By Jake Dowling, Icon intern
For previous columns click here.
Part II of NFL Preview: Breaking down the AFC and NFC North divisions
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens, 12-4, won AFC north division title, lost in AFC title game
The Coach- John Harbaugh has had much success as the coach for the Ravens over his first four years. He drafted a talented young QB from the University of Delaware in Joe Flacco, who is entering a contract year and has maintained one of the best defenses in recent memory year in and year out.
Harbaugh, who has a 44-20 record during the regular season and a 5-4 record in the postseason over the four years, is looking to take his team to the next level after losing in the AFC title game last season to the New England Patriots. The team has reached championship Sunday two of the last four seasons.
As coach for four years, Harbaugh's assistant coaches have gotten head coaching jobs elsewhere, showing how good of a coach Harbaugh is. This season they are without former defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, who left to become the head coach for the Colts. Harbaugh's tasks this season is to maintain a great defense, despite the loss of Terrell Suggs, arguably the teams' best linebacker besides veteran Ray Lewis, and come up with a consistent offense for Flacco to operate.
The Quarterback- Joe Flacco, along with Atlanta's QB Matt Ryan, were the first starting QBs to take their teams to the playoffs as rookies. Since then, Flacco has heard much criticism from the media. Flacco, who complained to the media several times last season, must focus on this season. If the Ravens struggle, his job as a starting QB for the future could be in jeopardy.
Flacco, who is in the last year of his original rookie contract, needs a big year. A Super Bowl would validate that. His running game consists of one of the most success runners in the game in Ray Rice, who just received a contract extension of his own last week. Full back Vonte Leach will remain a huge piece for their running game as he can block and receive effectively.
The most intriguing aspect of the Ravens offense will be at the wide receiver position where they have had struggles in recent years. This season, former Arizona Cardinals wideout Anquan Boldin, entering his 10th season, will team up with former Texan's wideout Jacoby Jones and second year pro Torrey Smith, would is Flacco's deep ball receiver.
The Defense- The Ravens defense will be back for more as the 2012 season approaches. The Ravens, who have much talent on this side of the ball, has finished third each of the last three seasons in points allowed. LB Ray Lewis and S Ed Reed are the team's oldest players on defense, without them the average age of the team is 25 years old. Therefore, for many who say that the Ravens defense is old this is not the case.
The biggest question going into the season is, how well will the defense do without its star, Terrell Suggs, who, despite saying that he'll be ready for the season, is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon back in the spring. Last season, Suggs accounted for 14 of the team's 48 sacks and has amassed 35 sacks in the last two seasons.
Without Suggs, the Ravens defense may slip a little, though Suggs believes he will be able to play this season. Ray Lewis may have lost a step, as well as Reed, but when healthy, these two are the anchors of this defense, making them a Super Bowl contender again this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers, 12-4, second in division, lost in wild card round
The Coach- Mike Tomlin is one of the biggest and brightest coaches in the league. He has a great fire of passion for his team and that is partially a reason why the Steelers are contenders every season. This year though comes with many questions for the upbeat coach.
The questions began seconds after Demaryius Thomas of the Broncos outran Ryan Mundy and Ike Taylor to the end zone to conclude one of the biggest upset losses in Steelers' playoff history. There were even more after franchise fixtures Hines Ward, James Farrior, Aaron Smith and Chris Hoke retired during a busy offseason in which the Steelers became younger but less experienced.
A season gone, and just like that, on the first play of overtime, against an apparently inferior opponent, then, four careers spanning more than 50 years of NFL experience were over, too. Moreover, don't think there weren't plenty of questions after the Steelers, for the first time in 13 years, not only went outside their organization for an offensive coordinator, but also chose Haley who comes with a colorful past.
The Steelers are aware of all the "They're-on-the-downslide" talk that's developed since they bowed out of the playoffs or, more precisely, Te-bowed out by losing to Tim Tebow and the Broncos, 29-23, on Jan. 8. The loss resulted in plenty of internal soul searching by the Steelers, from team president Art Rooney II to GM Kevin Colbert to coach Mike Tomlin on down, and may have led in the part to the departure of former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and the arrival of Haley.
The Quarterback- Like him or not, Ben Roethlisberger is one of the elite QBs in the league. With already two rings, Roethlisberger is still fighting for his third, after coming so close in SB XLV against the Packers.
