Now that the preseason is over with, the Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFC North can focus on roster cuts being finalized and how to take on the vaunted regular season slate.
Detroit comes into this year as a team on the rise, after finishing the 2022 campaign strongly. The rest of the division seems to be, for the most part, wide open. It will be a lot of fun to see how this division unfolds, especially over the first few weeks.
We're going to see plenty of overreactions, I'm certain. Speaking of which, has the preseason caused any of us to shift our thoughts on where the division stands?
Let's dive into our final preseason power rankings.
4. Green Bay Packers
While all eyes are on the first-time starter Jordan Love at quarterback, I've got another area to talk about. Here's a number for you: three.
Three.
That's how many sacks the Packers' defense mustered up in total, throughout the preseason.
Last year, Green Bay finished fifth-worst in that category with just 34 on the year. Now, without Aaron Rodgers, their defense is going to be expected to play even better to try and cope with that loss. Assuming the regular season is anything like the preseason, as a whole, the Packers are in trouble.
Not only are they beginning life without Rodgers, but their options in the passing game are all still unproven, and they have a middle-of-the-road defense that cannot rush the quarterback with consistent success. Green Bay is, without a doubt, the worst team in the NFC North right now.
It's quite the refreshing change, for the moment, isn't it?