With injuries to Jay Cutler and Lance Briggs combined with the quarterback ineptitude in Minnesota, the NFC North has suddenly turned soft.
The Bears-Packers Monday Night Football game drew serious interest in the offseason for a couple teams that may be vying for a division crown. Now, the Packers are already an 11-point favorite against a Bears defense that has only tallied three sacks in the last three games.
When was the last time a Thanksgiving game with Detroit actually meant something? Well, the last time the Lions played the Packers on Thanksgiving in a year they made the playoffs was 1957. (In full disclosure, the Packers were 3-9 that year).
And as I look at the NFL standings, the New York Giants sit only two games back in the NFC East after getting out to a brutal 0-6 start. Everyone loves the NFC East because it has four major media markets. But that doesn’t help them play football.
The game at Jerry Jones’ playpen, you know, the one where tickets were printed for seats that didn’t exist for Super Bowl XLV, could be interesting. Dallas cannot stop running water so Aaron Rodgers should have some fun.
Even that season finale game at Chicago could be a dandy with loads of playoff implications but if the Bears fall into a tailspin with Cutler going down, that game will only be a means to an end.
With the way Rodgers is playing with backup receivers, I see the Packers legitimately going 8-1 the rest of the way to end the season with a 13-3 mark.
I didn’t think the Packers would finish nearly that good, especially after seeing the offense and defense get gutted to injuries. But in the NFL, it’s not so much who you play, but when you play them.
With Robert Griffin III finally coming back into his own by resembling the mobile player he was last year, the Redskins wouldn’t have lost by 18 in Green Bay in Week 2.
I actually thought that having the bye in Week 4 the Packers were going to be in trouble later in the year when the nicks of the season start to get more pronounced.
But after facing the 49ers, Redskins and Bengals to start the year — the 49ers and Bengals are serious Super Bowl threats by the way — the Packers only have to worry about fine-tuning, getting into a rhythm and getting healthy.
——————Cory Jennerjohn is from Wisconsin and has been in sports media for over 10 years. To contact Cory e-mail him at jeobs -at- yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter: Cory Jennerjohn
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