The Roethlisberger Fall: Steelers Lose

 27

 34

The Vikings get the ball first and start picking apart the Steelers defense with short passes. They get a bonus facemask penalty that moves them into field goal range. Not much else. Blair Walsh has a big leg.

0-3

Markus Wheaton makes his first catch and moves the chains then gets wide open down the sideline on 3rd down but Ben throws it all the way to Buckingham Palace. A moment of excitement when the Vikings returner signals fair catch then takes off running with the ball. Luckily, the refs flag it.

On the third play, Cassel throws a short out to Jennings and he cuts inside Cortez and turns it up field, running through the Steelers defense and breaking hand tackles. Jennings cuts across the field and takes it all the way to the house. Shades of Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl 43.

0-10

CBS makes it to the Steelers second drive before busting out the Big Ben the Player vs Big Ben the clock discussion.

Ben slings one to Sanders down the sideline and he makes his first catch on a fly route this season. With the ball inside the red zone, the Steelers pick their way down inside the 10 with Ben hitting AB on a slant on 3rd down. Le'Veon Bell bounces one to the outside and gets a great seal block from Heath and dives into the end zone.

The Prescription

7-10

The defense locks it down on Peterson and the Steelers get good starting field position for the first time all season.

Unfortunately, the offense can't do much with it, aside from a screen pass to Bell that looks like an actual NFL team was running it and not a high school team.

Ben gets pressured and misses Heath on 3rd down and it's a quick 3-and-out.

The defense steps up again with Ike breaking up a 3rd down pass.

Second Quarter

A holding penalty sets things back then Haley craps on himself and calls a draw that goes nowhere on second down and a WR screen on 3rd and 17. AB almost picks it up with sheer athleticism alone, but comes up just short. 

You knew sooner or later AP was going to get into the secondary. It happened. He exploded through the line and through an arm tackle and outran Ryan Clark all the way to the end zone. 

7-17

Down by 10, Ben gets sacked when Jared Allen just abuses Mike Adams. Luckily, Antonio Brown is able to move the chains on a 3rd down slant. AB reels in another one across the middle to get us near midfield. Allen continues his abuse of the left side of the line and rings up another sack on a stunt. Ben steps away from pressure on 3rd and long and hits Heath down the seam. The refs actually throw a flag for a helmet to helmet hit and the Steelers get to move all the way down to the 15. Heath and AB get us to 3rd and 1 and The Prescription picks it up. The Steelers can't cash it in and Ben gets sacked by Allen again on 3rd down. Suisham.

Three sacks by Allen on that drive. Mike Adams had a Jonathan Scott-esque night.

10-17

Wheaton makes a touchdown-saving tackle on special teams and the Vikings are set up with good field position. The defense hold the Vikings to a 3rd down and Woodley comes through and knocks the ball out of Cassel's hand but the Steelers can't fall on it after 5 guys dive for it and the Vikings recover ahead of the first down line. Unbelievable. This team is snakebit. Cassel connects on a few passes and work their way into field goal range.

10-20

The Steelers take over with 40 seconds and 1 timeout and Haley calls a running play. Total give-up at the end of the first half. That's frustrating.

Halftime

News breaks that LC Greenwood passed away. Sad news.

Rest in Peace, LC. 

Third Quarter

Ben gets things rolling with a pass to Sanders then Le'Veon makes a few nice jump-cuts to keep moving. Ben goes play-action and hits Cotchery down the seam then goes downtown for AB who gets mauled from behind in the end zone, giving us the ball on the 1. It takes two tries, but The Prescription punches it in.

17-20

Cassel hits Simpson across the middle on a dig route and he is able to cut through the middle of the defense for 50 yards to get down to the red zone. AP takes over and picks up a first down then is able to waltz 7 yards untouched for a touchdown. Way too easy for AP.

17-27

Markus Wheaton makes an appearance and picks up a first down. Ben gets flushed out and tries to force a throw and it goes right to a Vikings defender. Ugh.

As if giving the Vikings good field position wasn't enough, Woodley delivers a late hit out of bounds and gives the Vikings the ball in the red zone. Cassel goes play-action and hits Jennings in the end zone. Vom.

17-34

The Prescription makes some moves on a screen pass but that's all the Steelers can do. Ben gets sacked again on 3rd down. Remember that time we didn't re-sign Max Starks?

The defense holds the Vikings to a 3-and-out, but the damage has mostly been done at this point.

Ben starts working the no huddle and hits two passes over the middle to move us out to midfield.

Fourth Quarter

The first play out of the break is a WR screen that loses yards. Brilliant, Haley. The Steelers get the benefit of a 15-yard penalty to move them into Vikings territory. Ben hits Wheaton to move us down to the 15, threading the needle over a Vikings defender. Two plays later, Ben steps up away from pressure and zings one to Cotchery at the goal line for the score.

24-34

The Vikings keep moving the ball, picking their way down the field. The Steelers finally make a stop when the Vikings are in field goal range. Blair Walsh with a rare miss.

