One of the things I have enjoyed the most - as I have been going division to division offering up my early bird analysis - is reading your comments and hearing your assessment of the teams and divisions. You are educating me and helping me stay sharp. Just wanted to thank you for that.

For today's post I am going to take on the the division that is near and dear to my heart, the NFC North. Why is it near and dear you ask? Well my beloved Vikings are a part of this division.

I am going to look at this as objectively as possible BUT as you can imagine, it is almost impossibleto write this without some sort of bias.

While on one hand I may think overvalue my team in one category, on the other I am just as afraid of giving them to good of a grade and jinxing them. I am a bit superstitious when it comes to the Vikes to years and years of shattered expectations. They are usually better than expected or worse than expected. I will do my best but feel free to keep me honest.

With that out of the way lets do it. Here are my thoughts on the NFC - and in the words of ESPN's Chris Berman - Norse;

2008 NFC North Final Standings:

1) Green Bay Packers

2) Minnesota Vikings

3) Chicago Bears

4) Detriot Lions

Thoughts:

Although it is tempting to go Minnesota now that Jared Allen is wearing purple, but I will stick with the Packers (hopefully I am wrong). Basically my choice for division winner comes down to the quarterback. Although it is hard to put all my chips on Aaron Rodgers it is even harder to put my chips on Tavaris Jackson. Both teams have top ten defenses, exceptional o-lines and top shelf play makers on offense.

The Bear offense is a huge question mark - and thats being nice. The defense started to show some vulnerability because the offense stinks. That only leaves them with Devon Hester and unfortunately he can't do it all.

I wanna put Detroit in the three spot but I've bet on them in the past and they just seem to find a way to blow it no matter how good they look on paper.

Fantasy Notes:

Can Aaron Rodgers pick up where Favre left off? All that we really know about Rodgers is ...stop by my fantasy football blog to read the rest of the fantasy football notes.