Which Teams Are Playoff-Worthy?<2>

Minnesota Vikings: Well, now that You-Know-Who is back for another shot, the Vikings once again have very real hopes for the Super Bowl. Without Favre, the Vikings would have had to fight for a playoff spot (could Tarvaris Jackson/Sage Rosenfels REALLY have been trusted to lead this team?), but now they may well be the favorite for the NFC North. However,cheap Favre jersey could regress some from his preposterous 2009-2010 season (and there has been speculation that he may miss games due to the ankle), and Peterson still has his fumbling problems. In addition to this, there seem to be some problems in the receiving corps as well now, with both Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin going down to injuries. Now, Rice has had surgery and may miss half of the season, with Harvin suffering from recurring migraines. However, if Rice and Harvin are healthy, and Peterson can correct that one small flaw in his game, the Vikings' offense is every bit as stacked as the Packers', or Cowboys', or anyone else in the NFL. Even the loss of Chester Taylor has been filled in by the younger Toby Gerhart. On defense, the Vikes have a run defense that is as stingy as ever (finishing second only to the Packers last year), but their secondary, again similarly to Green Bay's, is flawed. For example, they finished 19^th last year in passing defense, and there shouldn't be a huge improvement there (although rookie Chris Cook has looked solid). Another question mark appearing on their defense is whether or not the Williams brothers (Kevin and Pat) will ever serve that 4 game suspension. If they do, the Viking defense could simply fall apart. PREDICTION: 11-5, wild card- They should be a playoff team, but likely won't overpower people the way they did last year, because Favre won't have the otherworldly season he did a year ago.

Green Bay Packers: The Pack could put together an incredible season, with Aaron Rodgers jersey now in his third season and already looking even better this preseason (a 154.0 rating in two games!), and their 2-ranked defense now has a full year in the 3-4 scheme under the belt. Any offensive line questions have been quieted at least a little with the addition of Bryan Bulaga, and the return of Mark Tauscher to the right tackle spot. Meanwhile, Ryan Grant is one of the steadiest, most consistent backs in the NFL, and is pretty much a sure bet to pick up over 1000 yards, and the rest of the offensive lineup is well-stocked, with Greg Jennings and Donald Driver holding down the wideout spots, and Jermichael Finley poised for a breakout year after a tremendous second half to last season. Jordy Nelson could continue his steady development and become an above-average number 3 option at receiver as well. Defensively, the club has Al Harris returning from an injury, and he will rejoin a pass defense that has loads of talent among its starters, but simply lacks depth. Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson, and 2-time Pro Bowler Nick Collins will hold the starting cornerback and free safety spots, respectively. At strong safety, the team has promising rookie Morgan Burnett fighting inconsistent and injured Atari Bigby (and apparently winning). Even though the Packers' pass defense finished 5 in overall pass defense, it seemed like they were torched last year against most solid passing attacks, and has been unimpressive this preseason as well. However, the front seven for the Pack is one of the best in the NFL, leading the NFL in rushing defense last year despite having lost Aaron Kampmann for a large part of the season. This year, they have added Mike Neal to the defensive line (replacing suspended Johnny Jolly), and could have excellent seasons from second years BJ Raji, Clay Matthews, and Brad Jones. PREDICTION: 12-4, division champs- less holes on this team than on many others (despite O-line and secondary issues), and an offense that should dominate.

Chicago Bears jersey : Not too differently from the Redskins, the Bears have enough talent to make the playoffs, but the question is whether that talent will show up. If not, you'd have to imagine that Lovie Smith won't be returning next year. At quarterback, Jay Cutler's season was almost a total loss, and at times, his performance made the Bears look like complete idiots for giving up not one, but two first round picks (plus a third rounder and a decent QB, Kyle Orton) in order to get him. Matt Forte suffered through a miserable sophomore year as well, but the addition of Chester Taylor should ease his workload this year. For both Cutler and Forte, the talent is there, but they'd both have to bounce back in a huge way for the Bears to contend. The pass-catchers aren't spectacular, but Devin Hester still has potential as a deep threat, Devin Aromashodu could be a good possession-type target for Cutler (his speed isn't great, but he's a tall player), Johnny Knox could make great strides this year, and Greg Olsen is an above-average pass catching tight end, too. Another thought is that with Mike Martz running the offense, Cutler could improve a good bit. However, bad decisions plagued Cutler last year, and if he makes the same mistakes again, the consequences could be worse and this season could be just as big of a disaster. The offensive line was not great last year, adding to Cutler's woes by not consistently giving him enough time. They didn't really make any big additions on the line, as they didn't have a top pick like the Packers and Redskins did to get a solid O-line prospect. Defensively, they are once again similar to the Redskins, with plenty of veteran players who are talented such as Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris, Charles Tillman, Lance Briggs, and now Julius Peppers. However, for the first time in what seems like forever, the Bears defense was actually not very good last year, with their leader Urlacher missing a lot of time due to injury. Urlacher's absence led to a gaping hole in the front seven, leading to the Bears finishing 23 in rush defense (and 17 in total defense). PREDICTION: 8-8, no playoffs- Despite having some holes, the Bears do have plenty of talent across the board. cheap Cutler jerseyand Forte should bounce back at least somewhat, as well as the defense, but a return to the playoffs should not be expected.