Thursday open thread: Who will win the NFC North in 2020?

The NFL schedule was finally released last week. The first thing that I always look at is the Detroit Lions division games and the what the Bears, Packers, and Vikings schedules are.

And at the end of the day, I do this for one reason: I want to try and figure out who will win the division. Even with the NFL reshuffling what the playoffs look like, winning the division is still the surest route to the playoffs and for a shot at winning the Super Bowl,

It may seem simplistic, but Lions need to worry about winning in the division first and foremost. Last year, they were horrendous within the division.

In the six division games the Lions played in, they lost every single one. On the flip side, the division-winning Green Bay Packers won all six — including three in a row to close out the season.

So, with all that in mind, today question is:

Which NFC North team will win the division in 2020?

My Answer: Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings didn’t have the strongest showing last year, but they still found a way to win 10 games—and beat the Lions twice. The Packers are next in line for me. I don’t think their 13-3 record last year quite showed what type of team they are and they could be in line for a slight regression.

Below those teams are the Chicago Bears and the Lions. Those teams are a coin flip to me for the worst in the division. The Bears won eight games last season including two against the Lions, but I only see them getting better or worse by a game or two.

The Lions are the biggest wildcard to me because of Matthew Stafford. He was playing at MVP level last season before a back injury cut his season short. If the Lions defense can even improve a little bit (a big ask) the Lions have a shot to play themselves into contention within the division.

Your turn.