolis Colts.
"Chicago is head and shoulders above," Johnson said, referring to the NFC North. "The entire division (is) getting better. I do believe Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay could get better, but they can't catch Chicago."
Aikman said the distance between the Bears and whatever the second-place team is this season will not be any narrower than last season, when Chicago finished 13-3 and the Packers were next at 8-8.
"I think there will be a tightening of the division, but I don't think there will be a tightening between Chicago and whoever ends up finishing in second place," Aikman said. "I see Chicago winning the division. I see Minnesota getting better from where they were a year ago (6-10). And I believe Detroit should be better as well with another year under (Rod) Marinelli and what appears to be another decent draft class. I see that group tightening up, but I don't see anyone contending with Chicago."
Aikman said the Bears might not be the most talented team in the NFC but because no team in their division can challenge them, they are positioned to gain home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
San Diego is scheduled to face Chicago on Sunday.
Johnson, who coached Dan Marino in Miami from 1996-'99, was asked about Brett Favre's pursuit of Marino's career touchdown record this season. Marino ended his career with 420 touchdown passes. Favre starts this season with 414.
"I think the more we talk about records and individual accolades, it takes away from the team concept," Johnson said. "Nobody is going to set a record unless they have got a lot of role players putting in just as much work, just as much time as (record-setters) are. It's a team game.
"But as far as Brett Favre individually, obviously one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game. As far as going back to my years in Miami, when I took over the Dolphins, Dan had had umpteen surgeries on his legs. Really, in his last two years (1998-'99) he could not move at all. The thing that impresses me about Brett is, and one reason he is still able to play at such a high level, is he has kept himself in tremendous condition. He is still able to move around. He's mobile. Obviously he can still throw the football. I think he can still play at a high level."
Silly seasoning
There is at the heart of such an exercise a silliness, even absurdity, but it's foolery that's fun.
Ranking the best players in the National Football League has epic and sweeping pretension to precision that's laughable.
So Peter King's list of the NFL's 500 best players is grand hoo-hah, befitting a man named King, but no one was harmed in the making of the list.
Although it may not be exactly nutritious, it's not a bad tailgate snack.
Packers fans need only know that King put 13 Packers on his top 500, with only three making the top 100.
The highest rated Packers player on King's list is defensive end Aaron Kampman at No. 16, up there in difference-maker territory. Next is wide receiver Donald Driver at 89, just ahead of tackle Chad Clifton at 92.
King put quarterback Brett Favre at 113, ahead of cornerbacks Al Harris (142) and Charles Woodson (169) and linebacker A.J. Hawk (177).
Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, New England quarterback Tom Brady, San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson, Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers and Miami defensive end Jason Taylor are the top five.
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