On the second play, Ben hits Cotch across the middle and he scampers out across midfield. The Prescription picks up 9 more then Ben hits Heath over the middle inside the 15. The Steelers stall out without even an attempt at the end zone. Suisham cuts it to a score.

27-34

Rather than trying an onside kick, Tomlin elects to trust the defense. The Vikings have no respect for the Steelers and come out throwing. AP converts a 3rd and 1. The defense is able to come up with a stop after the 2 minute warning and the Steelers get the ball back with 1:45 to play.

Ben hits Cotch on the numbers and he is able to get outside and pick up a block and get into Vikings territory. AB makes a catch over the middle and slips and falls at the 35. Heath and AB make catches to get us to the 20 with a minute to go. After a spike, AB makes a catch at the 13 then another juggling catch with a Hines Ward-esque tip to himself to move the sticks and get us to the 5. After a spike and a throwaway, Ben gets sacked and the ball gets knocked out. The Vikings recover and that's the game.

Vom.

 

Don't look now, but Cleveland is in first in the division

Much-needed bye week. Bye bye.

Gameday: Minnesota Vikings

1:00 EST

Wembley Stadium

TV: CBS

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

Recommended Vikings Blogs/Twitter:

The Daily Norseman / @DailyNorseman

The Viking Age / @TheVikingAge

@DarrenPage15

What To Watch For

1. Big Ben References



The Steelers have a large quarterback named Benjamin. He has not been good this year. Part of that has to do with the offensive line in front of him giving him absolutely no time in the pocket. Part of that has to do with him holding the ball like it's a cup of coffee. Part of it has to do with poor ball placement. Through 3 games Ben has 4 TD passes, 4 interceptions and 4 fumbles. That's simply unsustainable for a quarterback. He has to be better with the football in order for the Steelers to get back to their winning ways. The Vikings secondary is banged up with CB Chris Cook and Safety Jamarca Sanford both out with injuries. The Steelers receivers have a clear advantage on the Vikings corners, and Ben has the opportunity for a big day. A big day for Ben means lots of references to the clock. If this is on your Steelers In London Drinking Game list, you're going to be hammered.

2. Storm the Cassel

In 3 games against the Steelers, Matt Cassel is 1-2 with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. His lone win came in Kansas City in 2009 when the Chiefs beat the Steelers in overtime. Cassel will get the start for the Vikings with Christian Ponder ruled out with a rib injury. I'm honestly not sure whether this is an upgrade or downgrade for the Vikings. Ponder had been absolutely awful this season, throwing 5 picks and only 2 touchdowns. The Vikings have a good set of tackles in Matt Kalil and Phil Loadholt, but the interior of their line is not as good. The Steelers should be able to get pressure with their A-gap blitzes, and Cassel is not the most fleet-footed quarterback in the league. The most important thing the Steelers can do against the Vikings offense is to build an early lead and force Cassel, not Adrian Peterson, to win the game for Minnesota. Speaking of which...

3. All Day



Adrian Peterson had more yards on his first carry of the season than any Steelers back has through three games. He was the league MVP in a season where he came off an ACL surgery. That's unreal. Peterson has only broken triple-digits once this season, but he has faced 8 and 9-man fronts through the first 3 weeks because the Vikings passing game has been dreadful. Despite being 0-3, the Vikings have been in all of their games. Their biggest loss was by 10 on opening week and they have lost by 1 and 4 the past two weeks. No one has been able to build enough of a lead on them to take AP out of the game and force the Vikings to throw. The Vikings offense runs through Peterson who averages 23 carries per game and is second on the team in receptions with 11.

4. Returning to Health

For the first time this season, the available players on the team are entirely healthy. Obviously, Maurkice Pouncey and Larry Foote aren't walking back out onto the field any time soon, but Heath Miller, Cortez Allen and Le'Veon Bell are all slated to start. Heath was on a snap count against Chicago, but his return meant Ben started to look for tight ends again and David Johnson made some big catches. All we have heard from the beginning of training camp from the media folks around the team is how good Le'Veon Bell is and how he is the centerpiece of the Steelers offense. Finally recovered from his foot injury, we will get our first taste of Le'Veon Bell and can only hope he lives up to the hype. Cortez Allen missed two weeks and the Steelers were able to bridge the gap with William Gay stepping in on the outside and rookie safety Shamarko Thomas playing the nickel corner spot (which says more about the other corners on the roster than it does about Shamarko). Allen's return vastly improves the Steelers defensive outlook on 3rd downs as it puts Gay in the slot and keeps Thomas off the field.

5. The Hot Seats



For some bizarre and unknown reason, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers took a redeye flight from Pittsburgh to London on Thursday night. Some players complained about it because they basically lost a night's sleep. If the Steelers lose, this story is going to dominate the rationale behind why they looked sloppy and unprepared. The bigger looming story is that the Steelers have looked sloppy and unprepared in every game so far this season. The Steelers organization has never been one to make coaching changes during the season, but an 0-4 start with a bye week could prompt changes somewhere along the line. It's unlikely that change would be at the top (even though Mike Tomlin has made some dumbfounding decisions this season) but if the offense once again fails to produce, offensive coordinator Todd Haley could begin to feel some pressure internally that the fans are already feeling externally.

