Pre-Season Predictions

August is over, so is the preseason. It's less than a week until REAL football starts. So that means it's time for us to make our pre-season predictions.

PACKERS

The Pack return 21 out of 22 starters from the Super Bowl run of 2010. I believe that the loss of Cullen Jenkins will prove to be a mistake, but not a big enough one to lose the division. I predict that Rodgers shreds defenses with the help of JerMichael Finley, the running game is mildly improved (but not substantial), and the defense led by the Claymaker will be top 5 for the 3rd year in a row. Packers win the division with a record of 11-5.

LIONS

I was a believer in the Lions in 2010 and thought that they would finish ahead of the bears until Matthew Stafford went down for the season. This year there is a lot of hype surrounding the defense and Stafford's impressive pre-season performance. I think the Lions are on the verge of making a big splash in the NFL. They have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, but injuries have been their downfall. Even this pre-season they have lost their first 2 draft picks. If Stafford stays healthy, it will be a tight race (but not too tight) at the end of the season. I have the Lions finishing 2nd in the NFC North with a record of 9-7.

BEARS

I think this will be the year that the bears luck will catch up with them. They have historically had a better record than their ability and I find it difficult to believe that they can do it again this year. Cutler will be 2nd in the league in INTs only behind Eli Manning. And the new kickoff rule will kill the bears' field position and take Hester/Manning partially out of the game. Along with an aging defense, I think this will be the beginning of the decline of the bears. Opposing defenses will catch more touchdowns from Cutler than Roy Williams. The Bears finish 3rd in the North with a 7-9 record.

Vikings

The Queens are an intriguing team, but not really that intriguing. The acquisition of Donovan McNabb will bridge the gap between Brett Favre and QB-of-the-future Christian Ponder. The O-line has major problems, and the defense and receiving corps have big question marks. I see the vikings giving up on the playoffs just after midseason and handing the reigns to the rookie QB to gain experience. Last in the division at 5-11.

Those are my predictions for 2011. Make sure you have your brats, cheese curds, and Miller beer ready to go for next Thursday against the Saints. GO PACK!