NFL Preseason Preview: NFC North/AFC North

NFC NORTH:

Chicago Bears: They finished 2009 at 7-9. The Bears brought in Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz to hopefully give the Bears' offense and QB Jay Cutler a spark. Cutler has been a shadow of his Denver self, but maybe a new system will limit his turnovers and create more offensive explosion. HB Matt Forte took a couple steps backwards after his breakout rookie year and the Bears added HB Chester Taylor to give Forte some reps off and Taylor can run and catch very well as was shown during his time in Minnesota. Cutler does not have a big time receiver, but young players with potential like Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Devin Aromashodu. Aromashodu might be the best of the bunch. Hester has not been as lethal as a returner since he was asked to do more as receiver. The offensive line was not especially great last year so that might be a worry. TE Greg Olsen is part of my young tight ends on the rise to watch. The defense is not as strong as it was 5 years ago, but still features MLB Brian Urlacher and DT Tommie Harris. Urlacher might be under the radar as he might be losing a bit of a step. The defense added DE Julius Peppers and he should provide them with a pass rush, which they have been lacking.

Detroit Lions: They went 2-14 last year after their 0-16 season. QB Matthew Stafford went through the normal rookie struggles, but has a cannon of an arm and poise and confidence to keep them in games. They drafted HB Jahvid Best, who can a Rookie of the Year candidate and explosive weapon on this offense. When he is in open space, he is lethal. And speaking of open space, WR Calvin Johnson is a beast with his size and skill. He will aid in Stafford's development in year 2. WR Nate Burleson and TE Brandon Pettigrew will also be key players for Stafford. And they will all have enough time with an improved offense line. The defense is still a liability, but with DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, whom they acquired from Tennessee, and Ndamukong Suh, whom they drafted with the 2nd pick this year. The two provide size, strength, and speed on the line. S Louis Delmas has the potential to be a Bob Sanders type of player for this defense. The Lions should show signs of improvements, but it might be about small steps and minor progress for a team that has struggled to get 4 wins in a season for much of the last 10 years.

Green Bay Packers: They went 11-5 last year before losing to Arizona in an overtime thriller in the Wildcard Round. QB Aaron Rodgers displayed potential in 2008 then showed even more in 2009. In 2010, he might prove he is a top 5 quarterback in the NFL. WRs Donald Driver and Greg Jennings will benefit from him and vice versa. As will TE Jermichael Finley, who seems poised for a breakout year in this offense. HB Ryan Grant should be able to provide the necessary balance and 1,000 yards. While an offensive line that was shaky for the first half of 2009; improved down the stretch and they drafted OT Bryan Bulaga from Iowa to give them insurance on that line. As good as the offense is, the defense was very good last year and should be close to the same in 2010. CBs Al Harris and Charles Woodson are great at coverage and tackling. LB Clay Matthews shined as a rookie. This team is poised to not only capture the division crown, but be one of a few teams that are serious Super Bowl contenders.

Minnesota Vikings: They went 12-4 last season before falling to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. They could of should of won if they did not get the too many men on the field penalty and kicked a close field goal. QB Brett Favre is in limbo again if he wants to return for a 20th NFL season. With him, they are a better team, but QB Tavaris Jackson is capable of getting them to at least .500 if not 10-6. HB Adrian Peterson is still the workhorse of the offense and will need to improve on his fumbling. That might be his only weakness right now. They drafted HB Toby Geirhart to replace Chester Taylor and he can provide most of everything Taylor did with younger legs. WR Sidney Rice had a breakout year with Favre as QB. He should be able to repeat that and WR Percy Harvin can do damage in many ways. TE Visanthe Shiancoe was a redzone machine last year and could do the same for this offense. DE Jared Allen continues to anchor and tough defensive line with Kevin and Pat Williams in the middle eating up space.

OUTLOOK: Lions will be better, but still not anywhere close to competing, Bears should be better, but how much, Vikings' fortunes could depend greatly on Favre, and Packers look poised to be nearly unstoppable. This division will be about the Vikings and Packers again. Both should make the playoffs. Which wins the division? Edge for now goes to Packers.

