Last season’s NFC North had a heck of a lot more downs than ups, but in the end, two of its teams were playing for all of the marbles in the conference. Will things be the same this year? Our NFL betting breakdown of the NFC North odds will show you the way.

We know that the Green Bay Packers (Current NFC North Odds: 1 to 1.85 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) are once again going to be the team with all of the hype around them because of the fact that they are the defending Super Bowl champs. The Pack really return the mass majority of their team from a season ago, and they get back both RB Ryan Grant and TE Jermichael Finley, two key pieces to the puzzle who were injured for the majority of the season. Last year, Green Bay had a ton of hype around it and really failed to live up to that hype… that is, until the very end of the regular season when all of a sudden, there wasn’t a team out there that had a shot of beating it. We’ll see how it translates this year and whether the Packers are really deserving of being the biggest chalks in the conference.

The Chicago Bears (NFC North Lines: 4.50 to 1 at BoDog Sportsbook) are the bunch with all of the question marks this year. QB Jay Cutler and Head Coach Lovie Smith both know that this is a season where they have to perform admirably. No, that doesn’t mean that Chicago has to get back to the NFC Championship Game, but at least it has to show some heart and at least compete for a playoff spot. There’s no doubt that this is a squad taking a step backwards this upcoming season, as no one expects it to even make the postseason. However, if they can get their defense going and Cutler remembers what color his team is wearing, the Bears could be a viable team.

The team that many are expecting to make big time strides this year is the Detroit Lions (Odds to Win the NFC North: 5.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The combination of DT Ndamukong Suh and DT Nick Fairley on the inside is going to be incredibly fun to watch, but the real question is going to be whether QB Matt Stafford can for one stay healthy, and secondly take some big time strides towards leading a playoff team. We’ve seen the potential in the former No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and we know that he has some great pieces to the puzzle around him, but there is a question as to whether or not it is all going to come together when it needs to in these tight divisional games.

The intriguing side this season if the team can get any quarterback play is the Minnesota Vikings (2011 NFC North Odds: 12 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). It was only two years ago that this team was in the NFC Championship Game and just a matter of a few yards away from having a shot to go the Super Bowl. However, QB Brett Favre reverted from a man who played like an MVP to one who played like he was 40 years old, and that parlayed with injuries and the loss of the Metrodome due to inclement weather really finished off the spirit of the team. The Vikes are going to rebuild around QB Christian Ponder in the future, but adding QB Donovan McNabb this year could be just what the doctor ordered. RB Adrian Peterson is one of the best in the league, and though talents like WR Sidney Rice and DT Pat Williams have moved on, there is still plenty of playoff type talent in here. We may be getting a fantastic price on Minnesota on the NFL betting lines this year.

2011 NFL Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC North
Chicago Bears 3.25 to 1
Detroit Lions 5.50 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 1.85
Minnesota Vikings 12 to 1

Odds To Win The 2012 Super Bowl
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 45 to 1
Green Bay Packers 8.45 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 42 to 1

NFC North Super Bowl Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC North Division
Chicago Bears 4.50 to 1
Detroit Lions 4.50 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 3
Minnesota Vikings 9.50 to 1

Super Bowl 46 Odds
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 35 to 1
Green Bay Packers 3.50 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 35 to 1

NFC North Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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2011 NFC North Odds
Chicago Bears 4 to 1
Detroit Lions 5 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 2
Minnesota Vikings 10 to 1

NFC North Odds To Win the Super Bowl
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 45 to 1
Green Bay Packers 5 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 40 to 1

NFL Betting Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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NFC North Odds
Chicago Bears 4.50 to 1
Detroit Lions 5 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 1.90
Minnesota Vikings 7.50 to 1

Super Bowl Odds
Chicago Bears 28 to 1
Detroit Lions 30 to 1
Green Bay Packers 7 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 35 to 1

There are only three games left in the entire NFL betting campaign, but before we get ready to make our Super Bowl XLV picks, we have some unfinished business to tend to in the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Check out our NFL prop picks for two of the biggest games of the entire season!

