NFC North preview and predictions: Look for Packers to win more than division title

The new faces in the NFC North include one head coach, four defensive coordinators, one offensive coordinator and two starting quarterbacks, three if you count Justin Fields' inevitable supplanting of Andy Dalton.

Of course, none of them matter more than the old face that didn't leave Green Bay.

Aaron Rodgers, the NFL's 2020 MVP and undisputed 2021 Offseason Drama King, is back. And his general happiness or lack thereof with general manager Brian Gutekunst means squat until next offseason rolls around. By then, Rodgers could be sporting a second Lombardi Trophy, which, ironically, would justify Gutey's gut instincts that players should play and GM's should GM.

The no-reach guess here is the Packers will easily win the NFC North for a 12^th time in its 20-season existence. Nothing in Detroit, Chicago or Minnesota warrants betting against Rodgers.

The Lions can be discounted with ease. Crazed new head coach Dan Campbell can talk all he wants about biting kneecaps, but the rebuilding project in Motown will take at least a year to reach high enough to get to the kneecaps of the NFC North's other three teams.

It would be nice to see Jared Goff emerge triumphantly from under the bus which Sean McVay threw his former Super Bowl QB to acquire Matthew Stafford and his zero postseason victories. But there aren't enough weapons on offense, and new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will need some patience to turn around a defense that gave up the third most points in NFL history (32.4).

Chicago is ripe for mismanagement on both sides of the ball, thus ending the Matt Nagy/Ryan Pace era before Fields has a true shot to save the hides of his coach and GM.

Nagy, Pace and the Bears moved on from the fiasco that was Mitchell Trubisky. A good and embarrassingly easy move considering what was surrendered to acquire the No. 2 overall pick from only four years ago.

Nagy's now on a no-doubt collision course with the league's hottest quarterback controversy. Picking 33-year-old Andy Dalton as the starter over Fields — the rookie the Bears traded up to get at No. 11 — was a decision that everyone knows has a short shelf life. Knowing when to pull the trigger will make or break the season.

Defensively, the Bears could be outstanding again. Strange that they turned the Chuck Pagano's coordinator reins over to Sean Desai, a young coach who's never been a coordinator at any level.

Minnesota has perhaps the best shot at unseating the two-time defending North champs. Improvements on defense and the offensive trio of Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen have the Vikings in the mix for a fourth trip to the playoffs in Mike Zimmer's eight seasons.

However, key question marks must be answered. Chief among them, of course, is whether the offensive line can protect a quarterback, Kirk Cousins, who doesn't make protection blemishes disappear the way elite quarterbacks do.

The Packers also haven't rested on Rodgers' ability to lead them to two consecutive NFC Championship games. After the ghastly defensive breakdowns against Tom Brady and the Bucs in last year's NFC title game, the Packers fired coordinator Mike Pettine after three seasons of building Green Bay into a top 10 defense.

Hired was Joe Barry, a 19-year NFL assistant with four years as a defensive coordinator. His last coordinator stint with Washington in 2015-16 wasn't great, but his most recent stint with the Rams sure was.

As assistant head coach/linebackers from 2017-20, Barry helped the Rams rank No. 2 in sacks (192), takeaways (104) and interceptions (63). Last year, the Rams led the league in fewest points allowed (18.5) and fewest yards allowed (281.9).

Though Rodgers certainly would have preferred more help offensively in the first round of the draft, Gutekunst chose Georgia's Eric Stokes, a crazy-fast corner who could fill a need that could help Rodgers not only win an eighth NFC North title but a second Lombardi Trophy as well.

MARK CRAIG'S NFC NORTH PREDICTIONS

MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers. Duh.

Offensive player of the year: Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings. He'll be the fifth Viking to reach 2,000 combined yards.

Defensive player of the year: Danielle Hunter, DE, Vikings. His All-Pro quest is back on schedule.

Offensive rookie of the year: Justin Fields, QB, Bears. He'll be starting by October.

Defensive rookie of the year: Eric Stokes, CB, Packers. Can't teach speed like this.

Coach of the year: Matt LaFleur, Packers. Guy with the best quarterback wins.

Hottest coaching seat: Matt Nagy, Bears. Guy with the messiest quarterback situation wins.

Division winner: Packers, 12-5. And the defense should be better in the postseason.

Wild-card team: Vikings, 9-8. They'll be good and healthy enough to nab the No. 7 seed.

Most disappointing team: Bears, 7-10. Good defense gets overshadowed by unsettled QB situation. Again.

Better-luck-next-year team: Lions, 3-14. Dan Campbell will do more barking at than biting of kneecaps.

Bold prediction: Packers win Super Bowl LVI. Their last two wins will come against Tom Brady and the Bills.