This is part of an ongoing 8-part series where the Steel City Underground team takes their stab at predicting the 2016 NFL season.

This edition focuses on the NFC North.

2015 Finish	Brian	Terry	Joe	Josh
MIN	GB	GB	GB	GB
GB	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN
DET	DET	DET	DET	CHI
CHI	CHI	CHI	CHI	DET

Almost a unanimous decision among our panel, picking the Packers on top, Vikings second, and then a coin toss (as Brian puts it) between the Lions and Bears.

Here’s how we felt these teams stacked up:

Brian

As long as Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback, you can expect the Packers to get mad respect. The Vikings might give them some kind of challenge, but I actually think Sam Bradford is going to regret the trade, and maybe the Vikings will as well (especially when they have to see whomever the Eagles get with that first round pick (crazy!))

The Packers aren’t perfect, but I think they’ll be more than good enough to take the division.

This pick has more to do with the Bears being terrible, and the Lions being the Lions. I don’t think much of either squad, and with Adrian Peterson the Vikings are by default better.

Flip a coin between the Bears and the Lions. I’ll say Lions take 3 and Bears 4 because I don’t see either having a prayer of moving ahead of either the Packers or the Vikings.

Joe

The only reason the Vikings won the division last year is because the Packers lost it. With a healthy team in Green Bay, the status quo returns. That’s not to say the Vikings won’t be a playoff contender, because I feel they will. Losing Teddy Bridgewater stings, but he wasn’t throwing enough pass attempts, yards and touchdowns to really make Sam Bradford any more of an upgrade-or-downgrade. In fact, Bradford could be better for this team in the end.

The Lions are struggling to find their identity still. Losing Calvin Johnson is going to be significant, and Matt Stafford isn’t the upper tier type of QB to make nobodies into somebodies.

Da Bears could jump ahead of the Lions, but it really depends on Cutler staying healthy for 16 games. Brian Hoyer is the emergency policy if Cutler goes down, but I’m not sold this team has enough juice on the defensive side of the ball, especially a banged up secondary, to contend for much other than cellar dweller.

Terry

This is Aaron Rogers’ division. He’ll win and take his team to an 11-5 record. Hope we get more of those Hail Mary plays.

Sam Bradford to Minnesota was genius. They will make it to postseason, but only because Lions and Bears have no idea what it takes to win.