Point 1: After years of boring quarterback matchups, the NFC North is going to be much more exciting to watch in 2009.
Prior to offseason moves, the NFC North's starting quarterbacks included Daunte Culpepper, Tarvaris Jackson, Kyle Orton, and the one legitimate top-tier talent of the bunch, Aaron Rodgers. But then the Lions used the top pick in the 2009 NFL Draft to add Matthew Stafford. Orton headed to Denver in a trade that now gives Chicago a feisty and fun-to-watch Jay Cutler. And Brett Favre is on the verge of a return to the NFC North sporting a purple and white Vikings jersey.
Now that's entertainment.
Should Stafford get the nod as the starter in Detroit, he'll go through the same painful learning curve that even Peyton Manning struggled through during his rookie season. But that doesn't mean that he'll be any less interesting to watch.
Cutler will be playing with a chip on his shoulder after basically demanding a trade out of Denver. A truly good guy who is out of the Favre mold when it comes to his love for the game, Cutler knows that the best way to shed his recently public relations problem is to be the type of quarterback that Chicago fans have been waiting for since Jim McMahon led the team to a lopsided victory in Super Bowl XX.
Too many people forget that last year was Aaron Rodgers' first year as a full-time starter in Green Bay, yet he managed to throw for 4,038 yards, fourth-best in the league behind Drew Brees, Kurt Warner and Cutler. He also finished fourth in touchdown passes with 28. Expect to see even more confidence and better results from Rodgers in 2009.
And in Minnesota, if Brett Favre and the Vikings seal their pact, he's the missing link that will complement the Vikings' powerful running game and dominating defense that will make the Vikings a Super Bowl contender unless head coach Brad Childress finds a way to screw it up.