Thursday 16 February 2017 17:36, UK
With the 2016 season in the books, Sky Sports grades each teams efforts over the last seven months. Here's how we scored the NFC North...
Season in a tweet - One win shy of a Super Bowl appearance after a streaky season which delivered plenty of excitement but was eventually a disappointment.
MVP - QB Aaron Rodgers. Completed more and attempted more passes than ever, thanks to a running game which lacked consistency at times. Rodgers neared career bests in passing yards (4,428) and touchdowns (40) in the regular season and remains in the arguments for the league's best in his position.
Success story - RB/WR Ty Montgomery. Congratulations if you aren't a Packers fan and knew who Montgomery was before the season. He emerged from just about nowhere, converted to running back and ended up leading the team in ground yardage (457) as well as impressing for stretches in the post-season. Might not be called upon to repeat his numbers if the Packers prioritise a running back in the off-season.
Must do better - LB Clay Matthews. Injuries again slowed Matthews and his five sacks and 24 tackles were both career (full-season) lows. The Packers' system should be designed ideally for Matthews but it could just be that his best days are behind him now.
Draft needs - Running back is a priority, unless Eddie Lacy can be relied upon to put in a 16-game season for the first time since 2014. The Packers are also short of depth in their defensive secondary and help looks more possible in that area at the end of the first round.
Grade - B+
Season in a tweet - The play-offs were something to cheer for the Lions, who made plenty out of not very much and produced consistent fourth-quarter heroics.
MVP - QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford held the Lions roster together in the absence of much of a running game and with a bunch of receivers who kept on dropping simple passes. The problem for him was an injury to his thumb in week 14 that saw him become less effective as the Lions slumped to four straight defeats to end the campaign, including against the Seahawks in the play-offs when he got nothing going.
Success story - WR Anquan Boldin. Few would have expected the 36-year-old to lead the Lions in touchdowns but he managed eight of them and hauled in 67 passes in his first season in the Motor City. You would have to doubt whether he can better that next year.
Must do better- RB Ameer Abdullah. Feels a bit harsh putting Abdullah in here, but the Lions would be in a much better position if he can avoid the injury bug. Played well for the first one-and-a-half games but that was all he could manage and the Lions running game was a steaming mess after his injury.
Draft needs - Running back could be a consideration but you have to give Abdullah a full season to try and prove himself. The Lions main issues appear to be at defensive end and linebacker, and there are plenty of both likely to go in the middle to late part of the first round.
Grade - B
Season in a tweet - The last unbeaten team in the NFL went completely to pieces in the second half of the season as a lengthy injury list started to bite…hard!
MVP - CB Xavier Rhodes. The Vikings did little to excite on offence, but their defence was one of the NFL's better units when fully fit. Rhodes had five interceptions and he and the ageless Terence Newman, who also had a great season when not injured, were one of the league's best cornerback pairings.
Success story - WR Adam Thielen. Thielen was almost certainly not expected to be Minnesota's leading receiver, at least in terms of yardage. He had only caught 20 passes in his first two seasons, but emerged in 2016 to the effect of 69 catches for 967 yards and five touchdowns - his chemistry with new quarterback Sam Bradford was obvious.
Must do better - RB Adrian Peterson. He was ineffective in two games before tearing a knee ligament and probably shouldn't have tried to come back in week 15 even though the Vikings were still batting to get into the post-season. He may or may not be back with the franchise next year, with his $18m option still to be picked up, but an effective Peterson is a necessity for Minnesota to compete with Green Bay.
Draft needs - Running back could be a need if Peterson moves on, as Jerick McKinnon does not look like a lead back. Newman could head into retirement, which would leave a massive gap at corner, but it is their offensive line which needs most work doing on it. Free agent options are thin so it may have to be through the draft, where they don't have a first-round pick.
Grade - C-
Season in a tweet - Ugly win-loss record but a season not without signs of promise as rookies made a mark. Some of those close decisions need turning into wins.
MVP - RB Jordan Howard. An absolute no-brainer to decide. Howard was expected to emerge as the season progressed but injuries thrust him into the spotlight and the rookie eventually ran for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns. If he learns to catch a little better he could just be the next Matt Forte in the Windy City.
Success story - WR Cameron Meredith. He looked to be a roster filler for the first four weeks, sitting out the first two games and catching six balls before week five. From then on, he passed 100 yards in a game four times, two of those in the last three weeks. He might not be a replacement No 1 receiver if Alshon Jeffery leaves in free agency, but he's certainly a pretty decent No 2.
Must do better - Mr X - or whoever plays QB for the 2017 Bears. Quarterback play has been consistently average from Jay Cutler in recent seasons and he would appear set to leave during the off-season. Much has been said about New England's Jimmy Garoppolo being a trade target and that would make sense…whoever takes on the job has weapons to work with.
Draft needs - Quarterback will be a need if Garoppolo (or Tony Romo, or someone else) does not come to the Bears. They will have a couple of possibles with the third pick but could easily trade down and secure one of their targets later in the first and perhaps add a safety as well - another huge need.
Grade - E