The Steelers are very talented on the offensive side with Roethlisberger at QB, Rashard Mendenhall, who is coming off knee surgery and may not be ready for the season, Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and second year back John Clay at running back, TE Heath Miller and receivers Antonio Brown, Jerricho Cotchery, Emmanuel Sanders and Mike Wallace. Despite the retirement of Hines Ward, this offense, which finished 12 in yards and 21st in points a season ago, should be able to improve on that. If their offense can be a top 10, look for this team to go far, if their defense has another strong season.
Though the offense has many good players, there are still problems. Wallace is having a contract dispute with management ad may not show up to camp come Wednesday. Mendenhall is not expected to be ready for the season after knee surgery meaning Redman may have to start, meaning their running game could struggle in the start of the season.
The Defense- Last season, the Steelers finished first in the league in points and yards allowed respectfully. If they do that, again this season, with the idea that their offense could improve this team could easily be headed back to the Super Bowl for the ninth time in their impressive history. However, as seen many times in the NFL, it is hard to duplicate success from a season before.
Much of the defense will be the same with players Casey Hampton, who also is not expected to be ready by the start of the season, James Harrison, LeMarr Woodley and Tory Polamalu. However, there are many different faces in the secondary and aging players elsewhere in the defense.
The only veteran is Ike Taylor at cornerback while all the rest are second year players or rookies. That could pose a problem for Pittsburgh if their front seven cannot get to the quarterback.
Though the Steelers ranked first against the pass in 2011, they only ranked 17th in sacks, with a young cast of corners on the secondary, they are going to need help from the front seven to create pressure on the opposing QB and give the younger corners more time. The secondary could be the weakest link on the defense coming into the season.
In addition, with a number of 30-ssomething-year-old players on the defense, Pittsburgh may regress instead of progress this upcoming season. With the change at offensive coordinator, the loss of so much experience, injuries to two key starters, the advanced ages of other starters and the inexperience of the secondary, the Steelers may be looking at a third place finish if the Bengals improve this year.
Cincinnati Bengals, 9-7, third in division, made playoffs, lost in wild card round
The Coach- As the third longest tendered coach in the league currently, Marvin Lewis has a chance this season to get his team to the playoffs for just the fourth time in 10 seasons. His overall record is 69-77-1 in the regular season and 0-3 in the postseason, and if his team has another losing season or becomes another one in done team in the playoffs, Lewis could be out a job.
The Quarterback- Last April, the Bengals selected QB Andy Dalton from Texas Christian University in the second. His rookie year was decent with over 3,000 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and he will be looked upon to breakout in his second season with fellow sophomore A.J. Green from Georgia.
Green, who as a rookie posted a 1,000 season in receiving yards, 65 receptions and 7 touchdowns, is by far the biggest weapon for Dalton, after that, it is a mystery. The Bengals first step will be to find a second receiver for Dalton. If the Bengals are going to take that next step as an offense, they need someone opposite of Green to emerge. Most have third-round pick Mohamed Sanu as the favorite because he is a physical receiver that the Bengals are lacking and can open up the short- to medium-passing game that was missing last season.
Former University of Cincinnati standout Armon Binns continues to impress the coaching staff with his work ethic plus his ability to go up and make the difficult catches. The dark horse though is Brandon Tate, who averaged over 18 yards per catch with New England two years ago. Tate was mainly used as a returner last year.
Running back Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis, who signed with the Bengals after four years in New England, will be the player to look for to help Dalton out in the running game. The Bengals want to go with a backfield by committee approach and that is best suited for Green-Ellis and Bernard Scott. Green-Ellis does not have the breakaway speed you would like in a back, but he does get the tough yards and excels in the red zone, which is two areas of the run game where the Bengals have struggled mightily over the past two seasons. Green-Ellis wasn't asked to catch the ball much out of the backfield with the Patriots, but he did a lot of it during offseason workouts with the Bengals. Green-Ellis is also more suited to a committee approach, which wasn't the case last year with Cedric Benson.
The Defense- The Bengals finished ninth in points and yards allowed last season. If the offense can improve and if the defense has another strong season, the Bengals could see themselves playoff-bound in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the early '90s.
