Predicting who will win each and every division in 2023 is harder than ever with so many good teams in the NFL.
One of the divisions that is difficult to navigate is the NFC North. With Aaron Rodgers being traded to the Jets, the Packers, for the first time in forever, are not the presumed favorites.
For the first in maybe ever, the Lions are favored to win the division. That is what makes it so difficult to pick the winner of this division — Detroit is favored to win the division — a statement that is foreign to NFL fans.
With that being said, let’s take a look at how this division could play out in 2023.
1. Detroit Lions: 10-7
Although it could be a trap and feels unnatural to write, at this moment, the Lions are the pick to win the NFC North in 2023. Detroit barely missed out on the playoffs last season but sent the Packers home after defeating Green Bay at Lambeau Field in the season finale.
Offensively, the Lions were lights out last season, averaging 26 points per game, and there may be an uptick this season. Detroit continued to assemble some intriguing offensive pieces around Jared Goff by drafting Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta and signing David Montgomery to complement Gibbs.
Gibbs may have been a reach, but the Lions feel that the former Alabama running back will bring a new element to the offense.
Defense was a major problem for Detroit last season, specifically the secondary, which gave up an average of 245 passing yards per game.
The Lions patched that up by signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cameron Sutton, and Emmanuel Moseley before drafting Alabama safety Brian Branch in the second round.
Wide receiver Jameson Williams will be suspended for the first six games of the 2023 regular season after violating the NFL gambling policy earlier this offseason. Williams has not been a major factor for Detroit since being drafted 11th overall in the 2022 draft. The former Alabama wideout suffered a hamstring injury in training camp and is likely going to miss the rest of the preseason. A tough break for a player still trying to find his footing in the NFL.
In Williams’ absence, Detroit is missing a true field stretcher, but Goff and the offense should be absolutely fine with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Gibbs, and LaPorta leading the way in the receiving game.
The Lions are a popular pick for fans looking for a dark horse Super Bowl contender out of the NFC
2. Green Bay Packers: 9-8
It will take a while to get used to not seeing Rodgers behind center for Green Bay this season, but it’s time to see what the Packers have in Jordan Love.
The 24-year-old quarterback spent three seasons sitting and learning behind Rodgers. It is tough to know exactly what Love is at this point, but the personnel around the former Utah State quarterback is intriguing, to say the least.
Love is not short of pass-game options with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, rookie receiver Jayden Reed and rookie tight end Luke Musgrave at his disposal. Not to mention Aaron Jones, who is a pass-catching threat out of the backfield.
The Packers’ defense is also crowded with talent at every level and should be able to carry Love through the first part of the season, while the young quarterback continues to figure it out.
In the early parts of last season, Green Bay’s defense was quite underwhelming, but really turned it around in the back half of the season. That should carry over into 2023, as Green Bay has continued to address that side of the ball in the draft, selecting Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness in the first round.
All that being said, it is tough to believe that Green Bay wins this division in Love’s first year as a starter. Could it happen? Yes, but it may be a transitional year for Green Bay. However, in a weak NFC, expect the Packers to be competing for a playoff spot.
3. Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
Minnesota was one of the worst 13-win teams in NFL history last year. The Vikings went 11-0 in one-score games and possessed a -3-point differential.
For one, going 11-0 in one-score games is not sustainable for repeatable success. Expect that number in one-score games to be cut in half, at least.
Secondly, having a negative point differential with a team that averaged 24.9 points per game shows how putrid this defense was a season ago.
Minnesota’s offense was good last season with Justin Jefferson and company. Minnesota drafted Jordan Addison in the first round of the 2023 draft. Addison should be a great number-two option behind Jefferson. With Jefferson facing double coverage, Addison will look to exploit single coverage with no help over the top. The passing game should be even better in 2023. T.J. Hockenson will also be a dependable target for Cousins.
Replacing Dalvin Cook with Alexander Mattison will be interesting to follow this season, but Cook was a vital part of this offense. Mattison is a downgrade from Cook, and Minnesota’s run game may take a hit in 2023.
The Vikings’ defense was horrid in 2022, and the Vikings did very little to improve that side of the ball. It may be another season of depending on a limited Kirk Cousins to win shoot-outs against tougher competition.
Cousins is entering a monumental season, as he is in the final year of his contract. Minnesota has not signed Cousins to an extension, signaling a potential end to Cousins’ time as the Vikings’ quarterback.
4. Chicago Bears: 7-10
Chicago had one of the most exciting offseasons after trading the first overall pick to the Panthers and having over $100 million in cap space entering free agency. Both of those factors led to the Bears building a competent roster around Justin Fields.
The acquisition of D.J. Moore will be a major component of Fields’ success in 2023. So far in training camp, the Fields-Moore connection has been dominant, as the 26-year-old receiver has been a go-to target for Fields.
Offensive line play was way below average in 2022, but the Bears bolstered that unit by signing guard Nate Davis and drafting offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the ninth overall pick.
Adding linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards will help in the run defense, while Demarcus Walker and Yannick Ngakoue will be major upgrades in the pass-rushing department. Last season, safety Jaquan Brisker led the team in sacks with four. Chicago had no defensive linemen who surpassed three sacks in 2022.
An underrated signing was tight end Robert Tonyan. The former Packers’ tight end should be a safety blanket in the middle parts of the field while being a red-zone target for Fields. Tonyan and Cole Kmet will form one of the best tight-end combinations in the league.
The Bears’ season will be contingent on Fields’ development. If Fields has a strong season, this could be a team that challenges for the playoffs. However, still feel that this team is one year away from competing for the division.
Early season opponent from this division can become a Super Bowl matchup for the Chiefs
While this division has multiple teams who are potentially playoff contenders, there is only one team that could possibly be a matchup for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
That team is the Detroit Lions, and while it seems ridiculous to suggest that they could be in a Super Bowl matchup with the Chiefs, it is plausible. With a weak NFC with only the 49ers and Eagles as the two ‘for sure’ teams in the conference, the Lions are a wildcard to represent the NFC in this year’s Super Bowl.
The Chiefs kickoff the 2023 NFL season when they host the Lions in the season opener on September 7 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
