With the Vikings clinching the NFC North pretty early on last year, it was never really going to be a competition for the division title. This offseason, NFL fans have been quick to write off the Vikings and put their faith in the up and coming Lions. The bottom line is, the Vikings WILL win the NFC North next season. Here’s why.
Lions are becoming overrated
The Lions are a solid team, don’t get me wrong. They play hard, bounce back when they’re down, and have a team culture that is not too dissimilar to the Vikings. We know that this team is capable of success. Yet they have failed to put together a season that is capable of winning the division. Sure they started off 0-6, and fought their way back to 9-8 last year. The division was already won by the Vikings during that stretch though. If the Lions can find a way to start the season off strong, and win a handful of games. Then we can talk about them winning the north.
Another factor that will hinder their success in 2023 is their offseason thus far. Losing Jamaal Williams is a big deal, he was one of their most productive players, and he appeared to be a leader in the locker room. They have made some solid signings in free agency, such as C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Their draft strategy has been criticized as well. They got some solid players, but they did so in a way that lots of NFL fans view as reaching. The most confusing to me was trading back from seven to take Gibbs at twelve. Instead of drafting Bijan Robinson with their original pick. I’m not an expert, and maybe Gibbs was their guy the whole time. It is also worth mentioning that the Lions are the latest team to be impacted by some players breaking the NFL’s gambling policy. Most notably 2022 first round pick Jameson Williams.
Like I said before, they are a solid team. They are also becoming a bit overhyped, and the expectations for them this season could prove to be too high.
Misconceptions about the Vikings offseason
Now that I have discussed the Lions offseason, and my perception of it. Let me now clear up some misconceptions about the Vikings decisions this offseason so far. Firstly, I have seen so many people that believe that the Vikings releasing many veteran players is going to make them a significantly worse team. The level of play from every player they have released clearly dropped last season. It appears that only Vikings fans are capable of seeing that and accepting that it was time to move on. Especially the defensive players. Most fans will not be too upset over losing players from the 31st ranked defense. Regardless of sentiment.
A valid argument on this topic is that those guys that were released were leaders of the team, and strong locker room presences. This is definitely true, and that will be the challenge of this season. Recreating that same culture as last year with lots of new faces.
As far as level as play goes, there is no reason that the Vikings won’t be a better team than last year. It is also entirely possible that they could win less games than last year and still be a better team. Most fans have realized that it is better to bet on young players with high potential. Instead of relying on veterans that are slowly regressing.
Photo from Minnesota Vikings Official Website
These are the two main discussions that seem to be on people’s minds in regards to who will be winning the NFC North. The Bears and Packers aren’t really viewed as contenders for this season. However, if both of their young quarterbacks play well, they could sneakily pose a threat to the Vikings or Lions. We’re still convinced that the Vikings will win the NFC North.