Oh, and for good measure, because it still exists on the internet...

Work All Day To Blow 'em Away In The Night: Minnesota Vikings Season Preview

2012 Record: 10-6

2012 Rankings

Total Offense: 20

Passing Offense: 31

Rushing Offense: 2

Scoring Offense: 14

Total Defense: 16

Passing Defense: 24

Rushing Defense: 11

Scoring Defense: 14

Offense

Adrian Peterson returned to form last season, single-handedly carrying the Vikings to a playoff spot in his chase of Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record. All Day was just ludicrous the second half of the season, going for 150+ in 6 of the final 8 games. Aside from Peterson, the Vikings didn't have much of an offense, with second-year QB Christian Ponder taking the reigns of the offense. The Vikings were 31st in passing offense and traded WR Percy Harvin to Seattle. They added Greg Jennings in free agency and Cordarrelle Patterson in the draft, but neither of them possess the same game-breaking ability as Harvin on the outside.

Defense

The Vikings defense remains a liability, particularly in the secondary. They added cornerback Xavier Rhodes in the first round of the draft after selecting safety Harrison Smith in the first round last year. Up front, Jared Allen remains one of the best pass rushers in the league, but the talent beside him is quickly dwindling. Chad Greenway and remains one of the better 4-3 linebackers in the league, and has tallied 80+ solo tackles each of the last three seasons.

Intangibles

Playmaker Percy Harvin is gone, but the additions of Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson gives Christian Ponder plenty of playmakers any time he doesn't hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson. In reality, this team goes as far as Adrian Peterson takes them.

Prediction

Minnesota will win some games on the back of Adrian Peterson, but defenses will be keying on him and Christian Ponder isn't quite to the point where he can carry this team to the playoffs and repeat last season's success. 7-9

NFC North Draft Preview

With a week until the NFL Draft, we're taking a look at what to expect from all 32 teams come Draft Day, including some recommended blogs to read and folks to follow on Twitter.

2012 Record: 11-5

NFC North Champion, Lost NFC Divisional Game to San Francisco

Draft Picks: 26, 55, 88, 122, 159, (167), 193, 232

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Packers Therapy, Total Packers

Draft Preview: The Packers have lost starters on both sides of the ball in free agency. Their depth at WR should make the departure of Greg Jennings relatively easy, as Aaron Rodgers will still have a plethora of weapons in the passing game. The Packers offensive line still needs work after giving up the second most sacks in the league last year. Their defense was better in 2012 than in 2011 but still has holes at all three levels. The Packers are still looking for a complement to Clay Matthews, but last year's first round pick Nick Perry could provide that piece. There are holes at defensive end and safety that the Packers could look to fill early in the draft.

2012 Record: 10-6

NFC Wild Card, Lost Wild Card Game to Green Bay

Draft Picks: 23, 25, 52, 83, 102, 120, 155, 189, 213, 214, 229

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Darren Page, The Viking Age, Daily Norseman

Draft Preview: The Vikings have had quite the offseason, trading star WR Percy Harvin to Seattle for a first round pick and signing former Packers WR Greg Jennings. With two first round picks, Minnesota has the ammo to either move up in the draft or to land two highly talented players. Despite signing Jennings, the Vikings still have a need at WR to give Christian Ponder additional weapons. Minnesota has needs on all three levels of their defense, starting with a defensive tackle and complementary pass rusher to Jared Allen. The Vikings also need a middle linebacker to anchor their defense and some reports have linked them to Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o. After losing CB Antoine Winfield in free agency, Minnesota's most pressing need is at cornerback to aid their 24th-ranked pass defense. The Vikings are loaded with picks, so don't be surprised if they make some moves on draft day.

2012 Record: 10-6

Draft Picks: 20, 50, 117, 153, 188

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: BearsSTH, ChicagoBearJew, 4th Phase Blog

Draft Preview: Another year, another draft where the Bears have a limited amount of picks. The Bears organization has typically treated the draft as an afterthought and built their team through free agency. This year is no different as they brought in a new left side of their offensive line, a tight end, and two linebackers in free agency. The Bears appear to have parted ways with long-time star Brian Urlacher, and they still have holes to fill at linebacker, defensive end, and rebuilding the right side of their offensive line.

2012 Record: 4-12

Draft Picks: 5, 36, 65, (132), 137, 171, 211, (245)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter: Ty Schalter, Pride of Detroit

Draft Preview: The Lions returned to form last season as Megatron put up record numbers but the team failed to win 5 games. The Lions will once again search for a running game this season, and signed free agent RB Reggie Bush to help shoulder the load. The Lions offensive line is still a work in progress, as they will need to replace both tackles heading into the season as long-time starter Jeff Backus remains unsigned and Gosder Cherilus was signed by the Colts. Detroit also lost DE Cliff Avril in free agency to Seattle, and has a hole to fill on the defensive line. The Lions pass defense improved last season, but they still have nothing resembling a shut-down corner and could use help at safety.

