Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay will star in a rough division competition from which the NFC champion could even arise
Three teams of the North Division of the National Conference They reached a ticket to the playoffs last season, which gives the idea of the quality in the sector.
The 2025 panorama shows the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, ready to imitate this role, with some reinforced and more mature Chicago Bears, cutting the gap with the rest.
To give even more flavor to the broth, a few days after starting the season, Packers They opened the wallet and bet on the Adquicision of Micah Parsons, perhaps, the best defensive of the NFL, with which the team that became large with Vince Lombardi, becomes a direct aspiring to win the division, being the champion of the National Conference and playing the Super Bowl.
Thus, the pieces seem to form a story that will include exciting divisional games, with dramatic endings, seasoned by the pique and statements between the coaches and the players, so there is nothing left but to go to the already widely used, but always approach: “Open the belts!”
Since he arrived in the team's command, the coach And Campbell He has fulfilled the promises he has made. If they are a ruined team, today the lions are a power in the National Conference and adds two consecutive divisional titles.
For the 2025 season, Campbell's challenge will have a different nuance. Detroit's success caused his two main coordinar (the offensive, Ben Johnson and the defensive, Aaron Glenn) they received the opportunity as chief coaches in other teams, so Lions Now they must do what the Kansas City Chiefs or New England Patriots achieved at the time: conserve the team's game and mystical style regardless of players or coaches.
Player to follow
Although it was barely week 6, the decrease due to injury for the rest of the defensive wing season Aidan Hutchinson It was, perhaps, the factor that prevented the lions did not reach the Super Bowl. The player graduated from Michigan He deployed a performance that had him as a favorite to obtain the defensive award for the year.
Hutchinson He will return to the field with the intention of recovering the form that in 2023 allowed him to be chosen to his first Pro Bowl and what the new defensive coordinator will be defined, Kelvin Sheppardcan raise the performance of a unit that last year ended as the seventh best of the league with 20.1 points accepted on average per game.
Key section in the calendar
By possessing the division champion label, the calendar of games than the Detroit Lions They will face including various high quality rivals.
That said, highlights the difficulty they will face from week five to nine, in which they will consecutively face teams that qualified the playoffs last year: Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Washington y Philadephia.
Forecast
According to ESPNBet.comlos Detroit Lions They are, despite the great movement that the Packers when acquiring a Micah ParsonsLight the favorites to win the division for the third consecutive season.
The prediction makes sense to make it into account that they return with practically the same Roster, which has been chanted for having a powerful offensive and a dynamic defense.
However, the gap between Detroit and the enemies of the sector has been shortened, so the 15 victories obtained in 2024 look unlikely. Thus, it has logic that on week 18, when they visit Chicago, they still are with the division throne to be defined.
The general manager of the team, Brian Gutekunst, He achieved what for many was unlikely: to present to the Dallas Cowboys an offer to make the linebacker Micah Parsonsto whom in an instantaneous a record contract for a defensive contract.
Thus, the Packers They raised the talent of the team to a level that puts them among the best in the National Conference and, therefore, the most fierce competitors of the Lions in pursuit of the crown of the division.
A Green Bay I would subtract the level and leadership that Parsons It will give the defensive, it is corresponded to the performance of the quarterback Jordan Love in the attack and make the leap that puts it between the NFL stars.
Player to follow
Micah Parsons It is one of those players who occur only one every ten years. Its performance and quality force the rivals to design the game plan based on nullifying it, while having the ability to raise the performance of their classmates. This happened in Dallas.
In contrast, the pressure on Parsons will be very large. His obligation will be to become the 'playmaker' that gives Green Bay victory in the most important games.
Key section in the calendar
The last seven matches of the Packers in the season will test the level of the team, when they face consecutively Minnesota, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, Again Chicago, Baltimore and again Minnesota.
Duels against the teams of their division will mark the course of the sector, while the games against Denver y Baltimoreof the best at the American Conference, will condition their brand's final brand.
Forecast
Although arrival of Micah Parsons places them to the couple of Detroit In the fight for the scepter of the division, the lesions could again condition the performance of Jordan Lovewhich would affect the level of the offensive and put them with a ticket for the postseason, but as a wild card.
Already in this instance, they will have enough to advance to the final of the National Conference.
The main reason why Minnesota Vikings They would be considered as the third best team of this division and not the best, it is because during the low season they decided to dispense with quartback Sam Darnold and give the keys to the handling of the offensive to J.J. McCarthywho due to injury could not play a single games of the previous season.
The great advantage with which he will have McCarthy It is that it has the support of one of the best recipients of receptors in the league (Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison), in addition to adding Ryan Kelly liners and the rookie Donovan Jackson.
The cherry in the cake is the coordinated defensive no less than the always creative Brian Flores, what makes Minnesotain general, a team that can overcome any rival.
Player to follow
In the NFL it triumphs or fails to the measure of the performance of the quartback. Of that size is the bet of the Vikings by JJ McCarthywho will try to adapt to the professional level (after a first year lost by injury), be fast and allow Minnesota to maintain the high production of yards and points they had in 2024 with Sam Darnold.
Key section in the calendar
After their rest week, the Vikings They will have consecutive matches against Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Baltimore, Chicago y Green Baysection in which they will surely define a good part of the brand with which they will end the regular calendar.
Forecast
A stapped seasonal start, by the adaptation of JJ McCarthy As a holder, he will lead him to lose matches that will make Minnesota delay in the division race with respect to Detroit y Green Bay, So your aspiration will be to win a ticket like wildcard, calculating that they will win 10 or 11 duels.
The most important movement made by Chicago Bears was the hiring of Ben Johnson Like new Head Coach, from the Detroit Lions, a team in which he became fashionable for his aggressive style.
Con Johnsonlos Bears They expect the quartback roof Caleb Williams It rises to an instance that allows them to cut the gap with respect to the other three teams in the north of the NFC.
Players to follow
Although the logic points to the element to follow for Chicago es Caleb Williamsyou must also aim at three new elements that reached the offensive line, who will be escontial so that the quarterback of the Bears Develop its potential.
One of them will be the center, Drew Dalmanwho arrives as a free agent, from the Atlanta Falcons. In addition, management made exchanges to add to the guards Jonah Jackson y Joe Thuney, with which the offensive line ceased to be the weak point and will be a real support for Williams.
Key section in the calendar
As already mentioned, the Bears has a calendar with visits to high -level rivals, among them highlight what they will live in week 13 and 14, when they go to Philadelphia and a week later Green Bay.
Forecast
The process of growth of the team by the hand of Ben Johnson It will hardly be reflected immediately, but will be a medium -term process.
As if that were not enough, the calendar of games Chicago includes hard parties as a visitor against Washington, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Philadelphia y San Francisco, So the most realistic prediction is that they end with a brand near the seven wins.
