PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:
1. MINNESOTA
2. GREEN BAY
3. CHICAGO
4. DETROIT
MINNESOTA
COACH: BRAD CHILDRESS 3rd yr (14-18)
LAST YEAR: 8-8
GAMES DECIDED BY 3 OR LESS: 1-3
BIGGEST ADDITION: JARED ALLEN DE
BIGGEST LOSS: TONY RICHARDSON FB
DIRECTION: GOING UP
OUTLOOK: The Vikings could a surprise this season if Jackson continues to develop at QB and Adrian Peterson can stay healthy. Jackson made 12 starts last season and the Vikings went 8-4 in those games, and 0-4 in the rest. So, despite his lack of consistency, there is hope in Minnesota. The strength of this team is the defensive line. No team was able to run on this team at all in 2007. The secondary should be better with Antoine Winfield healthy, as he missed six games last season. So the two keys for improvement lie in the secondary and at QB. If the Vikings can improve meaningfully in at least one of the two areas, they could be playoff bound.
PROJECTED FINISH: 9-7