The main objective will be sorting out the secondary. When Leon Hall tore his Achilles in last year's Week 10 loss to Pittsburgh, many thought that he would not be back until this midseason. However, Hall's rehab has gone so well that he expects to be on the field when training camp begins July 27. Hall and Nate Clements are expected to be the starters at corner but the bigger problem is at safety where no one has stepped up to fill the void left after the release of Chris Crocker. Taylor Mays is the favorite to win the spot, but he remains inconsistent in coverage. If Mays falters, either Clements or Jason Allen could move to safety, which would open the way for first-round pick Dre Kirkpatrick to start at corner.
Cleveland Browns, 4-12, fourth in division, missed playoffs
The Coach- Pat Shurmur will be entering his second year as head coach of the Browns. His first year was forgettable with a 4-12 record and the bottom team of this division. The defense is decent, but the offense needs help and this past spring's draft was aimed at doing just that. Shurmur, an offensive minded coach, will be able to groom both top rookies of this years' class in QB Brandon Weeden from Oklahoma, State and RB Trent Richardson from Alabama.
This season Shurmur added former Vikings head coach Brad Childress as offensive coordinator for the team. He has much experience in the west coast style offense that president Mike Holmgren would like to install into the offense.
The Quarterback- It is a big assumption that Weeden will be named the started when the season begins barring any injury. McCoy, though not entirely his fault, has been ineffective as a starter for the last two years as starting QB for the Browns. That is why team Holmgren drafted the 28-year-old Weeden despite his advanced age for a rookie QB in the NFL.
Less than 14 points per game and only 20 combined passing and rushing TDs, there is no place to go but up for this group, and they will need immediate impact from this rookie class in order to pull it off. Richardson will be on the field in all situations and will have the ball in his hands a ton. He is facing some of the best rushing defenses in the league, however, in this division, which will not help his learning curve much. Over 16 games, he must be one of the more productive backs in the NFL if Cleveland is going to have any chance to compete. The offense will revolve around him, something longtime Browns fans will be familiar with when they think back to the glory days of the franchise.
The unit was devoid of playmakers in 2012. They need to get Josh Cribbs more involved. No team dropped more passes, and with longtime stalwarts like Eric Steinbach no longer around the offensive line will be under the microscope as well, though Richardson should help in pass protection.
The Defense- The good news was on defense, where the investment in recent years was paying dividends. The Browns got better as the year went on and they have developed impact players at each level of the defense finishing second in yards allowed and fifth in points allowed.
Unfortunately, DT Phil Taylor will not be able to build upon his fine rookie season up front, as he was lost for the season during offseason training. D'Qwell Jackson is coming off a monster season, and few linebackers were better or more well-rounded a year ago. He can do it all. On the back end, corner Joe Haden is a superstar in the making and the kind of young shutdown prospect every GM covets. There are other up and coming corners this defense is looking forward to seeing this season.
Cleveland will continue to try to sprinkle in others, but the unit jelled under defensive coordinator Dick Jauron a year ago, seemingly taking to his even-keeled, more conservative approach. How much better can this defense get since the offenses in this division are improving? They will also be without linebacker Scott Fujita for three games for his "Bounty gate" suspension, barring him winning appeal.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers, 15-1, won division, lost in divisional round
The Coach- Mike McCarthy is one of the hidden gems when it comes to being recognized as one of the best coaches in the league. He has amassed a career coaching record of 63-33 with a 5-3 postseason record, playoff appearances in four of the last five seasons and a Super Bowl victory in 2010. As coach of the Packers, he has always had one of the best offenses in the league, a top 10 unit year in and year out.
The man partially responsible for Favre's departure in 2008, McCarthy is also responsible for grooming one of the leagues finest QBs in Aaron Rodgers, who won MVP last season as the team finished 15-1.
McCarthy's coaching staff is one of the best too. Former offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, now the coach of the Miami Dolphins as well as other coaches going to other teams for better opportunities. The defensive staff, led by DC Dom Capers was also McCarthy's responsibility. After the 2008 season, McCarthy hired Capers, a great coordinator who created the great Steelers' defenses of the '90s and allowed Capers to come up with his own staff with assistants like LB coach Kevin Greene, a surefire future hall of famer because of his great playing days. Talented former player and coach Darren Perry, among others. Look for McCarthy's success as the Packers coach to continue as they look to rebound from their playoff loss at home to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
The Quarterback- Three letters, MVP. That is all that is needed to describe Aaron Rodgers and his season last year. He was the best, throwing for 4,643 yards 45 TDs and an NFL record 122.5 QB rating. He can do everything a coach wants in his QB.