Will There Be a Score in the First 6.5 Minutes of the Game Bears/Packers Game?
We know that the Chicago offense got off to a great start last week against the Seattle Seahawks, but we also have to remember that these two teams have played some absolutely sparkling defense along the way as well. If the Bears get the ball first, there is a decent chance that a scoring drive might take over 6.5 minutes even if it does happen on the opening sequence, believe it or not. We’re believers that points could be at a premium on Sunday, and though that might not necessarily translate into a lower scoring game, we’ll take our chances that the first score doesn’t occur early on. Bank on there being No Score in the First 6.5 Minutes (-110 at Hollywood Sportsbook) between the Bears and the Packers.

Will There Be a Safety in Both Championship Games?
This season, including the playoffs, there have only been 13 safeties. That’s right. Over the course of all of those games in the NFL betting schedule, 264 of them, there have only been 13 safeties. That’s one safety in every 4.9% of games played in the league this year. In 2009, there were only 14 safeties, including the playoffs. Let’s do some simple math here, shall we? Over the last 531 games in the NFL, there have been 27 safeties, or one safety in approximately 20 games (5.08%). If we can hit this prop at -1000 in 94.92% of our games, we’re going to be worth a ton of money. Over 1,000 games, at this price, if we were to bet $1,000 to win $100, we would have a profit of $4,412. Not a bad haul, eh? No Safety in the NFC Championship Game, and No Safety in the AFC Championship Game (-1000 Each Bet at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Aaron Rodgers Over/Under 3.5 Rushing Attempts
Rodgers certainly hasn’t been afraid to tuck it and run when he has to this season, as he was one of the best running options for a team that really didn’t have all that much to work with in that department in 2010. The former Cal Golden Bear took off 64 times this year and accounted for 356 yards in the regular season, but what impressed us the most is the fact that he had seven carries in the 10-3 win over these Bears in Week 17. Rodgers hasn’t gotten to this point yet in the playoffs, as he only has five carries in two games, but we tend to believe that this will be an exception, as the Chicago defense is a lot more prone to sending a lot of men after the quarterback, which could cause Rodgers to have to escape more often than he really wants to. He’ll go Over 3.5 Rushing Attempts (-120 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Colts.

Matt Forte Over/Under 16.5 Yards on Longest Carry
It’s only one stroke of luck and one stroke of genius that will get Forte to this type of a number. We’ve seen that the Bears have stayed committed to Forte this season when they have had the chance to, and over the course of the last four games, he has at least 15 carries in all four outings and has averaged 19 carries per game. Forte isn’t really the most explosive runner in the world, but he has had a ton of opportunities, especially when he gets the ball in open space, to be able to take advantage and pick up some huge gainers. Over the course of the second half of the season, Chicago’s top running back has had a long carry of at least 17 yards six times, and we tend to believe that that will continue on Sunday. Forte’s longest carry will be Over 16.5 Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Total Sacks in the AFC Championship Game
We’re a tad surprised to see Hollywood hang a ’5′ in this game instead of a ’5.5′ due to the fact that last week, there were 11 sacks in the duel between the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. We know that there are a ton of problems right now for the Steelers up front, and the Jets have really yet to show their best pass rush in these playoffs to date. After getting after QB Tom Brady all week last week, we have no doubt that New York can get to QB Ben Roethlisberger in this one, and when it does, it is going to make those opportunities pay off. There is no way, with these two ferocious defenses, that there aren’t Over 5 Sacks (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook) significantly more often than not.

LaDainian Tomlinson Over/Under 18.5 Receiving Yards
You know that LT is going to get his touches in this game, and you know that the Pittsburgh defense is going to do what it can to make sure that he doesn’t have the same 49 yards on 11 carries that he had when these two squads met last month. We know that Tomlinson hasn’t been used all that much as a receiver of late, but there is a point that QB Mark Sanchez is going to have to realize that he doesn’t have the time to work the ball up the field against this Pittsburgh defense. Last week, it was TE Todd Heap for the Ravens that made all of those catches over the middle of the field, and it is clear that Tomlinson is going to be asked to fill that role as a check down option at times when Sanchez is in trouble. LT will go Over 18.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Pittsburgh defense.

