MVN - Most Valuable Network

Stand up if you’re the best team in the NFC North (not so fast, Bears and Lions): Part Two

Welcome back.

When we last left off, I had just finished breaking down the respective offenses, position-by-position, of the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, largely considered to be the two best teams in the NFC North.

Now it’s time to break down the defenses and special teams of each squad, position-by-position. After I finish that, I’ll add it all up and give my final thoughts on just who is the best team in the NFC North.

Enjoy.

(Quick note before we get going: When examining the defenses, I’m only looking at the starting 11 for each unit.)

Defensive Line

The Vikings made perhaps the biggest move of the offseason, for any NFL team, by trading three draft picks (and swapping spots on another pick) to Kansas City for defensive end Jared Allen. The Vikes then gave the sack artist a six-year, $72 million contract. The move was a good one as Minnesota desperately needed to bolster its pass rush. The Allen move instantly did that (and then some) as Allen is, without a doubt, one of the top five defensive ends in the league.

However, Green Bay’s Aaron Kampman is also one of the top five defensive ends in the league.

I couldn’t determine just who was the better defensive end by style of play - after all, both are ends capable of generating a pass rush despite facing double teams and both can play the run very well - so I went to the numbers. Well, those weren’t that any more helpful.

Over the past two seasons, Kampman has more total tackles (153-141) and more sacks (27.5-23) while Allen has more solo tackles (120-107) and more fumbles forced (6-4). In the end I decided that this was just too close to call. That’s right, friends - this one’s a tie.

At the other end position, Green Bay’s Cullen Jenkins faces off against Minnesota’s Ray Edwards, although both will likely be subbed out for other players in certain situations (Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila will come in for Jenkins while Brian Robison will come in for Edwards).

Jenkins disappointed in 2007, the first year of his brand new four-year, $16 million contract, posting just one sack while battling numerous injuries. He did, however, have 6.5 sacks in 2006 and should regain that form this season.

Edwards had a solid second season for the Vikes (despite that whole steriod suspension thing), posting five sacks in limited time in 12 games (see: The steriod suspension).

Both players should have solid-to-very good 2008 seasons and I just couldn’t figure out which player was better so, again, I had to call this a tie. Sorry.

In terms of big-time run-stuffing defensive tackle, once more, the teams appeared to be close. Minnesota goes with Pat Williams and Green Bay goes with Ryan Pickett. While Pickett has been a valuable player along the d-line for the Pack since joining the team in 2006, I determined that he is just a notch below Williams, although both are among the best in the league at clogging the line.

The other defensive tackle position was a battle between Minnesota’s Kevin Williams and Green Bay’s Johnny Jolly. The result in this matchup was similar to the one between Pickett and Pat Williams because, while Jolly is a valued member of Pack’s d-line (the defense was never the same after he went down with an injury in Week 11), Kevin Williams is one of the best pass-rushing d-linemen in all of football.

When you add it all up, the teams are even at defensive end and Minnesota is better at the two tackle positions.

Edge: Vikings, solidly

Linebacker

Let’s start this category by focusing on the most important linebacker spot, the middle. This was one of the toughest spots to pick a winner for because each team has a great, great player at the position. Minnesota has E.J. Henderson; Green Bay counters with Nick Barnett.

The players are roughly the same age (Barnett is 27, while Henderson will turn 28 in August) and posted roughly the same stats last season. Barnett had more total tackles (131-119), more solo tackles (102-94) and more interceptions (2-0). Henderson had more sacks (4.5-3.5) and more forced fumbles (3-0).

In the end, I couldn’t justify picking either one over the other, so I called this category a tie (which I hate doing). 

Things were not as difficult at the strong side linebacker spot, where Minnesota’s Ben Leber - one of the best strong side ‘backers in the league - earned an easy win over Green Bay’s Brady Poppinga, the likely starter as of now (although the Packers did bring in free agent Brandon Chillar to challenge Poppinga for the position).

When looking at the weak side spot - a battle of 2006 first round selections - things again became slightly difficult. Green Bay has high hopes for A.J. Hawk and Hawk appeared to be well on his way to greatness after a strong rookie season. But his numbers dipped in year two, leaving some to wonder which A.J. Hawk will show up in year three.

For the Vikes, Chad Greenway missed all of the 2006 season because of a knee injury before putting up decent numbers last season in what was essentially his rookie campaign.

When I really looked at each player, I had to give the nod to Hawk because, in the end, I feel that he has a higher ceiling than Greenway. Greenway could become a very good player, yes, but Hawk could become a very great player.

In the end, each team took one category and tied on another. You know what that means.

Edge: Even

Secondary

Again, this category begins with another nearly-impossible pick to make.

This time, the choice is between No. 1 cornerbacks. Minnesota will go with Antoine Winfield and Green Bay will counter with Al Harris.