It helps that he has the best receiving corp. in the NFL with receivers Greg Jennings, the teams' leading receiver and deep ball threat, long-time Packers veteran and fan favorite Donald Driver, who, at his advanced age, can still get the job done as the teams' number three or four receiver. Jordy Nelson, who had a breakout season last year putting together 68 receptions, 1263 yards and 15 TDs. Look for him to continue this torrid pace in the future as James Jones and second year player Randall Cobb round out the rest of that position. Cobb will have a larger role this year in the offense after he put his stamp on special teams last season by breaking the Packers decade drought of not having a kick-off returned for a TD when he did that in the season opener against New Orleans.
The team kept an unprecedented five tight ends last season, but that may not happen again this year because of the team's amount of talent at WR. TE Jermichael Finley is one of the best young TEs at his position. At 6 ft. 5 in, 247 pounds Finley has great size and speed, two components that are very rare for a TE. His role will expand along with his skills this season.
The only downfall about this offense is their running game. Veteran RB Ryan Grant will not be brought back this year so the team will rely on talented back James Starks. At times last season, Starks had his way against opposing defenses, but injuries slowed him down. The team also has former Buckeyes back Brandon Saine and second year back Alex Green, who is coming for ACL surgery. FB John Kuhn can do everything for the team including block, run and catch.
The Defense- In 2010, this unit was the strength of the team as they steamrolled into the playoffs and won the Lombardi Trophy, but last season was a different story. With the loss of all-pro safety Nick Collins to a possible career-ending neck injury week 2 against Carolina, the defense could never shake the big plays and the amount of yards given up. The defense finished 19th in points after finishing fifth a year ago and dead last in yards allowed.
It all starts up front. Pro bowler nose tackle BJ Raji struggled last year and wore down at the end of the season, but in this past springs' draft, the Packers selected Michigan State DT Jerrell Worthy to complement Raji and veteran Ryan Pickett. Worthy is strong, big and has a good pass rush for someone his size. The Packers also need help opposite all-pro LB Clay Matthews who saw constant double and triple teams last season as he pursued the opposing QB. The Packers are hoping first round pick Nick Perry from USC can help Matthews on the other side and take pressure off him.
Without decent pressure, the secondary will struggle. Though full of playmakers and ball hawks, the Packers ranked first in turnovers and first in interceptions, they still need to improve. Veteran Charles Woodson, who could see time at safety now that Collins is gone, can still make plays but also gives up a lot of big plays too. CB Tramon Williams, the team's best CB, had a nerve injury in his shoulder last season and was never the same. CB Sam Shields, who made a major impact his rookie season, struggled with tackling.
The team drafted talented corner Casey Hayward from Vanderbilt and have corner Devon House who never saw the field last season. Safety Morgan Burnett is an up and coming star in the NFL and this season could be his breakout season.
The Packers are Super Bowl contenders this season and have to be looked at as favorites to win in the NFC.
Detroit Lions, 10-6, second in division, made playoffs, lost in wild card round
The Coach- Jim Schwartz has changed the culture of the Detroit Lions. The former Titans assistant became head coach of the Lions in 2009 and they have improved ever since by making the playoffs for the first time since 1999 last season.
The Quarterback- Matt Stafford threw for 5,000 yards last season, only second to Saints QB Drew Brees The Lions were a team that could score in bunches and score quickly and were seemingly never out of a game. The connection of Stafford to WR Calvin Johnson became as feared as any in the NFL. Don't expect that to change anytime soon.
TE Brandon Pettigrew is going to start to be mentioned along with Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham as part of this new era of dominating young tight ends. This passing attack is as dynamic as any in the game, and the offensive line, though not great, was good enough to keep Stafford upright for a prolonged period.
If you have a young franchise quarterback, then you are going to be a contender and the Lions brass, GM Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz in particular, must be applauded for completely changing the persona of this franchise and digging out of the long malaise that hung over Detroit and the Ford Family for so long. This team plays an exciting brand of football and, should they get anything substantial and sustained out of the running game this season, there is no reason to believe they won't be even better on this side of the ball in 2012.