Heath Miller Over/Under 3.5 Receptions
We’ve already talked just a tad about inside routes with Heap and the Steelers defense, but what about the New York ‘D’? This unit really doesn’t give up much of anything to anyone, but if there is a bit of a weakness, it is against teams that really utilize either tight ends or other receiving options to sit down in the middle of the field. Last week, Brady was really forced to do nothing but try to throw balls underneath to WR Deion Branch and TE Rob Gronkowski, while the week before, the Colts did the exact same thing with TE Jacob Tamme. Now, enter Heath Miller, who has had at least four catches in three straight games and is proving to be a great safety net for Roethlisberger when he gets himself out of some trouble in the pocket. Big Ben loves using his big time tight end, as Miller often gets at least a half dozen looks per game. He’s a big play threat up the seams and could be in for a lot of looks on Sunday, especially knowing that WR Mike Wallace and his friends are going to be worked a ton up the sides of the field. This is the man in the middle that should have a great day. Miller will go Over 3.5 Receptions (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the New York ‘D’.

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The first spot in Super Bowl XLV will be handed out on Sunday, January 23rd at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, as the Chicago Bears will take on the Green Bay Packers. These two teams know all about each other, having already played two games this season, with the home team winning both duels. The Bears covered both sets of NFL odds in these divisional clashes, and the oddsmakers still have them as three point underdogs on Sunday. Which team will beat the NFC Championship odds? Check out these three keys to the game that should be the deciding factors.

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Key #1: The Bears need to play defense like they did in the first half against Seattle and not in the second half
We know that the NFC Divisional Round duel against the Seattle Seahawks was really a tale of two halves for the Bears, as they were completing dominating for about two and a half quarters before pulling up lame down the stretch and nearly blowing the cover. However, this is a unit that has just been downright nasty all season long, allowing just 90.1 yards per game on the ground in the regular season. Chicago only allowed 34 yards on 12 carries in its first postseason tussle as well. The Bears did allow 331.5 yards per game in the regular season to these Packers, but we really know better. A lot of the yards for QB Aaron Rodgers were created from just a few big plays, but they ultimately were not parlayed into all that many points. Keeping this team to just 27 points in two games is definitely a feat to be proud of. There were also two turnovers forced by the men from the Windy City in this one, which is a problem that the Packers have had at times over the course of this season. They’ve done a great job of protecting the pigskin thus far in the second season, especially against the Falcons when they had just one blown fumble, and the three turnovers that they have had haven’t really come back to bite them.

Current NFC Championship Odds at BetUS Sportsbook
Green Bay Packers -3
Chicago Bears +3
Over/Under 44
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Key #2: Alright Jay Cutler… What’ve you got?
This isn’t necessarily a key that will cause Chicago to win this game, but it certainly could be a key to losing it. Cutler has been much maligned since coming to the Windy City, as he has thrown 42 picks in two years after throwing for just 37 picks in two and a half years with the Denver Broncos. The media in the Midway has been all over his case about not protecting the football and not coming up big in big games, and there are certainly still some reasons to believe that this is the case after winning his first playoff game on Sunday. Cutler did only go 15-of-28 on the day, a completion percent of just 53.6 percent, and this came against a defense that was dreadful against the pass all year long. The former Vanderbilt Commodore did toss three picks in two games against Green Bay in the regular season, and he ended the season with 16 boo boos. Enter the Packers ‘D’. This unit had 24 picks in the regular season, the most in the NFC and just one behind the New England Patriots for the league lead. We always thought that you wouldn’t find a better ball hawk in the game than DB Charles Woodson, but we were wrong. DB Tramon Williams has developed a tremendous nose for the ball, and he had the amazing pick six that sunk the Atlanta Falcons last Saturday. If Cutler gets careless with the football, he will throw picks to this team, and if he does that, the Bears don’t stand a chance.

Key #3: The battle at the line of scrimmage
You can bet that line play is going to be preached on both sides of the football this week. The Packers probably think they can get away with a little more leniency on this facet of the game because they are so talented elsewhere, but the team that wins this battle is most likely going to be the one that wins this game. Neither offensive line was that sharp all year, as neither opened up that many holes for the running game. Even in the divisional round games, the Bears averaged just 3.91 yards per carry (and that includes a 21 yard scamper by Cutler), while the Packers only averaged 3.10 yards per carry. Chicago’s OL is going to have to find a way to stop a Green Bay front that had five sacks of QB Matt Ryan on Saturday night, two of which came from one of the biggest sack masters in the league, LB Clay Matthews. The Packers are going to have to contend with a front seven that just has a mean streak in it, and though the Bears did really have the individual stats this year that some of the players on Green Bay’s ‘D’ did, they had the second best defensive front in terms of rushing this year in the league at just 90.1 yards per game.

