Tag: NFC North

NFC North watch: Recapping the Lions division in Week 11

NFC North watch: Recapping the Lions division in Week 11 including a thriller between the Bears and Packers

A look around the NFC North and their matchups

Detroit Lions

In what seemed to be a lopsided matchup, the Jaguars looked to pull an upset against the Lions. 

Jacksonville started the game with the ball and got down the field just enough for kicker Cam Little to kick a 59-yard field goal. The lead would not stand for very long though, as Detroit would score a touchdown on every single one of their possessions in the first half. The Jaguars would tack on another field goal, but they were in a huge 28-6 deficit going into the half.

After that, it was more the same as Jacksonville would not score another point and were plagued by a Mac Jones interception and a turnover on downs. The Lions, on the other hand, continued their touchdown streak, scoring one on every possession except for the last drive, where they settled for a field goal. Detroit put on another sensational offensive performance and won the game 52-6. 

The Lions continue their dominance and remain on top of not only the division, but the NFC as well. They will travel to Indianapolis next week to take on the Colts. 

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings looked to get their groove back against the struggling Titans. 

Minnesota began the game with a fumble that set up for a Tennessee field goal for the first points of the game. That being said, the Vikings owned the rest of the half and would follow the mistake up with a three-play touchdown drive to reclaim the lead. That would then be followed by a methodical touchdown drive and a field goal, taking the 16-3 lead at the half. After the half, the Titans’ defense started giving Minnesota problems, forcing two straight punts and having a 3-play touchdown drive of their own, closing the gap 16-10. The Vikings would end up getting those points back on the very next drive, followed by yet another Tennessee field goal. The Titans’ defense looked stellar but their offense scuffled. The next three drives consisted of two turnovers on downs and an interception, and they could not close the gap, losing the game 23-13. 

Minnesota keeps the number two spot in the conference but will need to clean up their mistakes going into their next game against the Bears. 

Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears

The two conference rivals met for the first time this season after both of them took losses in their last game. 

Out of the gate, both teams were very strong on offense, getting points on the board in their first possessions. After the Packers picked off Jordan Love in the red zone, the Bears marched their way down the field and punched in a one-yard touchdown. Finding themselves on top, 10-7 going into the half. After Chicago kicked a 27 yard field goal, both teams scored a touchdown, leaving Green Bay in a 19-14 deficit. With 4:17 left in the fourth quarter, the Bears needed a touchdown to take the lead. Love threw a deep ball to Christian Watson for 60 yards and the very next play it was punched in for the touchdown, the Packers led 20-19. Chicago had a little under three minutes to get a field goal to win the game. After getting down into Green Bay territory, Cairo Santos was set to kick a 46-yard field goal, but it would end up being blocked, sealing the victory for the Packers.

Green Bay improves to 7-3 and sits at third in the division, while the Bears remain in last place with a 4-6 record. Next week, the Packers will head back home and face the San Francisco 49ers, while Chicago will take on division rival, Minnesota Vikings.

 

NFC playoff picture for Commanders through Week 11

The Commanders are in an excellent position, but there is plenty of work ahead.

Having gone through 11 weeks of the 2024 season, what is the NFC playoff picture look like for the Commanders?

  • Two division leaders are earning the respect of the rest of the NFC as Detroit (9-1) and Philadelphia (8-2) clearly are playing the best football in the conference.
  • One division is literally up for grabs. The NFC West could easily be won by any of the four teams. The Cardinals (6-4) lead, but the Seahawks, 49ers and Rams are all tied only one game back at 5-5.
  • The NFC South is a two-team race between the Falcons (6-5) and the Bucs (4-6).

So, the NFC division leaders and top current top-four seeds along with wildcard seeds are:

  1. Detroit 9-1  (NFC North)
  2. Philadelphia 8-2  (NFC East)
  3. Arizona 6-4  (NFC West)
  4. Atlanta 6-5  (NFC South)
  5. Minnesota 8-2  (NFC North)
  6. Green Bay 7-3 (NFC North)
  7. Washington (7-4) (NFC East)

With the Commanders having lost two consecutive games, they have fallen down to the last qualifying spot, the number 7 seed. What this means is that in the first round of the playoffs, if the regular season were to conclude with the teams in this order, Washington would travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles.