Although both are creeping up there in terms of age, both are still among the top 10 corners in the league. Winfield is a better tackler; Harris is a better pure cover man. In terms of interceptions, the pair is roughly even over the past three seasons (Winfield has nine while Harris has eight, but Harris had more last season).

In the end, I came to the same conclusion as I did with the middle linebacker spot and called this one dead even.

Green Bay, however, earned a clean victory in the No. 2 cornerback competition where Charles Woodson crushed Cedric Griffin. Not even close.

Another close battle loomed at the strong safety spot, where Minnesota’s Darren Sharper (a former Packer) took on Green Bay’s Atari Bigby (one of the coolest names in sports). At least, the battle was close until I looked at the numbers.

Bigby had more tackles (86-63), solo tackles (66-49) and interceptions (5-4) than Sharper last season. Then there’s perhaps the most important number of all: Age. Sharper will turn 33 this season while Bigby will turn just 27.

Advantage Packers.

At the free safety position, Green Bay’s Nick Collins enters his fourth season as a solid player, but one who has fans still waiting for him to deliver on the promise that drove the team to use a second round pick on him in the 2005 draft. If he doesn’t step it up, 2007 draft pick Aaron Rouse could swipe his job in training camp.

Minnesota, on the other hand, made a nice upgrade at the position in the offseason, bringing in Madieu Williams from the Bengals in free agency. Williams is a solid cover guy who posted nice numbers last season (74 tackles, 58 solo, two sacks, two interceptions) and should put up similar totals in purple and gold.

The Vikings might have won the free safety spot, but that was their only win. The Packers took two spots and the teams tied on one.

Edge: Packers, solidly

Now it’s time to move on to the special teams portion of our show…don’t worry, this’ll be quick.

Special Teams

At kicker, Green Bay’s strong-legged Mason Crosby is coming off a solid rookie season in which he made 31-of-39 kicks, including a long of 53 yards. Minnesota veteran Ryan Longwell (a former Packer) had another solid season, hitting of 20-of-24 attempts, including a long of 55 yards. Longwell doesn’t have nearly the leg strength of Crosby, but because he kicks in a dome, that doesn’t really matter. This one’s a tie.

At punter, Minnesota’s Chris Kluwe is much better than Green Bay’s Jon Ryan, although Ryan hit the ball better at times last season.

In terms of overall return game and return coverage, I’d give the nod to Green Bay. The Packers just seem to have much more explosive capabilities than do the Vikes in this area.

When you throw it all together, the teams each took one category and tied in another. Once again…

Edge: Even

Final Analysis

Now that we’ve shown how Green Bay and Minnesota stack up against one another at every position, it’s time to talk a bit about what it all means.

Offensively, the Pack and the Vikes are dead even at quarterback and offensive line. The Vikings hold an edge at running back while the Packers are better at receiver and tight end.

Overall, this means that Green Bay should have a better offense than Minnesota. Yes, the Vikings will rack up more yards on the ground - although I’m not sure it will be that much more - but the Packers will be able to move the ball more efficiently through the air. This means that Green Bay will have more balance to its offense than Minnesota, thus making them more difficult to defend.

Speaking of defending, the teams appear to be dead even in that area. Minnesota will have a better front four, giving the Vikes the advantage in terms of pressuring the quarterback. But when quarterbacks go to the air, Green Bay will better equipped at stopping them, since the Pack have the better secondary. The group between those two units, the linebackers, are about as even as could be so neither team has any advantage there.

And when it comes to special teams (as much as I mock them, I know they are a huge part of any football game), again these two teams are basically the same.

So, when you stand back and look at the sum of it all, you realize that Green Bay has the better team. While the squads are even in two areas, the Packers are better on offense and that ends up being the deciding category.

There’s one more category that I didn’t discuss, but it’s one that gives Green Bay even more of an advantage: Coaching.

Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy has, in only two years, proven that he is one of the best coaches in the NFL. Remember, the Packers were just 4-12 the year before McCarthy took over. He then got them to 8-8 before going 13-3 last season, an overtime away from a Super Bowl. And keep in mind he did this last season with the youngest team in the league.

On the other hand, the jury is still out on Minnesota’s Brad Childress. After taking over a team that went 9-7 the previous season, Childress went 6-10 in year one before posting an 8-8 record in year two. Yes, the team got better, but with the type of talent he now has, 8-8 (or, really, 9-7 even) will not suffice and no one knows if Childress is the type of coach that can lead a team to 10 (or more) wins in a season yet.

We’re going to find out pretty quickly, though. In fact, that’s maybe the best part about stacking these two teams up: We’re going to find out right away who the better team is. After all, they do play each other in the season opener, on Monday Night Football, no less.

I’m counting down the days, already…

This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 5:52 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.