Thursday Night Football is back once again in the NFL this week, and two teams that are fighting and clawing to stay in the playoff race in their respective conferences will do battle, as the Miami Dolphins play host to the Chicago Bears. Check out these NFL props picks for the showdown in South Beach that could be extremely exciting on the NFL Network.

Will Devin Hester Score a Touchdown?
Don’t kid yourself. Though Hester is getting fewer touches this year, if you bet this prop at this price every single game this season, you’ve done fairly well, picking up 1.8 units. Remember that you get punt return touchdowns as well as scores, as any TD is a TD. Hester is probably going to get a ton of chances to return punts in this one, as the Dolphins have plenty of offensive problems to deal with. It only takes one stroke of genius to win this prop, and though we hate betting things like this, we also realize that there are times that the oddsmakers are just off. This is one of those times. Go with Hester to Score a Touchdown (+170 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Thursday Night Football.

Total Punts Over/Under 9.5
This is a fairly standard prop at a very standard price, but this isn’t such a very standard game that we’re dealing with. These two defenses are built like rocks and are specifically designed to stop the other. Miami has a tremendous pass rush and is good enough up the middle of the defense to be able to hold down a Chicago offensive line that is just atrocious at run blocking. The Bears have the No. 2 rush defense in the game and clearly have the best unit against ground games aside from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brad Maynard, Chicago’s punter, has booted the ball at least four times all but once this year, and he has kicked at least five punts in six of the Bears’ nine games. This is an incredibly high number of punts for a punter right now. Miami’s punter, Brandon Fields, hasn’t had nearly as much work this year, as he only has booted the pigskin away more than four times twice. However, this could be the ugliest game that either team plays all season long. With NFL odds like this, we have no choice but to go with there to be Over 9.5 punts (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Anthony Fasano Over/Under 2.5 Receptions
We’re so afraid on NFL props like this one, because we never really know whether recent trends are going to hold true or not. However, we have no choice but to believe here, as Fasano has caught at least three balls in four straight games and has really become a great check down option when things are getting rough. You can bet with the Bears bringing heat off the corner with DE Julius Peppers and company, that QB Tyler Thigpen, assuming that he is the starter, is going to really want to force the ball in to Fasano’s hands at least a few times just to get the big tight end involved and to loosen up the pass rush just a tad. We have to get to at least three catches, right? We’ll take Fasano Over 2.5 Receptions (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

There aren’t many undefeated teams left standing in the NFL world this year, but two of them will take center stage on Monday night when the Green Bay Packers duke it out with the Chicago Bears. Our NFL handicappers have the best props on the board that you should be looking at when getting ready to place NFL prop bets on this game!

Longest Touchdown Over/Under 44.5 Yards
We haven’t quite seen the cannon for QB Aaron Rodgers come out yet this year, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have the capability of throwing a 45 yard TD pass. The Bears don’t have a ton of deep threats either, but any time that WR Devin Hester touches the ball, magic can happen. One of the big boys for the Packers could pull this feat off at any second as well, as Rodgers loves chucking the ball to both WR Donald Driver and WR Greg Jennings. Especially since both of these defenses love taking chances, we’re going to say that there is going to be a TD of Over 44.5 yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) more often than not in a battle of these two squads.

Aaron Rodgers Over/Under 20 Completions
This is a relatively simple prop that should not be overanalyzed. Rodgers simply doesn’t have a ground game to rely on, and HC Mike McCarthy knows it. Trying to run into the teeth of the Chicago defense generally isn’t that good of an idea either, as the combo of DT Tommy Harris and LB Brian Urlacher is there to munch any running back in their paths. Instead, Rodgers is going to be asked to use slip screens and short dump offs as if they were long handoffs in this game. That being said, we don’t see how he isn’t going to go Over 20 completions (-120 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Jermichael Finley Over/Under 4 Receptions
Finley is quickly becoming the security blanket that Rodgers uses when he can’t find either Driver or Jennings available down the field. This is emerging as one of the best tight ends in the game. Once again, if the Bears defense gets aggressive, Finley could be in for a big, big night. We don’t see how he won’t at least reach, and like end up going Over 4 Receptions (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in this battle against the Bears.