Starvin Harvin: Minnesota Vikings Season Preview

2011 Record: 3-13

2011 Ranks

Total Offense: 18

Run Offense: 4

Pass Offense: 28

Scoring Offense: 19

Total Defense: 21

Run Defense: 11

Pass Defense: 26

Scoring Defense: 31

Offense

Last year's first round pick Christian Ponder enters his first full season as a starter without much to work with. Adrian Peterson is coming off a torn ACL but seems to be well on his way towards recovering and being ready for Week 1. Toby Gerhart is a decent backup and should be able to shoulder the load if Peterson misses any time. The Vikings don't have a whole lot of weapons for Ponder on the outside, but Percy Harvin is an all-around threat any time he gets his hands on the ball.

Defense

The Vikings had one of the worst scoring defenses in the league, giving up 34 passing touchdowns, the most in the league. They traded up into the bask of the first round to pick Harrison Smith (S-Notre Dame) who should help the pass defense. The one bright spot on this sude of the ball was /jared Allen who rang up an insane 22 sacks last season.

Intangibles

Ponder had a 54% completion percentage last year. Regardless of who he's throwing to, that has to get better if the Vikings are going to be competitive. This team just doesn't have the firepower to compete in this division. Looks like it will be another long year in the great white North.

Prediction

The Vikings just don't have enough on offense or defense to compete in the arms race that is the NFC North. It will be another rebuilding year for the Vikes. 4-12.

2012 Draft Preview: NFC North

With Free Agency pretty much wrapped up, the NFL Draft is quickly approaching once again. As we have done in the past, we're going to take a quick look at the other teams in the league and preview their team needs and how they will likely approach the Draft. Today we take a look at the NFC North.

For reference, we compiled the draft picks each team currently has. Compensatory picks are listed in parentheses.

NFC North Champion, Lost to NY Giants in Divisional Round
2011 Record: 8-8

Draft Picks: 28, 59, 90, 123, (132), (133), 163, 197, 224, 235, (241), (243)

Recommended Blogs/Twitter:
@PackersTherapy

For much of the season, the Packers were the team to beat in the NFL and it looked like the Lombardi Trophy would once again find its way to the hallowed halls of...Lombardi Field. But coming off a bye week the Packers once-formidable defense, which had been porous all year but covered up by a stellar offense, fell flat against the New York Giants. The Packers defense, which looked airtight at times in their run to Super Bowl XLV, finished the year dead last against the pass and 30th in sacks. Clay Mathews had only 6 sacks last season after posting 13.5 in 2010. The lack of pressure on the quarterback directly contributed to the Packers secondary getting torched, and it's likely Green Bay will be looking for help on the defensive side of the ball early and often in the draft.

Wild Card, Lost to New Orleans in Wild Card Round
2011 Record: 10-6


Draft Picks: 23, 54, 85, 117, 158, 219, 230

Recommended Blogs/Twitter
The Lions in Winter
Side Lion Report
Pride of Detroit
@LionsInWinter
@Schottey

The Lions took the biggest step forward of any team in the league last year, ending their perennial losing streak and sneaking into the playoffs as the #6 seed in the NFC. While far from a finished product, this is a formidable team that has all the makings of being a competitor for years to come. The offense has a stellar QB-WR tandem with a solid supporting cast. The defensive front 4 is probably the best 4-3 front in the game. This team needs depth along the O-line to help protect Matt Stafford and depth on the back end of the defense. A shutdown corner would be ideal, but given their position at 1.23 in the first round, South Carolina CB Stephen Gilmore or Alabama CB Dre Kirkpatrick (both works in progress) seem more likely.

2011 Record: 8-8

Draft Picks: 19, 50, 79, 111, 150, 184, 220

Recommended Blogs/Twitter:
The 4th Phase Blog
@BearsSTH
@ChicagoBearJew

After winning the division two years ago, the Bears mounted a surprisingly solid campaign through the first half of 2011 before losing QB Jay Cutler to injury. After that, the wheels came off and the Bears spiraled down from being the front-runner in the Wild Card race to missing the playoffs. As usual, the Bears attacked free agency and went out and landed a #1 receiver in Brandon Marshall, who had a fantastic connection in Denver with Jay Cutler. The Bears also landed a backup QB (Jason Campbell) and RB (Michael Bush), making Matt Forte's potential hold-out a limited factor. The Bears reportedly love Kendall Wright (WR-Baylor) but it's a toss-up whether he will fall down to them at 1.19. Despite Julius Peppers posting 11 sacks, the Bears finished 20th in the league in sacks and could look to add a bookend pass-rusher or defensive back to help their 28th-ranked pass defense.

