Friday open thread: How do you feel about the NFC North?

Now that the 2019 NFL season is officially over, all eyes can turn to next year. Of course, the Detroit Lions have probably been at this point for a while. Both in the standings and on the field, it is hard to imagine 2020 going any worse than the previous year, but still, the stars are not quite aligning for the Lions.

There are a million things the organization needs to shore up internally, but one big external challenge is the current state of the division. The NFC North had only one team finish under .500 last season, and the other three teams averaged over 10 wins. With all three teams also looking to get stronger over the offseason, it seems like it will be a challenge for Detroit to gain much ground.

Today’s question of the day is:

How do you feel about the NFC North?

My answer: Terrified. I was one of the few people who thought the Packers would take the division in 2019, and even if they regress a bit from their 13 wins, there is still plenty of reasons to believe in them again. Aaron Rodgers did not have his best season, yet still was able to lead a successful Green Bay offense. If he bounces back next year, it could spell trouble when combined with the dominant defense to help him out.

Meanwhile, most fans expected the Vikings to finish on top, and surely they will be gearing up for another run in 2020. Dalvin Cook was excellent and the passing game is competent enough to round out a solid overall roster. On paper there is no way the Lions can stack up to either of these teams as their roster currently stands.

We like to laugh at the Bears around here, but the fact of the matter is that Chicago is still in a better place than Detroit right now. The five-win gap between the two teams last season was no small margin, and at best it looks like the Lions will be once again fighting for third place.

Your turn.