Will Jay Cutler Throw an Interception?
This is just too easy to pass up! Cutler nearly reached the 30 INT mark last year, and now he’s going against a defense that is going to be in his face all night. Congrats to the Vandy grad for only throwing one INT in his first two games of the season. The fun and games are over tonight. Cutler Will throw an INT (-225 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in this game.

The hot seat. Every coach finds himself on it at some point in his career. Some persevere, while others fold under the pressure. This year in the NFL, there are a number of coaches that are facing potential do or die situations. Check out who those coaches are, why they’re in trouble, what we can expect of them this year, and their odds to win the Super Bowl.

Chan Gailey, Buffalo Bills (+10000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Bottom line: When you’re not a good coaching hire in the first place, you’re always on the hot seat. Gailey was an awful coach at virtually every stop along the way in his career, and this is probably going to be no exception. It looks like he has decided that QB Trent Edwards is the man to try to take his team from the ranks of the worst in the league to respectability. No chance. Edwards is, at best, the fifth best quarterback in this division, and he is clearly not the answer. Gailey will probably survive regardless, but this year has the potential to be a bloody one. We’ve seen coaches dismissed after one year before. Gailey might be the next in line.

Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Playoffs or bust. That’s the ultimatum that has been handed down from owner Bob McNair to Kubiak this year for the Texans. This is the only franchise in the NFL that has never tasted the playoffs, and by now, the fourth year of his rule in Houston, the Texans should be making the playoffs, particularly with the type of talent that the team has. The only problem is that the schedule is an absolute nightmare this year. Houston has also already lost its second round draft pick and projected starting RB Ben Tate, which really only leaves RBs Arian Foster and Steve Slaton. This could be a bad situation if Foster doesn’t pan out. Still, the top rated passing attack in the NFL from last year is only getting better with every pass that QB Matt Schaub throws. Every year this team gets better and better. Last year was the squad’s first season above .500. This should be the year that the playoffs are reached.

Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars (+10000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Here’s a man that probably should have already been fired. Jacksonville has drafted poorly in recent years, and it is really catching up. The team simply isn’t that great. The decision to make QB David Garrard the starter a few years ago paid off in the short term but has crippled the franchise now that it really needs its boost, as the Jags are threatening to move to Los Angeles if ticket sales don’t pick up. Unless RB Maurice Jones-Drew intends on having a year like Chris Johnson did last season in Tennessee, don’t expect Del Rio to be heading anywhere but the unemployment line once the year is out.

Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): It’s hard to think that the Eagles would part ways with Reid after all of the playoff years that this franchise has had, but this is the same team that just dumped QB Donovan McNabb unceremoniously to a divisional rival in exchange for a bag of peanuts and a box of footballs. Reid needs to at least finish .500 this year with new QB Kevin Kolb, or he might be out the door. The Eagles are searching for a new direction, and the fact that Reid only brought the team to one Super Bowl and never won the big one could ultimately cost him. If the standard of his job is going to be measured on the playoffs, the City of Brotherly Love will be watching the last season of Reid on the sidelines in green.

Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears (+5000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Bears made the biggest splash of the offseason last year when they acquired QB Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos. Cutler failed miserably, and the team flat out stunk last season. Now, Chicago was back at it again this year, picking up DE Julius Peppers, the best free agent that the open market has seen in years in the NFL. An 0-3 start to the preseason with just 36 total points scored isn’t a good start if you’re looking to put good mojo into your team for your make or break season. Somehow, Smith, just like Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, finds a way to keep saving his job with one good year every so often. This could be that “every so often” year in the Windy City… but if it isn’t, it is high time that Smith goes.

John Fox, Carolina Panthers (+6000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Panthers know that this is probably going to be a down year, but Fox is just as much putting them on the hot seat as they are putting him there. The team did go out and dump QB Jake Delhomme after so many failed seasons, and they even brought in his eventual successor, QB Jimmy Clausen in the NFL Draft. However, Fox doesn’t want to wait for some rookie to groom. He wants to win and win now. The rushing attack is great with both RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart capable of rushing for 1,000+ yards. However, the defense lost the aforementioned Peppers and has a lot of work to do to return to respectability. The Panthers are clearly the third best team in this division, and the end result could be a long, long season in which Fox either gets fired before its conclusion, or tells the team that he is not renewing his contract at season’s end.