Consequently, as it stands today, the first round of the NFC playoffs would find these match ups:

(7) Washington at (2) Philadelphia

(6) Green Bay at (3) Arizona

(5) Minnesota at (4) Atlanta

(1) Detroit would have the first-round bye and play at home in the second round against the lowest seeded team to advance to the second round.

NFC North watch: Bears fire their OC after dismal recent stretch

Waldron was fired after just 9 games and the Bears at the bottom in nearly every offensive metric

The Detroit Lions offense played at about a C-minus level on the road in Houston. Yet Jared Goff and friends still managed to eke put 26 points and a road win over a top-10 defense.

Things aren’t going nearly as well in Chicago. The Bears have scored just two touchdowns in their last three games, all losses. Caleb Williams and the Bears offense haven’t found the end zone in the last two weeks, and that has led to a change.

The Bears fired first-year offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday. No other changes were immediately made, but embattled head coach Matt Eberflus had hinted that others could be coming.

After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense,” Eberflus said via the Bears. “This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully. I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.”

Waldron took over in Chicago in 2034 after being the OC in Seattle for three seasons under Pete Carroll. Waldron previously worked with Jared Goff in Los Angeles as the Rams passing game coordinator and QB coach.

Chicago ranks 24th in scoring and 30th in yards, though the Bears rank dead last in both in the three games since their bye week. The Bears are in the bottom five in yards per play, sacks allowed, YAC on receptions and third down conversion rate.

NFC North watch: How the division fared in Week 9

NFC North watch: How the division fared in Week 9 including the Lions big win in Green Bay

Week 9 in the NFC North brought us a mix of football weather and some crazy weather, including hail in the desert. The Lions further staked their claim atop the division while the Bears continued their free fall. Let’s take a look at the three games on Sunday involving the division occupants.

Lions defeat Packers, 24-14

A hobbled Jordan Love made some costly errors, including a poor throw that led to a pick-six for Lions safety Kerby Joseph, giving the Lions a 17-3 halftime. Detroit wouldn’t look back, going on to win 24-14 to move to 7-1 heading into a primetime showdown next week in Houston against the Texans. Quarterback Jared Goff went 18-of-22 for 145 yards and a touchdown and running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, Sonic and Knuckles as they are now known as, combined for 138 yards on 28 rushes. Gibbs had a rushing touchdown. The two also added 34 yards on four catches combined (three for Montgomery).

For the Packers, Love went 23-of-39 for 273 yards, no touchdown passes and the aforementioned pick-six. Running back Josh Jacobs rushed 13 times for 95 yards and wide receiver Jayden Reed recorded 113 yards on five catches. Green Bay fell to 6-3 going into their bye week and saw their four-game winning streak come to an end. The two teams meet in Detroit for a Thursday battle on December 5.

Vikings defeat Colts, 21-13

The Vikings’ defense showed up on Sunday night, holding the Colts to just 227 yards of total offense and sacking quarterback Joe Flacco three times en route to a 21-13 win to snap a two-game losing streak and move to 6-2 on the year.

Quarterback Sam Darnold wasn’t immune to sacks either on Sunday night as the Colts got to him four times. He did for 28-of-34 for 290 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Running back Aaron Jones rushed for 64 yards on 21 carries and Cam Akers added 46 yards on the ground on just six attempts. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson was up to his old tricks again, posting his third 100-yard game of the season (137 yards on seven catches) and has gone for at least 80 yards in every game except Week 1.

Flacco, in his first start since the Colts benched Anthony Richardson, went 16-of-27 for 179 yards and an interception. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 48 yards on 16 carries and wide receiver Josh Downs had six catches for 60 yards. The Vikings head to Jacksonville next week to take on the Jaguars.

Cardinals defeat Bears, 29-9

The offensive struggles continued for the Chicago Bears. They have scored just 24 points total in two games since their two-game stretch of 35 against the Panthers and 36 against the Jaguars. To make matters worse, quarterback Caleb Williams was banged up near the end of the game in what was garbage time, with the Bears losing 29-9. The seat is getting warmer for Matt Eberflus.

Williams went 22-of-41 for 217 yards and was sacked six times. About half of those, 104 to be exact, went to fellow top-ten rookie Rome Odunze. The Bears averaged just 3.4 yards per play on offense (241 yards on 70 plays) and were 3-of-14 on third down.

Chicago fell to 4-4 but have a chance to get back over .500 next week when they host the Patriots.

