NFC North 2006 Preview

The NFC North continues to appear to be the division in the NFL to watch, but that isn't necessarily a good thing. While other divisions have teams that appear to be dominant, intimidating and dazzling to watch the NFC north continues to dwell in a kind of haze of mediocrity. This means it has the potential to be anyone's season and, just like last year, full of surprises.

Let's take a quick look around the division, by team, and we'll start with the team closest to my home.

Chicago Bears - Anyone who says they predicted the Bears to do as well as they did last year is just a liar. I would say this is doubly so if they predicted they would do that well once quarterback Rex Grossman went down with yet another injury at the very beginning of the season. Kyle Orton stepped in admirably and held the team together but it was evident this man was very much still a rookie.

Things have not changed much in the off-season with this team. This is both a show of stability within the team but also a bit of a frustration for fans who are already calling for the head of General Manager Jerry Angelo. Yet another off-season has gone by with little added depth at the most vulnerable position, quarterback. It seems that the Bears will continue to go by the tradition of not having a star at this position. Those still nostalgic for the Syd Luckman years won't have to worry about this year eclipsing him.

Rex Grossman will be back as the starting quarterback. One hopes that he now has the requisite experience under his belt to step up and become the quarterback we have all been told he could become. Kyle Orton now comes back no longer considered a rookie and with a large portion of a successful season under his belt. If Grossman can manage, for once, to remain healthy this could be a decent year for him and for the position.

The Bears continue to be a defensive team but look again for impressive output from wide receiver Mushin Muhammad and impressive running numbers from Thomas Jones. Jones became a star last year with 1300 plus yards and nine touchdowns. In the wide receiver position Bernard Berrian will be returning and he also turned in respectable numbers last year.