Arizona Cardinals: Lost out on S Antrel Rolle, LB Karlos Dansby, S Kerry Rhodes, and WR Anquan Boldin, which will seriously hamper any chances of defending their NFC West crown.
Atlanta Falcons: Signed CB Dunta Robinson to shore up a secondary that ranked 28th against the pass last season (241.9 yards per game).
Baltimore Ravens: Traded for WR Anquan Boldin, which gives QB Joe Flacco a consistent target to throw to, but also lost top WR from a year ago, Derrick Mason.
Buffalo Bills: Still no word on what’s going on with WR Terrell Owens, but aside from that, things have been relatively quiet in Buffalo.
Carolina Panthers: Finally cut ties with QB Jake Delhomme, possibly setting up Michael Vick’s grand return as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Chicago Bears: Signed RB Chester Taylor, TE Brandon Manumaleuna, and DE Julius Peppers on the first day of the signing period, but still need to replace T Orlando Pace on the offensive line.
Cincinnati Bengals: Released WR Laveranues Coles and let S Roy Williams, DT Tank Johnson, and RB Larry Johnson become free agents.
Cleveland Browns: Signed LB Scott Fujita and resigned KR Joshua Cribbs to ensure that they have one of the most explosive special teams units in the NFL in 2010.
Dallas Cowboys: All has been quiet in “Big D,” save the fact that K Shaun Suisham was allowed to become a free agent.
Denver Broncos: Teams are trying to tender offers for WR Brandon Marshall, which could largely hurt QB Kyle Orton’s growth on a team that struggled down the stretch.
Detroit Lions: Signed DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and WR Nate Burleson, and though many recognize the Vanden Bosch signing as a great one for a poor defensive line, it’s questionable that Burleson earned $5M/year.
Green Bay Packers: Need to find a replacement for DE/LB Aaron Kampman.
Houston Texans: Working towards resigning WR Kevin Walter, but secondary help is still needed to replace the departed DB Dunta Robinson.
Indianapolis Colts: Resigned LB Gary Brackett, but have stayed relatively quiet in free agency otherwise.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Signed DE/LB Aaron Kampman to try to bulk up a defense which ranked 24th in the NFL at 23.8 points allowed per game.
Kansas City Chiefs: Resigned both LB Mike Vrabel and WR Terrance Copper.
Miami Dolphins: Cut ties with LB Akin Ayodele, QB Chad Pennington, DT Jason Ferguson, and LB Joey Porter, but did start rebuilding by signing LB Karlos Dansby.
Minnesota Vikings: Needs to find a replacement as RB Adrian Peterson’s backup, as RB Chester Taylor left via free agency.
New England Patriots: Resigned LB Tully Banta-Cain, G Stephen Neal, and DT Vince Wilfork to sure up the defending AFC East champs for another run in ’10.
New Orleans Saints: Still haven’t come to terms with S Darren Sharper, and have already lost LB Scott Fujita and backup QB Mark Brunell via free agency.
New York Giants: Signed S Antrel Rolle as perhaps the best DB on the open market, which will only help a defense which ranked 30th in the NFL in points allowed last season (26.7 per game).
New York Jets: Cut DB Lito Sheppard, but did trade for DB Antonio Cromartie, giving them the best tandem of corners in football (Cromartie and DB Darrelle Revis).
Oakland Raiders: Designed DE Richard Seymour as the team’s franchise player and released RB Justin Fargas, opening the door for more playing time for RB Darren McFadden.
Philadelphia Eagles: Still in dispute whether Donovan McNabb or Kevin Kolb will be the quarterback next season. Resigned RB Leonard Weaver, but cut both LB Will Witherspoon and RB Brian Westbrook.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Had to deal with a major off-the-field hassle, as QB Ben Roethlisberger was accused of his second assault. S Ryan Clark, RB Willie Parker, and backup QB Charlie Batch are all free agents.
San Diego Chargers: Traded the disgruntled DB Antonio Cromartie, and cut ties with RB LaDainian Tomlinson, but surprised many by bringing back RB Darren Sproles.
San Francisco 49ers: Signed QB David Carr to compete with Alex Smith and Shaun Hill for the starting quarterback job.
Seattle Seahawks: Lost DB Ken Lucas and WR Nate Burleson to free agency.
St. Louis Rams: Signed QB AJ Feeley to compete as a temporary starting quarterback for the signal-caller that will inevitably be drafted either this year or next year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Allowed S Will Allen, S Jermaine Phillips, and WR Antonio Bryant to declare free agency.
Tennessee Titans: Will miss DE Kyle Vanden Bosch up front, but also lost TE Alge Crumpler, LB Keith Bulluck, DE Jevon Kearse, DB Nick Harper, and C Kevin Mawae.
Washington Redskins: Have stayed surprisingly quiet, but did sign G Artis Hicks to shore up a questionable and aging offensive line.

