Green Bay Packers Should Own NFC North Again in 2020

The reigning, defending champions of the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers, looked poised to capture the division title once again in 2020.

THE REIGNING. THE DEFENDING. THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONS OF THE NFC NORTH. THE GREEN BAY PACKERS! After going a smooth 6-0 against the NFC North in 2019 and winning the division, the Pack look poised to capture the crown once again next season.

Since the NFL moved to four divisions in each conference and the NFC Central essentially became the North, Green Bay has dominated the divisional landscape. Over the last 18 years, Green Bay has won the division title a whopping 10 times–more than the other three teams combined (the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are tied for second with four and the Detroit Lions have yet to win one).

Coming off a 13-3 overall season which saw the Packers fall one game short of advancing to the Super Bowl, many critics point to an overrated and luck-saturated season in Year 1 under head coach Matt LaFleur. Although they had their fair share of fortune, they shouldn’t be discounted heading into next season.

To be sure, they are far from a perfect team with abundant question marks at their skill positions and on the right side of the offensive line. Their defense could also use some work in the run game.

However, their foes’ warts are even bigger.

After finishing the 2019 campaign with a 3-12-1 record, the Lions are in full-on rebuild mode. They’ll definitely benefit from the return of a healthy Matt Stafford, but he can’t hide their issues. Detroit’s defense was downright awful last season, allowing the third-most yards per game, the seventh-most points per game, and giving the ball away 1.4 times per contest. Yuck. They’ll likely be a bit better in 2020, but not by much.

The Bears are hoping for a bounce-back season after finishing with an 8-8 record. They’re a tough, gritty team led by their amazing defense that features one of the best pass-rushes in the NFL. Don’t expect them to give up many points next year. However, they have a lot of work to do on the other side of the ball. Their quarterback situation is up in the air and there’s not a light at the end of the tunnel at the position. Still, don’t expect them to go quietly into the night.

The Vikings may be the Packers’ biggest challengers once again, but they’ve had a bunch of changes in the offseason. Stefon Diggs was traded away, removing one of Kirk Cousin’s top targets. Still, they have weapons in place to put a ton of points on the board. Their defense had a huge turnover and their cornerbacks are unrecognizable. Their play on that side of the ball may define how far they go.

The Packers may not win 13 games in the regular season again, but they probably won’t need to in order to win the NFC North. They have a well-rounded team led by a smart quarterback and an up-and-coming defense. Expect them to take home the division crown once again.