11-07-2016, 03:12 PM
Quote:You think? They've been good the entire times he's been there, but yeah they do have some high expectations in GB so it's a possibility. I really wouldn't be surprised if your Lions win that Division. I thought Minny could hold on, but they're clearly in a free-fall.
Edit: I still think 2 teams are coming from the North and East.
Though I believe Mike McCarthy is a high quality HC, sometimes when a coach is with a team for a long time, some players start tuning out the message. By no means am I writing off the Packers. They have risen from the football grave a number of times in games and seasons in recent years. But the point of diminishing returns with McCarthy in Green Bay might have arrived.
I'm thrilled that the Lions are winning so many close games in comeback fashion and are in the thick of the NFC North race. Though I'm cautiously optimistic about the direction the team is going in with the bye coming up this week and the opportunity to get much healthier, we have seen so many times how a season can change dramatically.
One reason for cautious optimism is Jim Caldwell is a lot like Ron Rivera in being able to overcome stormy times in a season, with the team's best football late in the season. Caldwell mentioned Rivera last season when things looked bleak for his HC future at the 1-7 midway point of last season as an example of how a team can turn things around. Like the Panthers a few years ago, the Lions went 6-2 and Caldwell kept his HC for 2016, even with new GM Bob Quinn hired. Though Caldwell's coaching future is still up in the air, he's already beaten the odds both last season and even this season when the team started 1-3.
I think there's a very realistic chance the wildcards in the NFC will come from the divisions you mentioned. The NFC is truly wide open. Other than San Francisco and Chicago, every team is within striking distance of a playoff spot. This was the dream of the late Pete Rozelle.