Nfl Tickets - The Post-favre Nfc North

As of Aug. 3, future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre is no longer planning on quarterbacking

in the NFL. Given his history, there is always the possibility that he could change his mind, but if he does stay off the gridiron on 2010, the NFC North could be completely shaken up. Let's take a new look at the division in the wake of Favre's recently announced retirement.

Minnesota Vikings:

Now what? Okay, so the Vikings still have plenty of talent, but this is a quarterback dominated league. Favre's presence took the Vikings from one of the most criticized offensive schemes to one of the most creative. In the process, number one wideout Sidney Rice exploded onto the scene, improving from 15 catches and 141 yards in 2008 without Favre to 83 catches and 1,312 yards in 2009 with him. Rookie Percy Harvin also undoubtedly benefitted from Favre's ability to spread the ball and handle a complex offense.

But the hole left by Favre will affect significantly more than just the receiving corps. As running back Adrian Peterson looks to be more careful with the ball in 2010, which he reportedly has focused in the offseason on doing, he will be facing a bevy of eight-man fronts - something that defenses didn't do much of while Favre was under center.

Favre's ability to control the ball by throwing just seven picks in 2009 also overcame Peterson's fumbling problems and made the Vikings one of the better teams in the league in terms of turnover ratio. The Vikings still have plenty of talent, but with Tarvaris Jackson stepping back into the mix at quarterback, the offensive playbook will be severely limited. The Vikings still could make a playoff push, but any talk of them once again securing a first-round bye has to have quieted down almost immediately.

Detroit Lions:

The Lions also have to be rejoicing about the retirement of Brett Favre after ranking dead last in the league in passing defense last season. As the Lions continue to make solid moves that should sell NFL tickets and improve their franchise, they no longer have to worry about playing one of the top quarterbacks in the league twice a year. Considering that both the Vikings and Lions play indoors, Favre didn't have to worry about weather being a factor and he lit up the Lions' secondary for a combined QB rating of 118 in the two games last season. Even while improving, it was hard to imagine the Lions taking down a win this year against Minnesota with Favre on the field.

Green Bay Packers:

Packers fans that may have been a little displeased over Favre the last couple of seasons can finally relax, as he's now given Packer nation one more gift. Aaron Rodgers is now far and away the best quarterback in the division and the Packers have to feel great about their chances of winning the NFC North and securing a high seed in the playoffs. The Packers should be the only team in the division that's an easy choice to finish the 2010 season above .500.

Chicago Bears:

The Bears had a pretty solid passing defense last year and now added defensive end Julius Peppers to their front line to get some pressure on the quarterback. But even with a decent secondary, Favre still torched the Bears last season for five touchdowns and no picks in their two matchups. The Bears still aren't as talented as the Vikings overall, but Jay Cutler is a much more gifted quarterback than Tarvaris Jackson, which could help the Bears finish ahead of the Vikings in the standings. It's still seems to be a long shot for the Bears to win the division or even compete for a playoff spot, but Favre's retirement definitely has a trickledown effect in the Windy City.

by: Pat Smith

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