NFC North Week 14 Predictions

Posted by Charles Mitri Categories: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Editorials,

Let’s get the easy pick out of the way. The Minnesota Vikings travel to Ford Field to take on the Detroit “0-16 here we come” Lions. The Lions have more holes in their squad than the 7th Cavalry had at Little Big Horn. The Vikes, fresh off a huge win over the Chicago Bears will easily roll over the hapless Lions by a hefty margin. Look for Gus Frerotte and Company to strike early and often. Minnesota improves their record to 8-5 while the Lions drop to 0-13. Vikings by 17.

The Jacksonville Jaguars visit Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears. Still smarting from their 34-14 loss to the Vikings last week, the Bears will be out for blood. They also need a win to keep pace with the Vikings. Kyle Orton is due for a big game and Matt Forte will run roughshod through the Jags porous defense. Bears by 10.

The Green Bay Packers host the Houston Texans at home. Tough one to call. The Packers stayed close to the high flying Carolina Panthers for the entire game, but again came up on the short end of a 35-31 tally. Houston isn’t a playoff caliber team yet, but they’re headed in that direction. Their Monday night 30-17 win over the Jags was pretty much a one-sided affair. The Texans jumped out to an early 16-3 lead at the half and played dead even ball in the second half, as each team traded off touchdowns like kids playing two hand touch. Even though the Packers still have a mathematical chance at winning the NFC North, they need to peel off four wins in a row while the Bears and Vikings need to completely tank their last four. Long odds by any standard. The one plus in the Green Bay column is that they’re playing at home — they just can’t seem to buy a road win this season. The Texans are an up-and-coming team who improves every year. Texans by 10.

NFC North Week 13 Predictions

Posted by Charles Mitri Categories: Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Editorials,

The big showdown in the NFC North is between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Bears are fresh off a 27-3 shellacking off the St. Louis Rams while the Vikes posted a convincing 30-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Minnesota QB Gus Frerotte posted average numbers on 12-of-20 passing for 120 yards and one interception. Force of nature running back Adrian Peterson ran for 80 yards on 17 carries. Bears field general Kyle Orton riddled the Jags’ defense on 17-of-28 passing for 132 yards and one TD while backfield partner Matt Forte punished the Jacksonville defense for 132 yards on 21 carries and two scoring strikes. Even though the game is being played in Minnesota, this contest is something of a toss up. Minnesota is 4-1 at home, but the Bears have been playing .500 ball on the road with a 3-3 record. This is a must-win game for both teams, but not necessarily a knockout blow. Whoever wins will sit alone atop the NFC North but only by one game. Whoever loses this game could be in a tie for second if the Green Bay Packers pull off a win over the Carolina Panthers. The Vikings lost a 48-41 melee at Soldier Field and will be looking to avenge that loss. Minnesota by 3.

While the Bears and the Vikings are butting heads in the frozen north, the Packers will host the Panthers at Lambeau Field. The Packers were decimated by the New Orleans Saints, 51-29, on Monday night while the Panthers were clobbered by the Atlanta Falcons, 45-28. The Falcons reeled off 28 fourth quarter points, making the Panthers defense suspect. Both the Packers and the Panthers are still in the hunt for playoff seeds, but the Packers are fighting for their lives in the NFC North and will be out for blood after losing in the Big Easy. Packers by 7.

The Detroit Lions? They recorded their weekly loss on Thanksgiving Day. This time out it was the Tennessee Titans that handed them a 47-10 pasting. At least the Lions get the weekend to lick their wounds. What else is new?

NFC North Week 12 Predictions

Posted by Charles Mitri Categories: New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Saint Louis Rams, Editorials,

While everyone will be tuned into the New York Jets-Tennessee Titans game to see if Brett Favre & Company can knock off Tennessee, the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will be slugging it out for top honors in the NFC North. Coming off an humiliating 37-3 trouncing to the Packers, the Bears will travel to the Gateway to the West to take on the woeful St. Louis Rams. Did someone say “massacre in the making”? You betcha. running back Matt Forte will decimate the Rams defense and Kyle Orton will shower the St. Louis secondary with an aerial bombardment. Bears by 14.

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NFC North Week 11 Predictions

Posted by Charles Mitri Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Editorials,

Two key match ups this week when the Minnesota Vikings travel to take on the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers while the Chicago Bears visit the tundra to clash with the Green Bay Packers. Tampa Bay is one game shy of the division-leading Carolina Panthers who host the Detroit Lions - chalk up a win for Carolina. To keep pace, Tampa will need a win over Minnesota. By the end of the day, Carolina’s record should be 8-2 while a win over the Vikings will put the Bucs at 7-3. Local oddsmakers have already given the Panthers a 14-point edge over Detroit. Coming off a brutal heart-stopper over the Packers in Week 10, the Vikings will probably find out the hard way that the Bucs are no fluke. Bucs by 7.

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NFC North Overview - Week 7

Posted by Charles Mitri Categories: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings,

In the showdown contest of the week, at Soldier Field the Chicago Bears pulled out a wild one over the Minnesota Vikings, 48-41. With first place atop the Black and Blue division hanging in the balance, Bears QB Kyle Orton rose to the occasion, posting some pretty good numbers racking up 283 aerial yards for two TDs on 21-of-32 passing. On the other side of the pigskin, the Vikes fabled front four shut down Chicago’s running game, holding rookie ground specialist Matt Forte to a meager 56 yards on 20 carries and one end zone visit. Forte’s opposite number, Adrian Peterson, was a one man wrecking crew grinding out 121 yards on 22 carries for two TDs including a 54-yard scoring tear. Minnesota’s back up QB Gus Frerotte had a career afternoon—in more ways than one—chalking up 298 yards on 25-of-40 passing for two TDs. But one stat alone tells the whole story. Amidst all these offensive fireworks Frerotte also lobbed four interceptions—more than enough to ensure Chicago’s win.

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NFC North Overview - Week 5

Posted by Charles Mitri Categories: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings,

Adrian Petersen will make this coming Monday’s clash in the Big Easy against the New Orleans Saints look more like a track meet than a football game. The Minnesota Vikings are due for a breakout game. The Vikes’ front four will make Saints backs think they’ve hit the Great Wall of China as their running game grinds to a halt.  The Saints will have to resort to a passing game - dangerous without a ground game for balance, but not too bad with Drew Brees being the passer.  A win will put Minnesota’s record at 2-3 - close enough to division leaders, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Conservative pick… Minnesota by 10+.

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