AFC NORTH:

Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens took a small step back last year going 9-7, but that did stop them from springing a wildcard round upset of the New England Patriots in Foxsboro. QB Joe Flacco took another step forward in his progression at quarterback after his rookie year with a dependable yet shallow at times group of receivers. MLB Ray Lewis and SS Ed Reed continue to be key parts of the defense, but are aging and depending more on guys like NT Haloti Ngata to put pressure on opposing offenses. The AFC North was a battle last year and expect somewhat of a similar feel, which favors a team like Baltimore. The team suffered a setback this offseason with the loss of draftee LB Sergio Kindle out of Texas. Kindle is likely out for the year and will cost the team a chance to groom him as a heir apparent to Lewis. Look for HB Ray Rice to join Flacco in terms of taking another step forward a creating a QB-HB duo that will impact that offense for the next decade.

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals surprised many including some of their fans by going 10-6 and winning the division. Along the way they swept their divisional games and showed glimpses of the team that made the postseason in 2005. They lost the last game of the year to the New York Jets then fell to them again in the wildcard round. The team adds WR Terrell Owens and CB Adam Jones as potential missing pieces from last year's team in hopes of getting over the hump. There could be weekly updates on whether QB Carson Palmer is getting the ball enough to Owens and WR Chad OchoCinco. Both receivers view themselves as top targets and the one getting less catches could force a wedge into the team's unity. The defense used to be a liability, but under Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer; they had one of the best turnover rates and overall defenses in 2009. If they can play somewhere close to that in 2010, they might have the balanced squad they have searched for under Marvin Lewis' reign. The addition of TE Jermaine Gresham in the draft will also provide the team with a young blocker and hidden target for Palmer.

Cleveland Browns: It was another tough year in Cleveland as the team went 5-11. They continue to figure out who the best option at quarterback is. Both QB Derek Anderson and QB Brady Quinn are gone and in their place is QB Jake Delhomme and QB Seneca Wallace. New Browns President Mike Holgren hopes that either Delhomme's playoff experience or Wallace's young talent that he watched while in Seattle will be what puts Cleveland back on the right track. The correct answer might end up being choice C: 3rd Round draft pick, QB Colt McCoy out of Texas. McCoy led the Longhorns to four successful years during his tenure after QB Vince Young left. He was a shoulder injury away from possibly leading the team to a national title. The team will also have HB Peyton Hillis joining their backfield as part of the Quinn trade. He will be mixed into the position shuffle there. It is hard not to see question marks at other spots beyond QB and HB. It will likely be a project year in Cleveland, but Holgren will figure out the best fits for the team and have them taking valuable steps forward.

Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Ben Roethlisberger will be out for the first four games due to a suspension and how the team handles his absence could very likely set the tone for the year. If they struggle, they might fall short of even their 9-7 record of a year ago. SS Troy Polamalu was out at times last year and the team is night and day with and without him. The combination of him and LB James Harrison set the tone for the defense that still continues under Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau to be a top 5 defense in many ways. Getting back to running the ball with HB Rashad Mendenhall and creating a fierce defense will be a big part of the team improving even without Big Ben for the first month.

OUTLOOK: The Browns will be lucky to win 4 or 5 games again and look for McCoy to take the reins from Delhomme at some point. The Bengals look to have the same team with additions that could put them over the top, but sweeping your division is tough to repeat and they will need to play better against non division squads to repeat 2009. That might be too much to ask for with likely distractions plus a very good Ravens teams and still dangerous Steelers team to deal with. That is why once again the division will come down to Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The difference will likely be the absence of Roethlisberger in September when the two will meet. They tend to compete in contests that end with less than a touchdown between the two squads. Flacco and Rice take another step forward with Pro Bowl caliber years that add to a defense in Baltimore that even without Reed will still stay steady. How the two play against Cincinnati and Cleveland and common opponents could impact tiebreakers as it will be close with Baltimore edging out Pittsburgh for the division while the other wins the wildcard.