2011 Record: 3-13

Draft Picks: 3, 35, 66, 98, (128), (134), 138, 175, 210, 223

Recommended Blogs/Twitter:
The Viking Age
The Daily Norseman
Viking Kittens

The Vikings invested their first round pick last year in QB Christian Ponder, who took the reigns of the offense after the Donovan McNabb experiment fell flat on its face. Ponder went 2-8 in 10 games as a starter, throwing for 13 TDs and 13 picks. It's hard to blame Ponder for struggling. He was sacked 30 times behind a porous offensive line and didn't have the greatest targets in the world to throw the ball to (the Vikings had only one players with over 500 receiving yards). When All Day Adrian Peterson tore his ACL in Week 12, the Vikings lost pretty much their entire offense and it was struggle city from thereon out. O-Line is a huge need for Minnesota, which is why most mocks have them taking Matt Kalil (OT-USC) who is hands down the best lineman in the draft. However, Ponder also needs reliable targets to throw to, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them target a WR as well. On the other side of the ball, their front four was formidable as always, finishing the year 2nd in the league in sacks (led by Jared Allen's 22). However, their secondary was downright atrocious finishing 26th in pass defense and 31st in interceptions with only 8 on the season. This could make Mo Claiborne (CB-LSU) a target with the #3 pick as he would be the shutdown corner the Vikings desperately need.

2011 Season Preview: Minnesota Vikings

2010 Record: 6-10

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 23

Passing Offense - 26

Rushing Offense - 10

Scoring Offense - 29

Total Defense - 8

Pass Defense - 9

Rush Defense - 9

Scoring Defense - 18

Offense

The Vikings streak of bringing in washed up quarterbacks to try to run some semblance of an offense behind a mediocre offensive line continues. This year, it will be Donovan McNabb stepping under center. The Vikings lost their primary receiver Sidney Rice to free agency (Seattle) so will likely lean heavily on all-world RB Adrian Peterson, who is still trying to get over the fumbling issues he has developed. Percy Harvin figures to be the #1 target in the passing game with the departure of Rice. With a better quarterback, I would say TE Visanthe Shiancoe could be a weapon, but I really don't trust the Vikings offensive line to hold back much of anything this year. It's going to be a long year for the guys in purple, and I really wouldn't be surprised to see rookie QB Christian Ponder starting by week 10 or 11. With limited options in the passing game and a porous offensive line, McNabb is going to have to rely on his ability to make plays outside the pocket to move the offense. I fully expect the Vikings this year to mirror the McNabb-led Redskins last year that didn't put up a whole lot of points or yards, but somehow managed to keep games close and win a few more than expected.

Defense

The Vikings defense had a solid year last year, but they lost some key pieces in free agency. Honestly, we have no clue what the Vikings were doing in free agency. It's entirely possible Ziggy Wilf was out in Los Angeles looking at stadium locations rather than trying to re-sign players. The Vikings lost DE Ray Edwards, who was their bookend to Jared Allen, LB Ben Leber, CB Frank Walker, and S Madieu Williams. The Vikings also lost stallwart tackle Pat Williams to retirement. The Vikings spent a few draft picks on defense, but it looks as though the replacement starters will be Brian Robison, Remi Ayodele, Erin Henderson, and Eric Frampton. Honestly, I don't know if those guys are football players or the supporting cast of the next James Bond movie. Jared Allen can still be a beast, but considering what the Vikings lost, they're not going to be anywhere close to the top 10 defense they were last year. 

Intangibles

Um....yeah. The Vikings lost a handful of starters on defense, the only real quarterback on their roster, and their star WR. All they really have going for them is Adrian Peterson running behind a shaky offensive line. Percy Harvin can be a playmaker, but one has to wonder if Donovan McNabb has enough left in the tank to endure the same kind of beating Brett Favre took last year behind the Vikings Swiss Cheese-like line.

If the Vikings were a Beer, they would be:

Bud Light Lime

This is a shitty product to start with that someone attempted to improve by dressing it up with a splash of something new. But let's face it; no matter what you put in Bud Light, it's still going to suck. Similarly, no matter who is playing quarterback for Minnesota, it's not going to cover up the other faults this team has.

NFC North Draft Preview

As the clock ticks closer to the NFL Draft on April 28-30, we'll be doing our best to preview the team needs of all 32 teams to give you all an outlook on what to expect come draft day. Of course, there are no guarantees with things like mock drafts (even though they are fun to do) so we did our best to get some insight from bloggers/fans of other teams. Today we take a look at the NFC North. Our friends from the Packers Therapy podcasts were cool enough to help us out with some inside perspective on their team needs.

For reference, we compiled the draft picks each team currently has. Compensatory picks are listed in parentheses.

