Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings tell the Cinderella story, with many people writing them off as they had lost rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy during the preseason with a torn meniscus. 

With Sam Darnold as backup, many doubted he would amount to anything this season, but he’s played solid with an incredible defense, as they have started 5-1.  

However, even with this strong start, don’t be surprised if this team misses the playoffs or barely squeaks in.  

Other than maybe three teams, the Vikings have a tough schedule, including division rivals and teams in prime position for a playoff push.  

Sam Darnold is a journeyman, and while journeymen get hot from time to time, it never lasts for long. He started off hot for his first four games, but has teetered off since then, and his play could soon follow.  

The only way this team keeps winning is if Justin Jefferson plays like he did in 2022 and the defense bounces back, but the breaks needed are too much, and it’s a matter of when they become a mediocre team once again. 

Bears

As for the Chicago Bears, they are trying to begin a new era, with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. 

The Bears have given him one of the best receiving rooms in the league, trading for veteran Keenen Allen and drafting Rome Odunze even after having DJ Moore. 

While Williams started slow, many were quick to criticize his play, which is ridiculous. He’s a rookie, he’s going from PAC-12 defenses to NFL defenses. 

Rookie growing pains are common and there is no reason to give up on him, especially after throwing for four touchdowns to only one interception in a dominating win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Williams has the potential to be a good, if not great, quarterback, this team has one massive problem, which could likely make them miss the playoffs and that is—coaching. 

The head coach position of the Bears has never been in good hands since the infamous “Double Doink” game against the Philadelphia Eagles, one kick broke the entire franchise.  

Since that singular play, there has been little success, making the playoffs only once and getting dominated against the New Orleans Saints, with the head coach being a big issue. 

Matt Eberfleus is entering a make-or-break year, and it looks like come the end of the season, he will be in the unemployment line looking for another job. 

He didn’t mold his previous young quarterback, Justin Fields, and has had some terrible offensive coordinators calling the plays, including Shane Waldron, the current OC.  

Waldron doesn’t belong on the sidelines, let alone letting a rookie get killed out there. 

Don’t be surprised if this team finishes with only seven wins on the year, because as soon as they play the New England Patriots, they play teams with everything to lose. 

If Chicago wants to return to glory, they will need a new head coach, and with the schedule they have, there’s a good chance they get run over—Bears fans should be happy if Eberfleus and Waldron are gone. 

Packers

Now onto the Green Bay Packers, a team that does have a bright future, that is if certain players can behave themselves off the field as well as on. 

The Packers had a bumpy season last year under quarterback Jordan Love, but he’s proved himself in this league. He has a cannon for an arm and isn’t afraid to let the ball rip. 

But that’s also a problem. Love has a habit of throwing into tight windows, which can lead to incredible throws or terrible interceptions, but he plays with his confidence, and it usually pays off. 

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is one of the best head coaches in football now, and the way he managed to deal with Aaron Rodgers is surprising, considering Rodgers’ diva type behavior.  

New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley had a bad first game, but has been incredible since, turning their defense into one of the better units in the league. 

Packer’s defense has the most takeaways in the league, with 17, including new signing Xavier McKinney getting five interceptions in seven games, even getting at least one interception for five games straight. 

Even with that, a big problem for Green Bay…the kickers. 

Green Bay signed Brandon McManus last Wednesday, who made a game winning field goal against the Houston Texans, but before McManus a slew of rookies were shanking kicks left and right, costing the Packers three games, one during the playoffs. 

McManus’ recent on the field kicks aside, his off the field assault allegations dominate headlines.

 McManus has been in the NFL for a long time, but was released by the Washington Commanders after facing sexual assault allegations—but the NFL ruled that there was not enough evidence. 

McManus and his attorney, Brett Gallaway, said the issue had been “resolved” after a Florida judge ruled that it did not meet “exceptional case” criteria per Florida law. 

That law cites, per Florida law, the two women’s usage of “Jane Doe I” and “Jane Doe II” does not meet “exceptional case” criteria required to warrant party anonymity. 

But in Sept. both women who sued NFL kicker Brandon McManus alleging he sexually assaulted them last year when they were serving as flight attendants on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ flight to London filed an amended complaint on Friday that includes their names.

The amended complaint reportedly also includes new allegations against the team, saying the plane was separated into two levels, allowing for inappropriate behavior to take place, and that rules such as a ban on alcohol consumption were not enforced.

“As a result of the Jaguars’ non-enforcement of policy, defendant Brandon McManus drank alcohol to the point that he got drunk, along with others, and ultimately sexually assaulted both plaintiffs,” the complaint reads. “Due to the Jaguars’ in-flight policy and procedure — or lack thereof — and implicit instructions to the flight crew to not intervene in said conduct, the Jaguars as well as McManus are directly responsible for this occurrence.”

The women’s attorney Tony Buzbee said, “Most defendants in sexual assault cases file these types of motions thinking that the victims won’t proceed if they have to publicly reveal their names,” Buzbee said in a statement to ESPN. 

“We anticipated this ruling. To be clear, these women have no intention to run and hide, and will comply with the court’s order in a timely fashion. We look forward to continuing to pursue this important case.”

So far, no disciplinary action from the NFL has been taken against McManus for his alleged assault, but the case is still pending. 

Green Bay will not win the division, but they will make the playoffs. 

Lions

The Detroit Lions, for the longest time a laughing stock and a punching bag before Dan Campbell who knows how to play good football…and bite kneecaps.  

It took three years, but Campbell has made the Lions into a Super Bowl contender, as they look like the best team in the NFC. 

The Lions’ offense is one of the best not just currently, but has the potential to be one of the best offenses ever, especially with Ben Johnson calling the plays. 

Jared Goff’s game where he went 18/18 on passes and even caught one for good measure demonstrates this. 

David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are an electric running back duo. 

The weapons for Goff are explosive too. First, Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the top receivers in the league. 

Then there’s the new tight end, Sam LaPorta, entering his second year who was incredible for the offense, and became a safety valve for them. 

And finally, Jameson Williams. Williams a player with many question marks coming into the season, and perhaps a tease…but not this time. 

He’s broken out and started exceptionally well but will face a two-game suspension, after breaking the NFL’s policy for a PES (Performance-Enhancing Substance).  

It isn’t his first suspension either, as in 2023, he was suspended for six games after violating the NFL’s gambling policy, so he needs to do some work on himself and his image. 

Even with Williams missing some much-needed time to grow, Campbell has proven that this isn’t about one player, but about playing as a unit. 

The only issue with Campbell is aggressiveness. He has a tendency to go for it on fourth down, even when he doesn’t need to.  

The best example is last year’s NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, where they had it all, before playing it, mostly due to the unnecessary calls by Campbell. 

However, this team is still one of the best in the league, and the defense is great, but there is one issue. Aidan Hutchinson is the heart and soul of that defense, and during a blowout victory against the Dallas Cowboys two weeks ago, Hutchinson suffered a gruesome and terrifying injury.  

He completely snapped his leg, so loud you could hear it from your television. Because of that, his season is over, and it was a huge and tragic event.  

Even then, don’t expect regression. Campbell has made this team about toughness and grit. 

This team will lose something, but won’t be moved by the loss of their main man. 

This team, just like every team here, has a lot of tough opponents, but they will fight you to the very end. 

At this point though, it’s not if they can win the division—it’s if they can win the Super Bowl. 

Detroit has the ability to go all the way, and come February, it would be surprising if the Lions didn’t celebrate their first ever Super Bowl win.