The Defense- The Lions will live and die with the pass rush. If they can get the Ndamukong Suh of 2010, that would go a long way to elevating everything else. Suh did not make the same impact and his temper issues dwarfed his on-field accomplishments. Call it a sophomore slump, but he has too much talent and works too hard not to be more of an impact player on a consistent basis in this upcoming season.
Getting Cliff Avril locked up long-term is the other vital piece of business along the defensive line. Having a multitude of pass rushing options, many of which are versatile and can move around, is what the Lions are all about. Coordinator Gunther Cunningham gets that part of the game as well as anyone, and perhaps he needs to dole out a little more tough love with this bunch in 2012 to get the discipline, on field and off, where it needs to be.
Reckless penalties, and a growing reputation as the new age Bad Boys of Motown, will not do the club any favors. As they continue to look to stabilize in the secondary and at linebacker, the leaders along the defensive line must be the unit's biggest strength. Getting another stellar year out of linebacker Stephen Tulloch would help, too. Moreover, the corners will likely be under fire. Detroit is demanding better play on the back end, where they were vulnerable and flat out awful at times.
The Lions have reached a stage where the biggest transactions they could possibly make are by locking up their young core long-term. Thus, getting Calvin Johnson signed for seemingly the rest of his career, and creating a little cap space in the process, was the primary objective of this offseason. A process must continue as Detroit searches for that first Super Bowl title. Nevertheless, their reckless attitude needs to be properly handled too.
Chicago Bears, 8-8, third in division, missed playoffs.
The Coach- Like Andy Reed, one has to believe that Bears coach Lovie Smith is also on the hot seat as well as Smith enters his 10th season. Early on in his tenure as coach, Smith's Bears had great success by making postseason appearances in 2005 and in 2006 reached the Super Bowl, but lost to the Colts. From 2004-2008, Smith had a 7-3 record against arch rival Green Bay. Since then however, his teams has only seen the postseason once, 2010, and are 1-6 against Green Bay, including a loss in the NFC title game in early 2011.
Mike Tice was named offensive coordinator after firing previous offensive coordinator Mike Martz who had been there since 2010. Martz, who coached the St. Louis Rams in the early 2000s and was coordinator for the "Greatest Show on Turf," during the Rams 1999 Super Bowl victory season, tried to create a similar passing attack in Chicago but never amounted to any consistent success.
The Quarterback- QB Jay Cutler, who was traded in 2009 from Denver, has had his share of problems in Chicago. He has been wildly inconsistent, arrogant, and reckless by throwing 49 interceptions in the three years in Chicago, including being sacked 110 times. This year however, he has at least one new weapon to throw to.
The Bears have introduced poison into their system, willingly, gladly taken the needle and promptly injected with everyone watching. That is what the Bears did when they signed wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The risk is obvious. The potential reward is obvious. However, the odds are, based on Marshall's past and predictable behavior; this move could blow up the offense and the team.
There is no need to go down the list of Marshall's issues. They are well documented. The main is that the Broncos and Dolphins, both starved for talent, put him in an ejection seat. Marshall will do what Marshall does. He will score, be awe-inspiring and demonstrate again that he's perhaps the second most physically imposing wide receiver in football behind Calvin Johnson. There will be big catches and the usual pronouncements that his troubled days are behind him until the trouble comes back, and it always comes back.
The question, as always with Marshall, is when.
However, a move needed to be made for Cutler's sake. The two were both teammates in Denver so the chemistry is there. Other receivers are a decent, but not great, Johnny Knox and returner Devin Hester, but he is fit to be a returner and not the team's number one option at receiver. That will be Marshall's job.
Besides Marshall's impact, on and off the field, Matt Forte will also be an important piece to the offense again this season after signing a contract extension last Monday. Forte is an all-around back that can run (4,233 rushing yards in four seasons) and receive (1,985 receiving yards) showing that he will continue to be a valuable asset to this team. Therefore, this offense has the playmakers in Cutler, Marshall, Forte and even Hester, but they still need a line to protect Cutler who will not be around too much longer if the sacks keep piling up.