2010 Record: 11-5

NFC North Champions, Lost to Packers in NFC Championship Game

Draft Picks: 29, 62, 93, 127, 160, 195

For the first time since the Jay Cutler trade, the Bears finally have some early-round picks to work with in the draft. They have some holes that need addressed along the offensive and defensive lines. Their secondary still needs some help after finishing 20th in the league in pass defense last year. Cutler could use an elite receiver as a reliable target as well as some blockers in front of him to keep him on the field and off the bench.

2010 Record: 10-6

Super Bowl XLV Champions

Draft Picks: 32, 64, 96, 129, (131), 163, 197, 204, 233

The Packers have a ton of elite talent and have the luxury of a franchise quarterback, a slew of receivers, an elite pass rusher, and a talented secondary. What few holes they do have are on their offensive line, an inside linebacker, and a 5-technique defensive end. 

The guys from the Packers Therapy podcasts requested a big check (because them having bragging rights over us for winning the Super Bowl apparently isn't enough) to help out with this, but we were able to barter a few answers out of them. You can find them on Twitter @PackersTherapy

1. What are the biggest needs your team has entering the draft?

DE (GB will likely lose Cullen Jenkins if/when free agency starts and Mike Neal is a question mark), OLB (who can complement Matthews), OT (Chad Clifton is, literally, on his last legs) and WR (GB will likely lose James Jones to free agency and Donald Driver is 35+).

2. Do you think your team will address those needs in the draft or wait for free agency?

Ted Thompson rarely does free agency. So if he addresses those situations directly, I expected to come via the draft. However, Ted is a "best player available" sort of guy, so I don't expect them to reach for a position if they feel a better player at a lower need area is available.

3. What players would you like to see your team target in the draft?

As Steelers' fans know all too well, it is hard to say what will be available at pick #32. So it is very difficult to have an opinion here. However, I have seen a couple of reports that suggest that Akeem Ayers (OLB from UCLA) might be around late in the first round. It's thought he could be a nice fit opposite Matthews.

2010 Record: 6-10

Draft Picks: 13, 44, 75, 107, 154, 205

It's weird to think of a 6-10 season as a "rousing success" but for Detroit Lions fans, that's just what last season was. For a year that saw franchise quarterback Matt Stafford go down with an early season injury, three different Lions quarterbacks won games last season. It looked like "more of the same" for most of the season before Detroit reeled off 4 straight wins to end the season. Ndamukong Suh is a monster that has solidified the Lions defensive front. Detroit still needs help in the secondary and a cornerback and defensive end headline their needs heading into this draft. The Lions could still use a power running back to complement Jahvid Best. 

2010 Record: 6-10

Draft Picks: 12, 43, 106, 139, 150, 172, (200), 215, (236)

The Vikings are in a world of hurt after putting all their eggs in the Brett Favre basket. Unless they want to bank their hopes on Tavaris Jackson, they will need to add a quarterback to the roster who can be a long-term solution. Luckily for whoever that is, they will be able to spend most of their snaps handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson. The Vikings defense is decent, but Jared Allen had a horrendous year last year and they could use some help at linebacker. Playing in a division with Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler, you can never have enough defensive backs. 

2010 Preview: Minnesota Vikings

2009 Record: 12-4

2009 Rankings:

Total Offense - 5

Run Offense - 13

Pass Offense - 8

Scoring Offense - 2

Total Defense - 6

Run Defense - 2

Pass Defense - 19

Scoring Defense - 10

Word on the street is that some guy who used to do jeans commercials wants to play quarterback for this team? Whatever.

In all seriousness though, Brett Favre sat at home all winter and laughed at LeBron. "A one-hour special? Ha!" Brett had a month-long special dedicated to his decision. It was called Sportscenter.

What Vikings fans should really be worried about is if Adrian Peterson learned how to hang on to the football or not. His penchant for fumbling was magnified last year in the playoffs, particularly in the NFC Championship game against New Orleans. The Vikings drafted Heisman Finalist Toby Gerhart from Stanford to help share the load with AP this season. Chances are, AP will still see the lion's share of carries.

Favre definitely makes the Vikings passing game a force to be reckoned with in the NFC. To be honest, Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels just won't cut it if they want to be Super Bowl contenders. Jackson could carry them to the playoffs, but not to the Super Bowl. Rosenfels could carry them into position to draft Florida State QB Christian Ponder, likely the #2 QB available in the 2011 Draft. Favre led the Vikings to a torrid 10-1 start, but faltered down the stretch, losing 4 of the next 7, including the NFC Championship game.

On defense, Minnesota has one of the best pass-rushers in the league in Jared Allen and one of the best interior lines with Pat & Kevin Williams. If there can be a "weak link" on the D-line it's RE Ray Edwards, who racked up 8 1/2 sacks on his own last season. Hardly a weak link. The linebacking core of Greenway, Henderson, and Leber are solid in run support. If they lack anywhere, it's in pass coverage. The secondary is good, but there are some holes, particularly at nickel back, that get exposed when teams go to 3 and 4-WR sets.

