The NFC North is there for the taking. The only question is whether the Detroit Lions really want to take it, because it sure doesn't sound like it.
Everywhere I turned this week in Allen Park, no one wanted to say the obvious. No one wanted to admit the loss of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers _ likely out for the season with a broken collarbone _ has completely altered the division race.
Lions coaches and players were too busy pretending the Packers are still a dangerous team without Rodgers.
"He's a great player," coach Jim Caldwell said Monday, "but you find that you look across the league and there's a number of teams that have guys starting for them that they're not the starter at the quarterback position that still play extremely well.
"That's a good football team all the way around. They're good on defense. They're a good kicking game. They have a really good unit. He's obviously a phenomenal player, but I still think Green Bay is Green Bay."
Sorry, but that's simply not true. Rodgers isn't only the NFL's best quarterback, he's the NFL's best player. Period. There isn't one NFL coach or general manager who wouldn't make him their No. 1 overall pick right now.
Rodgers makes up for a lot of the Packers' deficiencies and his loss basically ends all hope for the Packers to win the division, unless they acquire a veteran quarterback like Eli Manning, Colin Kaepernick or Tony Romo.
Since that hasn't happened yet _ Brett Hundley, you have one week to prove yourself _ and might not happen, you have to believe the Lions are in the best position among the NFC North's three other teams to win the title, precisely because of their advantage at quarterback.
The Minnesota Vikings (4-2) are playing "duck, duck, goose" with three quarterbacks, plus the Lions own the head-to-head tiebreaker with them and get to host them on Thanksgiving. The Chicago Bears (2-4) are the Chicago Bears, even though they somehow beat the Baltimore Ravens with rookie Mitch Trubisky completing eight passes.
That leaves the Lions (3-3). Yes, they're banged up. But I don't want to hear about injuries. Every team has significant injuries. What the Lions have is Matthew Stafford, the division's best quarterback at the moment _ by far. Simply stated, Stafford has to step up and prove he's worth his $135-million contract extension.
Yes, Stafford is banged up with a bad ankle and sore ribs and who knows what else. He needs to rest up during the bye week. I recommend putting him in bubble wrap and locking him in a hyperbaric chamber until next Wednesday.
Sorry, but that's simply not true. Rodgers isn't only the NFL's best quarterback, he's the NFL's best player. Period. There isn't one NFL coach or general manager who wouldn't make him their No. 1 overall pick right now.
Rodgers makes up for a lot of the Packers' deficiencies and his loss basically ends all hope for the Packers to win the division, unless they acquire a veteran quarterback like Eli Manning, Colin Kaepernick or Tony Romo.
Since that hasn't happened yet _ Brett Hundley, you have one week to prove yourself _ and might not happen, you have to believe the Lions are in the best position among the NFC North's three other teams to win the title, precisely because of their advantage at quarterback.
The Minnesota Vikings (4-2) are playing "duck, duck, goose" with three quarterbacks, plus the Lions own the head-to-head tiebreaker with them and get to host them on Thanksgiving. The Chicago Bears (2-4) are the Chicago Bears, even though they somehow beat the Baltimore Ravens with rookie Mitch Trubisky completing eight passes.
That leaves the Lions (3-3). Yes, they're banged up. But I don't want to hear about injuries. Every team has significant injuries. What the Lions have is Matthew Stafford, the division's best quarterback at the moment _ by far. Simply stated, Stafford has to step up and prove he's worth his $135-million contract extension.
Yes, Stafford is banged up with a bad ankle and sore ribs and who knows what else. He needs to rest up during the bye week. I recommend putting him in bubble wrap and locking him in a hyperbaric chamber until next Wednesday.
