As part of an ongoing 8-part series, the Steel City Underground team takes their stab at predicting the 2017 NFL season.

This edition focuses on the NFC North.

	Joe	Brian	Tina	Tommy	Mike	Terry
1	GB	GB	GB	GB	GB	GB
2	MIN	DET	MIN	MIN	DET	DET
3	DET	MIN	DET	DET	MIN	MIN
4	CHI	CHI	CHI	CHI	CHI	CHI

Here’s some commentary justifying everyone’s picks:

Joe

Like the Steelers, the Packers were a game from making the Super Bowl last season. Like the Steelers, they too had problems on defense that they hope are resolved for 2017. Aaron Rodgers is the class of the division and maybe even the NFL. The Pack goes as far as he does.

The Vikings have a crazy good defense but can they improve on a league-worst running game? Is Sam Bradford the guy to lead them to the promised land? Their D is good enough to get them ahead of a still wounded Lions team who will have to play shootouts to win.

The Bears are another team competing for the top pick in the draft.

Brian

The Packers are the cream of this division, and the Steelers/Packers game in Pittsburgh (#spoileralert) could be a preview of sorts (if you catch my drift). The Lions might make some noise this year as Matt Stafford tries to live up to that contract, but it’s really the suspect O-line in Minnesota that has me putting the Lions above the Vikings. The Bears…well the Bears stink.

Tina

Despite his preseason mustache being a little disturbing, Rodgers looks like he may use it like a rally-beard. Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, and Mike Daniels get wound up defensively. Hard not to take the ‘Pack’ as the top team.

The Vikings are counting on Sam Bradford to surpass his completion percentage of 71 and banking on rookie Dalvin Cook to carry the rock for a rookie of the year nod. They’ll need Reiley Reiff and Mike Remmers to bolster an iffy O-line. Defensively, the Vikings need big plays from their backfield to get the second spot.

Matt Stafford is a lucky son-of-a-gun, but should Ameer Abdullah falter or Kenny Golladay does not step up as WR2, the Lions defense counts on a not-100% Ziggy Ansah at their own peril. Not sure Detroit has enough hands on deck.

The Bears have Mitch Trubisky. Too much pressure will be placed on the O-line should he slump and no one knows if Kevin White can be the WR1. Questionable defensive backfield and no real pressure along the front sinks Chicago to the bottom with a young defense that has yet to build cohesiveness.

Tommy

This division was one of the easier ones to pick. There is almost no chance another team overthrows the Packers this year. Besides maybe Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers is the most lethal player in the NFL. They win this division and possess a top 3 offense in the NFL yet again. The Vikings take second place this year with a capable quarterback and a solid defense. The Lions come in third place with Matt Stafford at the helm, but there’s not a lot of talent to be had elsewhere. The Bears may have found their franchise quarterback and star running back. Their defense is young and rising, but much like the Browns, they are still a couple years away. They finish 4th in the division.

Mike

The NFC North is all Packers. They are too good and I am picking Aaron Rodgers to win the MVP this season. I see the Lions finishing second behind a strong year from the NFL’s newest highest paid player, Matt Stafford. Sam Bradford of the Vikings will not see as much success as he did last year and as he falls, so will the Vikings, into third. The Bears, however, will keep the Vikings from finishing last as they are an awful football team with very little talent.

Terry

From the bottom-up… the Bears are rebuilding but losing offensive weapons in preseason at will. The Vikings have no running game now that AP is a Saint and Sam Bradford is not their ticket to a division win.

So can newly minted $100 million-dollar quarterback Matt Stafford beat the league favorite and 3x MVP, Aaron Rodgers?

Is that even a question?

Nope.