With that Jeans commercial guy back under center, Minnesota thinks they're poised for another run at Lombardi. But are they really just shooting themselves in the foot? Is Farve's ankle completely healed? If it's not, will coach Brad Childress have the balls to pull Favre from the game? Is Favre worth $16 million sitting on the bench? One thing is certain, if the Vikings don't make the playoffs, Childress is probably going to get fired. Sooner or later, Minnesota is going to have to make a move to get a young quarterback that can lead the offense in the future. They have a solid core of young stars in AP (25), Sidney Rice (24), and Percy Harvin (22), but Farve isn't going to be around when they reach their prime. The Vikings need to look at a long-term option at quarterback in the upcoming draft or suffer the fate of college basketball teams like Memphis that relied on one-and-done talents to sustain their program.

Ian's Prediction: 9-7

NFC North Draft Outlook

Over the next few weeks in the run up to the NFL Draft on April 22-24, we will be previewing the draft needs of all 32 teams. We started with the NFC West and NFC South and continue today with the NFC North. Compensatory draft picks have been awarded, but we're too lazy to look them up for each team.

Big props to Ty from Lions in Winter and Ismael from Bears Hibernation for helping us out with these previews. Check out their blogs and on twitter (Ty) (Ismael).

2009 Record: 12-4

NFC North Champions, Lost 31-28 to New Orleans in NFC Championship Game

Draft Picks: 30 (1-30), 62 (2-30), 93 (3-30), (4-30), (5-30), (6-30), (7-30)

Minnesota's reign on the NFC North is dependent on what Brett Favre decides to do. In other words, he's coming back. Adrian Peterson needs to address his fumbling issues, and don't be surprised to see Minnesota go after another RB in the middle rounds of the draft to spell Peterson now that Chester Taylor has moved on. The biggest need is still at quarterback. They are obviously not sold on Tavaris Jackson and need to acquire a young gun to groom to replace Favre. On defense, they need some help in the secondary, specifically at cornerback.

Vikings bloggers were too busy trying to decide whether or not they would return to blogging to answer our questions. In the mean time, you can probably catch them doing Wrangler commercials.

2009 Record: 11-5

Wild Card, Lost 51-45 to Arizona in NFC Wild Card game

Draft Picks: 23 (1-23), 56 (2-24), 86 (3-23), (4-24), (5-23), (6-24), (7-23)

Aaron Rodgers is one tough dude, but he got sacked more than any other quarterback in the league. Green Bay needs to address their O-line in the draft, specifically their tackle situation. They could use some help on defense, specifically in the pass rusher department with the departure of Aaron Kampman. With Minnesota poised to be quarterback-less and Aaron Rodgers coming into his own, this division is Green Bay's for the taking.

We tried to get a Packers blogger to drop some knowledge on us, but they were too busy getting sacked by opposing defenses.

2009 Record: 7-9

Draft Picks: 75 (3-11), (4-11), (5-10), (6-12), (7-11)

Chicago is still living through the ramifications of the Jay Cutler trade. With no picks in the first two rounds of the draft, Lovie Smith will have his hands full trying to re-build this team into a contender. They obviously still need help on the outside at wide receiver. Their defense is only a shell of its former self and needs a complete reboot. Unfortunately for Chicago, they lack the draft picks to be able to get younger on the defensive side of the ball, and they lack anything of real value that could be traded for more picks.

Ismael Seguban, Chicago Bears Correspondent for Fanball.com who runs Bears Hibernation, was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about the Bears. If you'd like more info, check Ismael out on Twitter.

1. What do you see as the biggest need(s) for Chicago to address this offseason?

At the end of the season, the Bears needed to improve their pass rushing, blocking and depth at running back. On the first day of free agency, the Bears filled their biggest needs by acquiring Julius Peppers, added an extra blocker for Jay Cutler in adding Brandon Manumaleuna and bolstered their running game with Chester Taylor. The first day of free agency was the Bears draft this year as they don't have a first day draft pick to work with. The Bears still need to address the safety positions and possibly add depth to the cornerback position. With the splash they made on the first day of free agency I highly doubt the Bears will acquire another big name. Greg Olsen could possibly be on the trading block so I wouldn't be surprised if his name keeps floating in the rumor mill until the draft.

2. Have they addressed any of these so far in Free Agency? Which do you think are better addressed in the Draft?

In addition to acquiring the big 3 on the first day of free agency, acquiring a safety, cornerback or offensive line would also be in order although they might have enough money to get the big names that are still left like a Darren Sharper. I expect the Bears to take care of these needs by drafting a safety, cornerback and offensive lineman.

3. Who is on your draft wish list?

As a fan, I'm pretty happy with what the Bears did by acquiring Peppers, Taylor and Manumaleuna. As long as the Bears look to fill needs in their secondary and add depth to the offensive line, I'd be happy. It's kind of hard to project that late in the draft so I'm not really targeting anyone.

