The streaks are almost all gone now, which means the Detroit Lions finally are ready to put their past behind them. The Matt Millen era is a fading memory, along with the historically awful 0–16 season that capped it in 2008. In the span of two weeks last December, the Lions ended both a 19-game losing streak in the NFC North and a 26-game losing streak on the road. And by winning four in a row to finish the season — even without their franchise quarterback — the Lions have suddenly offered tangible evidence that they’re a team on the rise.


With an offense that remains a work in progress, the Chicago Bears will again depend on an elite defense to do most of the heavy lifting after falling a game short of the Super Bowl.

The Vikings’ expectations for 2011 can be found somewhere between promise and denial. Several talented pieces remain from a 2009 team that was one botched play from a Super Bowl berth, but those pieces are either aging or still wondering what the heck happened during last season’s 6–10 meltdown.