1) Cutler is underrated. Last year he had almost no targets. This year he has Marshall and Jeffery.

2) Addition of targets will open up more passing lanes, thus opening up more running lanes for Forte and Bush.

3) Chicago has a better defense.

I think they’ll win division by 1 game though. GB will come second, Detroit third, and Vikings last.

It will be one of the toughest, highest scoring divisions in the NFL for sure.

Like anyone else, I like to watch the chess match between offenses and defenses every week. The thing is, the rules are becoming so swayed towards offense, that the defense are playing with their hands tied.

Funny how everyone ripped the Pro Bowl for its lack of defense, but loves it when there are five QBs throwing for 5,000 yards and another half dozen throwing or 4,000 during the season.

And also that fans should stop giving the same excuses for their team losing that 12-year-olds give when they lose.

Unless of course you are 12 (or around there), then carry on.

Even if the Packers haven’t improved their defense, that offense is still a juggernaut so having them ranked high is fair.

All of you crying about the Giants not being number 1, thats just laughable. They limped in to the playoffs, they didn’t dominate like the Pack.

The Packers were short handed on the D line last year so Capers took a bend but don’t break philosophy. they gave up a lot of yards but led the league in interceptions. Several games were won by the defense taking it to the house on an interception. They were not the worst defense in the league.

If McCarthy takes the ball instead of deferring against the Chiefs and the Giants the defense isn’t worn down to start the game and they win both of those games. That was not smart.

If eli threw three picks in that game and lost, do you think everyone would be saying “well, the packers got lucky that Eli through INTs”

I know the Giants aren’t the best team in the NFL, but I think they’re the best. I just try to do it without being delusional.

last year, there were only 2 teams in the league with 2 receivers that garnered over 1,000 yards. they were the Patriots and the Giants, and yes, the Packers have a talented receiver corps, but honestly, the Giants group is maybe a slight notch below if not equal. the difference is QB, and yes Rodgers may have more tools in his arsenal than Eli, but whatever Manning lacks in ability, he makes up for with his mental toughness. statistically, he may go down as the best 4th quarter QB of all time, and that is FACT.

the year after the Giants won in 07, the Giants were the best team in the NFC (12-4) and lost to the Eagles in round 1. so yes, as a Giants fan, i know what its like to ride high all year long and end up with your face in the mud.

many Giants players like Justin Tuck admit that they were too immature to handle having the target on their back (ie: Plax), but they refocused and what do you know, won a second Super Bowl, which the Packers OR Saints have been unable to do.

if the offenses are equal, then the defense AND the special teams are the answer to this question. there are 3 Pro Bowl DE’s on the NYG front line. 1st round draft picks litter a secondary that always plays better at the end of the year. and the Giants beat the Cowboys to win the division with a blocked FG and won the NFC Championship with 2 fumble recoveries on punts.

and of course, i’m a Giants fan, and i’m biased, but the Ravens and the 49ers are more complete teams than the Packers, Saints, or Patriots right now. if Flacco or Smith have a career year (which for them, isn’t approaching Rodgers or Brees numbers), you’re looking at the two Super Bowl participants.

As for the SF game, they should have lost that one too. If it weren’t for a certain greedy SF Safety, the SF CBs would have picked Manning off twice. Also, two muffed punts by the back-up punt returner sealed the deal.

There was nothing special about the Giants or Manning last year. They were lucky they did not have to face Brees in New Orleans. Kudos to them as they took advantage of the mistakes of others, but I guarantee you…..the Packers and the rest of the NFC will not take them lightly this year.

The top two teams on this list are correct and only an amateur football fan would question that. The only change I would have made in the top 3 is to put New Orleans there at 3 and take New York out. The Giants should sit somewhere between 6 and 10 if you ask me.

How can you argue that the Packers, the Patriots and the Saints are not the top 3? They have the three best QBs in football!

How is a defense that lead the league in turnovers the league’s worst? You are cherry picking a single stat that was ranked 32nd, and using it to call the overall defense the leagues worst, which it wasn’t overall. Not even close.

Except the Giants at home in the playoffs.

3 TDs in the first half by Favre in the Superbowl pretty much sealed the win. If it wasn’t for the greatest special teams performance of all time, everybody knows that SB MVP was Favres. Just proves how meaningless that award is. Heck, didn’t a no name Dallas CB get it over Aikman, Emmit Smith, and Irving one year?

They were 32nd in yardage, but 19th in points allowed.

In 2010 they were 5th for yardage, 2nd for points allowed.

Important stat: 2011 Points Differential: +201, 2nd to New Orleans at +208.

Another important stat: with Aaron Rodgers on your team you can beat anybody.

Guy coached up a injury riddled unit to a superbowl championship defense…

Now that Ted finally loaded up and got some actual difference makers for Dom to use, I wouldn’t be suprised to see our Defense rise to the top ten in rankings.

The Packers are of course SB contenders and will be for the next several years. Rodgers is simply amazing with how he takes care of the ball yet can still sling it around. Only 6 INTs with 4 being his fault and no dropped interceptions. He has only thrown like 2 in his career in the red zone. After years of Favre I can’t tell you how nice this is. [Loved Favre to but I scream dirty things in front of children at the TV far less now].

B-Packers have no chance this year against the Saints….back to your boring Midwest town and life…..
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I can’t believe I am defending Green Bay but….Dude really? Your head coach gone, his replacement gone for the first part of the season as well. They will be good, 10-6 good probably, but they are not in my opinion in a position to make a run deep into the post season.

But Dom Capers is a joke. The guy is glorified Gregg Williams. I know a lot of Packer fans love him, but he’s holding them back. The Packers have talented players on defense, quite a few, but Capers fails to do anything with them. His one stat is turnovers, but this is heavily inflated by the fact that the Packers had a lot of leads lsat year, and don’t possess the ball for very long during possessions.

I don’t know anyone who would take the Giants over the Packers for regular season rankings. The Giants finished 9-7 and Coughlin teams always take two steps back.

GO PATS!