Examining 2020 NFC North Win Totals

While the NFC South has been reshaped significantly, the North looks mostly the same. The Green Bay Packers will enter the season as the team to beat, the Minnesota Vikings will go as far as Kirk Cousins can take them, the Chicago Bears are wild card because of their quarterback situation and the Detroit Lions are still the team that has the most work to do. With regular season win totals posted for the teams, let’s take a look at each before the 2020 NFL Draft gets underway:

GREEN BAY PACKERS

REGULAR SEASON WIN TOTAL: 10

The Packers come into the 2020 season with the highest win total line at 10 wins. After dismal seasons in 2017 and 2018, Green Bay got back to their winning ways in 2019 by posting a 13-3 record. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers put together another strong season by posting 26 touchdowns versus only four interceptions, but their improvements in other areas really helped them be so successful. Fourth year running back Aaron Jones busted onto the scene by becoming the first back to rush for over 1,000 yards for the Packers since 2014. They also fielded a Top 10 defense, so mixing that with a stellar all-around offense created a tremendous year. Green Bay brings back the majority of their team this year, so the sky is the limit for the Packers in 2020.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

REGULAR SEASON WIN TOTAL: 9

Minnesota returned to the playoffs last season after missing in 2018 by putting up a 10-6 record. Quarterback Kirk Cousins silenced some critics last season by finally proving to be reliable under pressure for a successful team and was rewarded with a two-year, $66 million extension. However, they did trade away his favorite target and best receiver last year in Stefon Diggs for the Buffalo Bills first-round pick. Diggs had 30+ more targets than anyone on the team and it will be tough to fill his shoes. Dalvin Cook was able to stay (mostly) healthy for the first time in his short career, breaking the 1,000-yard threshold and finding the endzone 13 times.

If the Vikings are able to find serviceable replacements to for Diggs and fill a couple holes on defense left by free agency departures, Minnesota will be in the playoff hunt around this win total again in 2020.

CHICAGO BEARS

REGULAR SEASON WIN TOTAL: 8.5

The Bears were one of the biggest disappointments last season after going just 8-8 and missing the playoffs, which came a year after going 12-4 and being in the postseason for the first time in eight years. Mitch Trubisky didn’t necessarily regress last season but it was obvious head coach Matt Nagy didn’t feel comfortable giving him compete control of the offense. That forced the franchise’s hand into trading for Nick Foles, who’ll compete for the starting job in Chicago.

While the Bears still are a very talented team, the quarterback controversy and holes left in their secondary by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Prince Amukamara departures make projecting Chicago 2020 success a complete shot in the dark.

DETROIT LIONS

REGULAR SEASON WIN TOTAL: 6.5

Rounding out the NFC North are the Lions, who won just four games last year after being set with the same win projection in 2019. They opened up the season 2-0-1 and were in first place in the division, but franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford missed games due to injury in almost a decade, only appearing in eight contests. He did throw 19 touchdowns and only five interceptions in that time, so hopefully he is able bounce-back and get to his gunslinging ways in 2020 in the last year of his contract. While he may do well, Detroit may let him down again based on their most notable offseason move being trading away one of the top cornerbacks in the league in Darius Slay. They do have the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft, but it is tough to think one selection could turn around an entire franchise.

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