The Defense- Coordinator Rod Marinelli transformed this unit from subpar to top 10, at least. There are the usual points and questions. Will Brian Urlacher's knee hold up and will his age be a factor? Will Julius Peppers still wreck offenses since he is known to take plays off at times. Can the defensive line get pressure on the QB? In addition, there is no true clue to what the secondary will be like.
It seems if this veteran defense, anchored by Urlacher, is consistent year in and year out. In 2010, they were a top 5 defense, but last season, they were 14th in points and 28th in yards allowed, respectfully. The front four is the soul of this defense. That is where it starts, but if the front four cannot get pressure, which was a problem last season (19th in sacks with 33). Combined that with the fact that the Bears do not use very many blitz packages on defense, the secondary, which has holes to start with, will continue to struggle in an already inflated passing league, in which the Bears are in a division that thrives on the arms race.
However, in the end, only one thing truly matters. Can the Bears stop Green Bay? It is the end-all question for this defense. And the answer is not yet.
Minnesota Vikings, 3-13, fourth in division, missed playoffs
The Coach- Defensive coordinator Alan Williams takes over for Fred Pagac, now the team's linebackers coach, and change should be good. Last season, the Vikings ranked 21st overall and allowed an NFL-high 34 touchdown passes. Williams and Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier worked together with the Indianapolis Colts, with Williams the Colts' secondary coach. Look for Frazier to be more involved with the defense this year.
The Quarterback- The Vikings made quarterback Christian Ponder their first-round pick a season ago because they believe he can be their starter for the next 10 years, and there were times as a rookie he looked the part, however, he was inconsistent, especially late in games, and must improve with his decision-making.
Of course, the Vikings must surround him with better players, too, and they have. Wide receiver Jerome Simpson is a gamble especially with a three-game suspension, but his big-play ability makes him worth a one-year trial. It should also make Michael Jenkins, the third target, more effective. Newcomers WR Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, the talented rookie from Arkansas, could help, but they're rookies, meaning they're unpredictable. Tight end John Carlson is not, he is a solid pass receiver and, along with Kyle Rudolph, gives Ponder a pair of sure short-to-intermediate options.
The most important addition, however, is not a receiver but rookie tackle Matt Kalil from USC. He protects Ponder's back, and having him instead of Charlie Johnson at left tackle should solidify the position. Moreover, it allows Johnson to shift to left guard and improves the protection for a quarterback who will need it.
When the subject is the Minnesota Vikings, the conversation usually starts with running back Adrian Peterson and works its way from there. However, Peterson is coming off a torn ACL and MCL and might not be ready for the season opener on Sept 9.
Though he says he feels great and is on target with his recovery, hoping to make it for opener, coach Leslie Frazier says he will "tread lightly," he is in no rush to return Peterson to the lineup. The Vikings are prepared to start the season with Toby Gerhart at the position if necessary, and that is not a bad emergency plan. But, Gerhart is not Peterson, and the Vikings absolutely, positively must have Peterson on the field to be competitive.
The Defense- A dreadful season can be traced to a dreadful start when the Vikings went 0-4, despite dominating opponents in first halves. That was the first clue that their defense, which had been reliable in the past, was about to crater. It allowed an NFL-high 34 touchdown passes, with opposing quarterbacks producing a passer rating of 107.6, also taking into account that they play in a division with Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler.
But it's an issue with the secondary, where the Vikings are vulnerable and where they spent two of their first three draft picks. Cornerback Antoine Winfield is 35, and Chris Cook has all the intangibles, but has off-the-field concerns, too. Rookie cornerback Josh Robinson should help, as should free-agent addition Chris Carr. Another rookie, first-rounder Harrison Smith, will push for a starting job at safety where Mistral Raymond, Robert Blanton and Jamarca Sanford are in the mix. Smith will crack the lineup eventually, but he must improve his coverage skills. The Vikings are making changes to improve.
There are questions at linebacker, too, where Chad Greenway is a team leader but where Jasper Brinkley, who is replacing veteran E.J. Henderson, is coming off hip surgery and is limited in coverage. The strength of the unit remains the defensive line, where end Jared Allen produced a career-best 22 sacks a year ago and is one of the NFL's premier pass rushers. Brian Robison and Kevin Williams are solid, too, with the Vikings tied for the NFL lead in sacks at 50 a season ago.