2009 Record: 2-14

Draft Picks: 2 (1-2), 34 (2-2), 66 (3-2), (4-2), (5-18), (7-7)

Detroit started their rebuilding process in the right way: firing Matt Millen. Without him running the team into the ground, the Lions rebounded from an 0-16 season to a 2-win year last year. With Matthew Stafford at the helm and Calvin Johnson on the outside, the Lions need to add playmakers to take the pressure off Johnson. On defense, the Lions still suck. Luckily for them, with the #2 pick in the draft they will be able to take either Ndamukong Suh (DT-Nebraska) or Gerald McCoy (DT-Oklahoma). Rumors have them tied to Russell Okung (OT-Oklahoma St), but their brass would need checked into a mental asylum if they pass on Suh. Their defense was dead last overall and 25th against the run last season. They have already addressed the pass-rushing aspect by adding Kyle Vanden Bosch at DE and now have to address their need on the interior.

Ty from Lions in Winter who deserves some kind of award for still blogging about the Lions despite the fact that they haven't had a winning season since 2000 was kind enough to answer a few questions for us. We also recommend following Ty on Twitter for everything Lions, general sports talk, and good humor.

1. What do you see as the biggest need(s) for your team to address this offseason?

Wow, where do I start? How about with the worst defense in the NFL for two years running?

The defensive line needs to be rebuilt. Outside of raw 2009 4th-rounder Sammie Hill, and inconsistent 2008 3rd-rounder Cliff Avril, the Lions have no defensive linemen who both fit what the Lions want to do on defense, and are under the age of 33. The secondary is in a similar position. 2009 2nd-round safety Louis Delmas is the only building block, and inconsistent veteran CB Philip Buchanon is . . . well, inconsistent. If MLB Larry Foote is not brought back, and 2009 third-rounder DeAndre Levy becomes the starter, OLB depth behind Ernie Sims and Julian Peterson is a need as well.

On offense, 2008 3rd-rounder Kevin Smith is exactly one step too slow to be a three-down feature back. Further, his midseason knee blowout means the Lions will have only Maurice Morris and 2009 6th-rounder Aaron Brown at tailback until Week 1 at the earliest. It sounds like drafting an explosive back is something the Lions would love to do, though I don't know if one will be available at the Lions' current slots. One of 2009's few young veteran additions, WR Bryant Johnson, was a total washout. Teams double- and triple-teamed Calvin Johnson with impunity; #2 WR is a huge need. OT Jeff Backus is coming off of a very solid year, and deserves to play next to a legitimate starter at left guard--incredibly, that's something he's never done. They'll look to finally fix that spot, too.

2. Which positions of need do you think would be better addressed in Free Agency? In the Draft?

Rookie WRs rarely make an impact, and 2009 3rd-rounder Derrick Williams was a total disappointment. I think a free agent WR like Nate Burleson would make a ton of sense. Rookie CBs usually have some ramp-up time, too, but I don't see a vet who'll be available. At RB I'd prefer to see the Lions bring in a cheaply available Willie Parker-type to compete with Maurice Morris and Aaron Brown--but as I said, the word is that the Lions are ready to throw down on an elite young talent. I'd love to see a rookie guard like Mike Iupati finally come in and lock down that revolving door for the next ten years.

Frankly, the Lions are a threat to take any position in any round, with the possible exceptions of QB and TE in the first few rounds--after that, depth pickups are an option there, too. Expect the Lions to continue to take the best player on their board.

3. Who is on your draft wish list?

With the Lions, the list of who I don't want is probably shorter. There's been a lot of drooling over DTs Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh--and there's consensus that that's the biggest need. However, I worry about both of their long-term prospects within this defense (which emphasizes size and strength up front). I think the Lions will have serious reservations about drafting either guy if they don't weigh into the Combine at a lean 300+. Lots of people are going crazy over Eric Berry, but building the defense around two rangy, gambling, big-hitting safeties with enormous contracts seems like putting the cart before the horse.

I love CB Joe Haden, and MLB Rolando McClain--neither of them at #2 overall, though. The Lions would have to trade back a bit for that. In the second round and beyond, I like OG Mike Iupati, DT Geno Atkins (yeah, I know he's small, too), OL Ciron Black, and CB Kyle Wilson. WR Jordan Shipley would be a nice pickup if the Lions can't attract a veteran #2--or even if they can. There are a truckload of nice safeties that might be available at the top of the third or fourth rounds, too. Finally, a full-time kick returner would be really, really nice; bonus if he plays corner.

Our Take:

The Lions have done a good job in Free Agency addressing their needs - they picked up Kyle Vanden Bosh to play DE and traded for Corey Williams to play DT. That said, they need a big body in the middle to solidify the run defense and Suh or McCoy would fill that role perfectly. The Lions picked up Nate Burleson in Free Agency to step into the #2 receiver role to take some of the pressure off of Calvin Johnson. Don't be shocked if the Lions take a running back (either Jonathan Dwyer or Toby Gerhart) at to top of the 2nd round. Adding depth at cornerback is also a must for the Lions in this draft.