The NFL season is around the corner, and all 32 teams are on equal footing for now. Let’s take a look at the past season for each NFC North team, including predictions for each team heading into the 2024-25 season.
NFC North BetMGM
Best Bets
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams (+125)
NFC North – Top 2: Packers (-210)
NFC North – Dual Forecast: Lions/Packers (+125)
Chicago Bears
Season Recap
This was the Bears’ 104th season in the National Football League, finishing 7-10 and fourth in the NFC North under head coach Matt Eberflus, who’s in his second season with the team.
Though the team started 0-4, the Bears improved significantly from their 2022 3-14 record. A Week 15 loss to the Cleveland Browns ensured the Bears third consecutive losing season and a fifth consecutive non-winning campaign. After the Carolina Panthers lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars on New Year’s Eve, the Bears secured the first overall pick in the NFL Draft for the second consecutive season. With wins by the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers later that day, the Bears were eliminated from playoff contention for the third consecutive season.
Major Offseason Moves
The Bears fired their offensive coordinator and four other offensive assistants early in the offseason. They let go of WR Darnell Mooney, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons on a 3 year, $39 million deal. The Bears picked up running back D’Andre Swift from the Philadelphia Eagles and wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers.
With two top 10 picks in the NFL Draft, the Bears picked up USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Make/Miss Playoffs: Miss
Minnesota Vikings
Season Recap
This was the Vikings 63rd season in the NFL and second under head coach/general manager tandem Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
After the Vikings started 0-3 for the second time in four years, the team failed to improve their 13-4 record the season prior. Week 16 they lost to the Lions to knock them out of division contention, and the Lions beat the Vikings again to knock them out of playoff contention.
Offseason Moves
For the first time since 2012, wide receiver Adam Thielen was not o the roster. Pro-Bowl running back Dalvin Cook was not on the roster for the first time since 2016. However, the team did make up for these losses by picking up former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones as well as former 49ers backup quarterback Sam Darnold.
The team lost two major players on the Vikings: quarterback Kirk Cousins who went to the Falcons, defensive end Marcus Davenport to the Lions and quarterback Joshua Dobbs to the 49ers.
The Vikings had two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, to which they added quarterback J. J. McCarthy from Michigan and linebacker Dallas Turner from Alabama.
Make/Miss Playoffs: Miss
Detroit Lions
Season Recap
This was the Lions’ 94th season in the NFL and third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.
The Lions improved on their 9-8 record when a Week 15 win against the Broncos gave them their first 10-win season since 2014 and started 8-2 for the first time since 1962. After a Week 16 win over the Minnesota Vikings,, the Lions won their first division title since 1993, the win assured them their first home playoff game since that year, too. It was their third time winning a title since 1957 and hosted two playoff games for the first time in a long time. The Lions outscored their opponents in the two games, 48-30, however fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, 34-31.
Offseason Moves
The Lions picked up former Broncos wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith, Vikings defensive end Marcus Davenport and Ravens guard Kevin Zeitler. They released safety Tracy Walker and cornerback Cameron Sutton who went to the Steelers. Quarterbacks Terry Bridgewater and David Blough as well as defensive end Romeo Okwara retired. The Lions also had one pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, to which they picked up Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold.
Make/Miss Playoffs: Make
Green Bay Packers
Season Recap
This was the Packers 103rd season in the NFL and sixth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst.
For the second time since 2004, Aaron Rodgers was not on the roster. However, the Packers improved on their 8-9 record from the previous season. The Packers became the first seventh seed team to win a playoff game (versus the two-seed Dallas Cowboys), but lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
Offseason Moves
The Packers released running back Aaron Jones who went to the Vikings and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to the San Francisco 49ers. However, the team was swift to replace those holes by picking up Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, Titans offensive tackle Andre Dillard and 49ers defensive tackle Spencer Waege while wide receiver Thyrick Pitts retired. With the 25th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Packers selected Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan.
Make/Miss Playoffs: Miss
Division Winner Prediction
I think the Detroit Lions are going to make some noise in the NFC North. Because the other three teams seem to be going through a rebuild, the Lions figured out the key to dominating again this season.
First & Jenn 
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