A year after two teams from the NFC North went to the playoffs, the division looks to once again be a powerhouse. If the Lions can continue to improve, it could even be the best division in football. Let’s take a look at the NFC North teams heading into the 2010 season.

Minnesota Vikings. With or without Brett Favre returning in 2010, the Vikings have tons of talent and will likely be in the playoffs. If Favre does return, though, they remain one of the very top teams in the conference, and all signs right now seem to point to Favre getting back on the gridiron. For the Vikes, it all starts offensively with workhorse Adrian Peterson and a very strong offensive line. Favre also has plenty of weapons as well, including Sidney Rice, who had a breakout season in 2009, and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. When Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian are also added into the mix, you can see that the Vikings remain one of the most explosive offenses around.

On defense, the Vikings also have plenty of playmakers, including Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Jared Allen and Antoine Winfield. Though they struggled with inconsistency at times in 2009, they don’t have to be perfect to win plenty of games. With Favre at the helm, the window for the Vikings to win a Super Bowl may be closing, but it’s still open for the 2010 season.

Detroit Lions. Formerly the joke of the league, after losing all 16 games in 2008, the Lions showed some signs of life in 2009. In his rookie season, quarterback Mathew Stafford battled injury a year ago but is a tough, cerebral signal caller who should get better in his second season. In Calvin Johnson, the Lions have a premier wide receiver for Stafford to throw to. The Lions do need to get some consistency on the offensive line and more production from third-year back Kevin Smith, but they should continue to improve in 2010. Adding second overall pick Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch to their d-line should also make a big difference.

Chicago Bears. Contrary to popular belief, Jay Cutler didn’t forget how to play football. In a new system without many weapons to throw to, Cutler was arguably the worst starting quarterback in the league in 2009 – something he won’t likely duplicate in 2010. Cutler still doesn’t have many weapons, as the Bears weren’t able to add too much through the draft, but he should have a much better season in 2010. Adding Julius Peppers also will help them considerably, even if they massively overpaid for his services. Still, the Bears could be the fourth best team in the division for the first time in a while.

Green Bay Packers. Led by Aaron Rodgers, the Packers may have the most entertaining team in the entire league. Even without much of an offensive line in prescription cialis generic 2009, the Packers still won 11 games and made it to the playoffs, where they lost in one of the most exciting games in playoff history. There are some concerns on defense, but the Pack did address their issues on offensive line by drafting Brian Bulaga, and defensive tackle Michael Neal should help as well. And there is always Rodgers to sell plenty of NFL tickets and keep the scoreboard working overtime.

2010 outlook: With the two best quarterbacks in the division, the Packers and the Vikings figure to be the two teams once again vying for the division title. The Vikings have the more stacked roster but Rodgers is on his way to becoming the best quarterback in the league, which could help get Kamagra the Pack over the top and take down the NFC North. With the Lions improving, they also won’t be a doormat in 2010, which could mean less total wins for the other teams in the division. It should be close, but the Packers look like they might squeeze this one out. Either way, both the Vikings and Packers look to make it back to the playoffs.

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