http://gty.im/963358384
In these reviews I will be going over how each position group did individually then compare them against the rest of the NFC North teams to see how the upcoming season might go for the group. This time I’ll be covering the quarterbacks in the NFC North.
Bears
http://gty.im/855312144
When the Bears lines up week one with Mike Glennon you knew their quarterback season wasn’t going to be spectacular. Going 1-3 in his four starts meant it was time for their first round pick Trubisky to step up. In his first NFL season he did alright. He didn’t have a whole lot to work with but getting around a 60% completion percentage is ok. Nothing to write home about and the passer rating of 77.5 backs that up. Usually rookie qb’s will take a year to grow into the league and adapt to the change in pace that the pro game offers. The Bears however have heavily invested in their offense for next season and giving Trubisky more weapons means he has something to prove in his second year.
| PLAYER | ATTEMPTS | COMPLETED | COMPLETION PERCANTAGE | YARDS | TOUCHDOWNS | INT | SACKED | PASSER RATING |
| Mitchell Trubisky | 330 | 196 | 59.4 | 2193 | 7 | 7 | 31 | 77.5 |
| Mike Glennon | 140 | 93 | 66.4 | 833 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 76.9 |
Lions
http://gty.im/928617554
This season was a season where Stafford proved his worth (not that he really needed to). The number of Stafford doubters amongst Lions fans has drastically fallen since the end of the season and the numbers prove why. Having a 4446 yard season and coming 3rd overall in passing yards proves he is one of the NFLs best. He does all this with no running game to support him so defenses can prepare for the pass more often, making his job harder. Also getting sacked 47 times (the second most in the NFL) and still putting up these numbers is impressive. He has grown every year and next year he may see a slight dip in yards if the Lions run the ball more, which Bob Quin has invested heavily in. However he will still put up elite numbers. The addition of Matt Cassel won’t have much of an impact beside giving Rudock some competition of who will be the backup for the season.
| PLAYER | ATTEMPTS | COMPLETED | COMPLETION PERCANTAGE | YARDS | TOUCHDOWNS | INT | SACKED | PASSER RATING |
| Matthew Stafford | 565 | 371 | 65.7 | 4446 | 29 | 10 | 47 | 99.3 |
| Jake Rudock | 5 | 3 | 60.0 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32.5 |
Packers
http://gty.im/688385220
With Aaron Rodgers going down injured in game seven the packers team was exposed for what I believe they are, mediocre. Brett Hundley was a huge step down from Rodgers as the stats show. He played in nine games compared to Rodgers seven and only gained 150 more yards. Comparing every stat it shows Rodgers for what he is, an elite quarterback in the NFL. Hundley simply wasn’t an NFL ready quarterback and with them bringing in Kizer as a backup they are probably going to move on from Hundley. If I was ranking individual talent the Packers would probably be top of the list but since Rodgers missed half the season I’ll have to rank the duo together.
| PLAYER | ATTEMPTS | COMPLETED | COMPLETION PERCANTAGE | YARDS | TOUCHDOWNS | INT | SACKED | PASSER RATING |
| Brett Hundley | 316 | 192 | 60.8 | 1836 | 9 | 12 | 29 | 70.6 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 238 | 154 | 64.7 | 1675 | 16 | 6 | 22 | 97.2 |
Vikings
http://gty.im/848476410
Hard one to evaluate with Case Keenum at the helm of the Vikings. He has been a perennial backup talent for his entire career. He did however had a good season, there is no question in that. Getting no. 51 in the NFL top 100 list proves that if you put any weighting in it, I put some but not a lot. He was rewarded with a good contract at the Broncos but with the Vikings willing to release him and get in Kirk Cousins does that show he wasn’t as good as people think? He was great at escaping sacks and kept the offense moving when asked to do so. But he was given such good field position by having arguably the best defense in the league, relying on luck (The Minnesota Miracle) and being bailed out by two great receivers in Diggs and Thielen that was his play really that special?
| PLAYER | ATTEMPTS | COMPLETED | COMPLETION PERCANTAGE | YARDS | TOUCHDOWNS | INT | SACKED | PASSER RATING |
| Case Keenum | 481 | 325 | 67.6 | 3547 | 22 | 7 | 22 | 98.3 |
| Sam Bradford | 43 | 32 | 74.4 | 382 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 124.4 |
Final verdict
Bears – 4th
Trubisky had a decent year but nothing special. It was his rookie campaign though so nobody expected him to come out and throw for 4000 yards on that Bears offense. The rebuilding is coming through now though and their offense has improved a lot this off season. Next season I can see him having a much better campaign.
Vikings – 3rd
Case Keenum’s season would make the Vikings rank higher in most other divisions. However the NFC North has an abundance of great quarterback talent and based on stats I have to rank them third. Next season with Cousins leading the Vikings they could be a great team offensively.
Packers – 2nd
With just Hundley they would be forth, with just Rodgers they would probably be first. So combining the two and putting them second seems fair. Rodgers was on course to throw for around 4000 yards and 36 touchdowns which puts him on Stafford level for the year but with him going down and Hundley only throwing 1 touchdown a game I can’t put them first.
Lions – 1st
Stafford had a phenomenal year, throwing for the third most yards in the NFL is nothing to turn your nose up at. Also throwing for the most touchdowns in the division while getting sacked the most and receiving the most pressure is a great sign of things to come next year and beyond. Adding a running game could change those numbers but having the highest ranking passing offense in the division means putting him at number one was the choice.
Thanks for checking out the article everyone. Go Lions! Let me know what you think on Twitter @Alex_Watt_Lions and be sure to join the community on the Detroit Lions subreddit.