NFC North watch: Recapping the Lions division in Week 8

NFC North watch: Recapping the Lions division in Week 8, including heartbreak for Chicago and a thriller for Green Bay

A look around the NFC North and how the teams fared in Week 8. 

Detroit Lions

After beating the Minnesota Vikings and taking the first-place spot in the NFC North, the Lions did not take their foot off of the pedal in a matchup with the Tennessee Titans. After an early Detroit score, both teams started trading blows with four straight touchdowns, the Lions lead, 21-14. The Titans flame would then dim after Mason Rudolph threw the interception that would be the fuse for the Detroit offense to explode. The Lions would go on to score 4 more touchdowns capped off by a field goal for a commanding 52-14 win.

That win shows the sheer dominance of the Detroit offense that improves week in and week out. It was also the first time the Lions offense has scored 50 or more points since November 1997. The win not only keeps Detroit in the number one spot in the NFC North, but also number one in the NFC. The Lions will face the second-place team in the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers, next week.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have had a lot of close games throughout the season and it was no different against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game started with four straight punts until the Jaguars picked off Jordan Love, giving him a league-leading 9th interception on the season. It took two plays for the Packers to intercept the ball back, leading to the first touchdown of the game. The half would end with two Green Bay field goals and a Jaguar field goal and touchdown. The Packers had a slight 13-10 lead going into the second half.

In Green Bay’s first drive, Jordan Love was injured and Malik Willis filled in. The half was a back-and-forth battle that came down to the wire. With 2:02 left, the game was knotted up at 27-27. The difference maker was a Willis 51-yard pass to Jayden Reed to set up for a 24-yard Brandon McManus field goal as time expired, giving the Packers the 30-27 win. Green Bay will fight for first place next week against the Lions, and the main question will be who will be playing quarterback after Jordan Love’s injury.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings looked to rebound after their first loss of the season to the Detroit Lions in a game against the Los Angeles Rams. Coming into the game, the Ram’s star wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were back after injuries sidelined them for a few weeks. The first four drives of the game resulted in touchdowns by both teams, knotting it up at 14-14, but after that, the game slowed down. Minnesota could not get another touchdown for the rest of the game, settling for two field goals and a safety. Los Angeles on the other hand, would go on to score two more, giving them the 30-20 victory at home.

The Vikings took their second straight loss after winning 5 straight, and fell to 5-2 on the season. They currently also have slipped down into the third place spot in the NFC North. Looking ahead, Minnesota will take on the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday Night Football next week.

Chicago Bears

It was a duel between the top two overall picks: Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. The two very explosive quarterbacks could not get much going for their teams as there were no touchdowns scored in the first half. Instead, Washington scored three field goals while Chicago had four punts and a turnover on downs. Going into the second half, the Bears looked to get their offense going and did after another Commander’s field goal. D’Andre Swift ran for a 56-yard touchdown, still trailing 12-7. When Roschon Johnson ran one yard to the end zone, and Chicago successfully got the two-point conversion, it looked like the Bears were going to get their fifth win of the season. But, with six seconds left, Jayden Daniels was forced to throw a hail mary, where the ball was tipped by Chicago but then fell perfectly into the hands of Washington’s Noah Brown as time expired, Commanders win 18-15.

With the heartbreaking loss, the Bears fall to 4-3, last in the NFC North, and currently are out of the playoff picture. Chicago will look to rebound and stay in the division running next week against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Vikings are the latest victims of the post-Lions hangover

The Minnesota Vikings Week 8 loss continues to validate the post-Lions hangover, where teams lose every game after playing Detroit

On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings, 30-20. It was Minnesota’s second loss in five days, with the first–the Vikings’ first loss of the season–coming at the hands of the Detroit Lions.

Losing after playing the Lions is becoming a habit. It already happened to the Rams this year, too. In fact, it’s happened to every opponent the Lions have played in 2024. The week after playing Dan Campbell’s hard-hitting Lions, every single opponent has lost.

Minnesota’s loss in Week 8 extended the post-Lions hangover. There is an asterisk with the Dallas Cowboys, who didn’t play in Week 7 after getting annihilated at home by the Lions in Week 6.

The hangover has produced some serious blowouts, too. All five teams who have succumbed to the Lions have lost by more than a touchdown in their next game.