The Monsters of the Midway just got a heck of a lot scarier.

Last season, the Chicago Bears opened up their wallets and made the trade that was supposed to put their franchise over the top. After years of watching Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman, et al struggle to complete passes, they dealt Orton and a slew of draft picks to the Denver Broncos to acquire Jay Cutler.

After the oddsmakers jumped all over the place and named the Bears amongst the favorites to go the Super Bowl in the wide open NFC, all they managed to do was go 7-9 and suffer crushing defeat after crushing defeat.

Oh look, Cutler just threw another interception while I was writing that paragraph.

The fact that the Vanderbilt product, who made a cool $22M last season, threw 27 touchdown passes last season was completely irrelevant to Chicago fans. It was the 26 interceptions that really stood out.

Heck, Sexy Rexy could’ve done that.

In all seriousness though, Cutler’s turnover problems were just one of the many freakish things that happened to the Bears in 2009. LB Brian Urlacher suffered a season-ending injury in the first week of the season. RB Matt Forte had a miserable sophomore slump, rushing for just 929 yards and four scores. WR/DB/KR/PR/Popcorn Salesman Devin Hester didn’t score a single special teams touchdown.

If nothing else changed for Chicago from 2009, don’t you think that the 2010 edition of this team would be significantly better?
Last year, the Bears spent a shade over $120M in salaries, which was just $7M shy of the roughly $127M cap. The only significant number that is coming off of the cap from last year to this year was that of Orlando Pace, who made a shade over $5M in 2009.

But thanks to the fact that this will be an uncapped season, it was essentially open season for the Bears to become free agent head hunters.

That’s when the wallet was opened.

Today was the first day of the free agency period, and Chicago wasted no time spending a cool $84.5M in the blink of an eye.
The newest members of the team including former Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peppers and former Minnesota Vikings RB Chester Taylor. In an otherwise largely mediocre free agent class, these two signings were incredible.

In Peppers, the Bears are getting one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL. He racked up 81 sacks with the Panthers before not getting resigned in the offseason, and now he’ll get to team up with one of the best DTs in the league in Tommy Harris as well as one of the best linebacking corps that the league has to offer as well.

There’s a certain #4 right now sitting in on a farm somewhere in Mississippi that has to be looking at that and wondering if he really wants to face that front seven twice this year…

The signing of Taylor will go underappreciated, yet it is quite possibly the more relevant signing. Even though Chicago ranked 17th in total defense and 21st in points allowed in 2009, we knew that the Bears would already be a more dangerous team defensively in ’10 thanks to the return of Urlacher.

What we weren’t so sure of is how good this running game could be. Many think that Forte’s miserable rushing average (3.6 yards per carry) was a large reason for the downfall of Cutler last year.

Chicago knew that it didn’t need a home run hitter as a running back. It just needed someone to lighten the load off of Cutler’s shoulders just a bit.

Taylor’s numbers haven’t been all that impressive for the Vikings since Purple Jesus came to town, but he has still been the epitome of consistency. If Minnesota needed a guy to step in and start, Taylor was available. A good blocker? Check. A third down back? Does 42 catches last season suffice?

For a team that ranked 29th in the NFL in rushing (93.2 yards per game), Taylor should be a perfect fit from a divisional rival.
It’s pretty clear that losing is no longer any option for the Chicago Bears.

For the second straight season, they have gone out and made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason. For the second straight season, they’ll be a favorite in the NFC. For the second straight season, expectations will be incredibly high.

But if for the second straight season, the Bears don’t reach the playoffs and march towards the Super Bowl, HC Lovie Smith is going to have lots of explaining to do.

After all, at least right now, he’s got the best team that money can buy.