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The Fate of the 2018 NFC May Be Foretold in the Early Weeks

If the roster moves, incoming rookies, and depth chart uncertainties of the NFL offseason and preseason have left you unsure where to fix your gaze for the kickoff of the regular season, rest assured that the Frozen Tundra will host two of the most significant games in the NFC in Weeks 1 and 2.

Home to two of the teams experts have determined to have some of the best odds in the league for making the Superbowl this year, the NFC North enjoys a schedule front-loaded with a couple of season-shaping games. The second is the clash between those two highly-touted teams, and the first is one of the league’s oldest and most iconic rivalries between a playoff favorite and an old foe entering the season with a new regime approach.

NFL Week 1 Sunday Night Game: Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

This game should sound exciting to you no matter what the year and regardless of the roster details. Every team and fanbase believes they have the best rivalries, but there’s no question that the Monsters of the Midway against the Cheeseheads from Titletown boasts some of the deepest roots and fiercest pride. This year, however, both teams are bringing a heaping helping of excitement to the game as well, and it’s happening at prime time on Week 1.

The return of Aaron Rodgers doesn’t just alter the atmosphere at the tip of the Bay, it alters the atmosphere of the league. Experts have given the Packers 12–1 odds for making the Superbowl this year after they missed the playoffs entirely last year with Rodgers out for the majority of the season. Computer generated simulations to predict the Packers season average out at a final regular season record of 12–4.

While the Bears are no lock for the playoffs or even to finish in the top half of this difficult division, they’ve certainly put some effort into generating some interest and excitement around the team’s future. Hitching their wagon for the second season in row to second-year Quarterback Mitch Trubisky, the Bears doubled down on their bet by using the offseason to surround Trubisky with four new receivers (Robinson, Gabriel, Burton, and Miller). They also injected a…