Week 1 Rams: Lost 41-10 to Cardinals in Week 2
Week 2 Buccaneers: Lost 26-7 to Broncos in Week 3
Week 3 Cardinals: Lost 42-14 to Commaners in Week 4
Week 4 Seahawks: Lost 29-20 to Giants in Week 5
Week 5 Lions bye
Week 6 Cowboys: Bye week
Week 7 Vikings: Lost 30-20 to Rams in Week 8

This isn’t a new phenomenon, either. It also happened to four of the final five Detroit opponents in the 2023 season.

Vikings and NFC North off to a historic start for the 2024 season

The NFC North is by far and away the most dominant division in the NFL.

For the first time since realignment back in 2002, the NFC North is the first division in which all four teams have at least four wins through the first six weeks of the season.

The NFC North is off to a historic start. All four teams are one through four in point differential in the league and as of now, it’s by far and away the most dominant division in all of football. The Vikings are leading right now with a 5-0 record and while that would typically make fans feel great about how the season is going — Minnesota is still battling for its life. The Packers, Lions, and Bears are all right behind the Vikings with four wins and one slip-up by Minnesota could shake the whole division up.

Of course, the Vikings do hold a head-to-head win against the Packers. Minnesota gets its first taste of playing Detroit in 2024 when the Vikings host the Lions on Sunday.

NFC North’s strong start makes NFL history Sunday

NFC North’s strong start makes NFL history Sunday

Six weeks into the NFL season, no division has been more competitive than the NFC North. The Lions, Bears and Packers all won Sunday to notch their fourth wins of the season. The 5-0 Minnesota Vikings had their bye week.

As a result, the division became the first since the 1970 merger to have all four teams with at least four wins through the first six weeks of the season. The Vikings are 5-0, the Lions are 4-1 and the Packers and Bears sit at 4-2.

The 2002 realignment made such a feat a bit easier by going back to four-team divisions. From 1998-2001, the NFL had five five-team divisions and one six-team division (AFC Central). Still, it took 22 years since the realignment for this to happen.

Albeit early still, the division has a chance to be the first to send every team to the playoffs. They wouldn’t as of yet, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also 4-2 and the Packers knock out the Bears via the divisional tiebreaker. But with 12 weeks remaining, there is plenty of time for that to become reality.

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Will Cardinals QB Kyler Murray make Swiss cheese of the Packers?

Instead of bathing in accolades, the Green Bay Packers need to prepare for the dual-threat ability of Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.

Instead of bathing in accolades, the Green Bay Packers need to prepare for the dual-threat ability of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.

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Sure, the Packers have shown strength on defense this season but not versus a quarterback with dynamics like Murray. Packers’ defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will be forced to make a business decision in Week 6. Hafley will either (1) have to play man coverage to account for the scramble, or/and (2) frequent in some disguise zone to confuse Murray on passing downs.

Murray is averaging 10.7 yards per carry this season and his 50-yard touchdown run last weekend sent a power rush through the Cardinals’ locker room. Unlike in years under former coach Kliff Kingsbury, Murray is operating in a much more balanced and traditional offensive system. 12 personnel packages and heavier doses of run are allowing Murray to settle into the flow of the game.

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Murray is building chemistry with wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride, two pass-catchers the Packers don’t necessarily have an answer for.

Lastly, with All-Pro Jaire Alexander hindered by a groin injury, it’s unclear as to why NFL analysts don’t like Murray and the Cardinals’ chances in week 6.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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The NFC North is going to be competitive in 2024

The NFC North is statistically the best division in all of football through five weeks.

Through five weeks, the NFC North is the most complete division in the NFL. In fact, it’s the only division in which all four teams are over 500.

The Vikings are leading 5-0, the Lions are 3-1, and the Packers and Bears are both 3-2 on the season. Minnesota has already played and beat Green Bay but has yet to play Detroit or Chicago. The Vikings will get their first crack against the Lions when they come off their bye next Sunday.

If everything continues, Minnesota will have a challenging last three out of four games to finish the season. The Vikings have home games against both the Bears and Packers while finishing the season playing in Detroit on January 5.

Minnesota will hope to continue to have solid quarterback play from Sam Darnold while keeping Aaron Jones healthy. Defensively, Brian Flores has been a mastermind. The Vikings’ defense is one of the best in the NFL, and their pass rush has been a thing of beauty.