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NFL 2000 PREVIEW

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NFC CENTRAL
2000 Preview and Photo Links Below

How Jim Sees It How Cyd Sees It

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
What's to Like: Best defense in football, led by Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch. ... Mike Alstott shirtless. ... Solid kicking game, needed because of shaky offense. ... Upgraded offensive line. ... Keyshawn Johnson will bring a much-needed swagger to offense.

What's Not to Like: Shaun King throwing the ball. If he was a pitcher he'd be said to have control problems. ... No second receiver to take load off of Johnson. ... Loss of LB Hardy Nickerson to Jags will be felt.

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: Keyshawn perks the offense up enough, Shaun King shows improvement and with the stud defense the Bucs become the first team to play the Super Bowl on its home field. 1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
What's to Like: This team now has a winning attitude on both sides of the ball: Warren Sapp's permeates the defense and Keyshawn Johnson's will now dominate the offense's. Their all-important offensive line is bolstered by the acquisitions of LG Randall McDaniel and C Jeff Christy.

What's Not to Like: The one thing that may prove to be their achilles' heal is the quarterbacking - but, that was the case last year, withouth Keyshawn Johnson at receiver, and the Bucs went 11-5.

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: 11-5. Will run away with the Central division and will host at least one playoff game.

2. Detroit Lions
What's to Like:James Stewart will upgrade ground game. ... Johnny Morton, Jermaine Crowell and Herman Moore make up the best receiving corps in football. ... Pair of bookend 300-pounders on the line means tons o' fun. ... Brian Stablein without a helmet. ... Underrated defense, with strong front.

What's Not to Like: QB Charlie Batch is effective when healthy, but that hasn't been too often. ... Lack of depth mean injuries more quickly take their toll.

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: The Lions are the surprise team of the NFC and barely miss making the NFC title game.
2. Green Bay Packers
What's to Like: Quarterback Brett Favre is a winner and is sure to pull out a couple of wins himself this season. The Pack ditched clueless head coach Ray Rhodes and replaced him with no-nonsense Mike Sherman.

What's Not to Like: This isn't the Packers of old and Favre will miss TE Mark Chmura despite the pickup of Bubba Franks.

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: 7-9. Will be back to the playoffs, but won't play in a second playoff game.

3. Chicago Bears
What's to Like: Offensive coordinator Gary Crowton loves wacky sets and formations so the Bears will be one of the coolest teams to watch. ... Rookie Brian Urlacher has a great name for a linebacker. ... Look for QB Cade McNown to blossom in his second year. ... Great offseason pickups on defense in Philip Daniels and Thomas Smith.

What's Not to Like: Running game is so-so at best. ... Will the offense be a gimmick everyone's figured out by Week 4?

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: The Bears did everything right in the offseason, addressing their weak points. This offense will be a blast to watch as they sneak in as the sixth playoff team. 3. Chicago Bears
What's to Like: They have a well-designed offense that will give defenses fits. Second year quarterback Cade McNown is reportedly emerging as a team leader.

What's Not to Like: They need to develop a running game and Curtis Enis hasn't proven to be the answer. They lost WR Curtis Conway. While McNown is getting lots of great press, I'm not convinced he's an NFL winner.

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: 7-9. They'll build excitement with a failed playoff run in December.

4. Green Bay Packers
What's to Like: If healthy, Brett Favre is the league's top QB. ... Loss of bonehead coach Ray Rhodes is addition by subtraction. ... Backup QB Matt Hasselbeck is totally adorable.

What's Not to Like: The Packers seem like a fragile bunch and depth is a factor: Favre's tendinitis could be a season-long affliction and Dorsey Levens will likely miss the opener. Add in the loss of valuable backup WR Corey Bradford for two months and you have a once-potent offense looking weak. ... Favre's safety blanket, TE Mark Chumura is gone, and will rookie Bubba Franks quickly pick up the slack? ... Coaching staff is green as Lambeau Fields grass in September. Can't remember the last time a team with a new coach with no prior NFL head coaching experience made the playoffs (save for Barry Switzer, and he don't count).

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: Too many injuries at key positions leave the Pack out of the playoffs again. 4. Detroit Lions
What's to Like: Coach Bobby Ross's teams always outperform expectations. Quarterback Charlie Batch, while injured during pre-season, has provided solid play. The pickup of James Stewart at running back is huge.

What's Not to Like: What are they doing about Barry Sanders? From here, it looks just stupid to hang onto him. After starting 8-4 last season and leading the division, they lost four straight and finished third. It's "trendy" to pick them to do well this season, so they won't sneak up on anybody.

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: 7-9. With the toughest schedule in the division, and little depth at running back and wide receiver, they will fight to stay out of the division's cellar.

5. Minnesota Vikings
What's to Like: Randy Moss is amazing as a receiver. ... Robert Smith is one fine-looking man.

What's Not to Like: A lot ... a rookie quarterbck, a rebuilt offensive line and a sieve-like defense will combine to doom the team that was royalty just 13 months ago.

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: Denny Green gets his just desserts for ruining a great team and gets his ass canned.
5. Minnesota Vikings
What's to Like: They still have some of the strongest offensive skill players in the League in receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss. Robert Smith should provide 1,000+ yards on the ground.

What's Not to Like: Could have the worst defense in the League. They are starting a second year quarterback who didn't throw a pass last season. They lost Randall McDaniel and Jeff Christy from their offensive line to Tampa Bay.

What They'll Look Like by Season's End: 6-10. Coach Denny Green will be looking for another job after this fiasco of a season.