I have a friend who is a rabid, unrelenting Minnesota Vikings fan. He’s convinced that Adrian Peterson is actually Jesus draped in purple, their defense could stop the plummeting economy and that Brett Favre will lead them to the Super Bowl.

Well, he isn’t that much of a homer, but you get my point.

On most points, I agree with him. AP is the best back in the league, they have a pretty good defense and Favre could learn to be a game-manager who can complete passes when called upon.

We know this system works, as the Vikings are looking pretty similar to the Tennessee Titans who managed a 13-3 record in the regular season last year.

That friend of mine recently referenced an article by Sports Illustrated’s Peter King in proving his case.

In that article, King argues that the NFC North, not the NFC East, could be the new power division in the NFL.

That’s a bold statement from King.

The Eagles are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The Giants have one of the best run offenses and defenses in the NFL. The Redskins, 8-8 last year, were tied with the Saints for having the best record for a 4th place team in any division in the NFL.

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t too shabby, either.

But it’s not the NFC North as a whole that King ranks higher than the NFC East. It’s just the top three:

“As far as division kingpins go, most everyone agrees the NFC East is king heading into the 2009 season. From one through four, the East is better than any division playing. But I think as the season dawns, Chicago-Minnesota-Green Bay is better than New York-Philadelphia-Dallas.”