First and North: The Bears get blown out, but the Packers suffer a big loss.
After the worst loss of Ben Johnson’s tenure in Chicago, the Bears now wait to see if Caleb Williams can return, while Montez Sweat get dealt a two game suspension. Jahmyr Gibbs passes Barry Sanders for the most touchdowns in NFL history by a player under 25 in Detroit’s win, The Packers lose their defensive tackle for the season during their blowout win and The Vikings stayed unbeaten behind Brian Flores’ defense.
It was a different week across the North, as two teams had their bye weeks.
The Bears and Packers still took home wins, and earned a few things in the process.
Here’s what we learned about the NFC North after Week 6, where every team earned something but one defensive unit earned your undivided respect.
Packers: Their defense earned your respect
For those who wrote off the Packers after the Falcons lit them up, it sure feels like forever ago at this point. Green Bay is writing back, though. One stellar defensive performance at a time.
Two double-digit wins over the Bears and Cowboys have righted the ship, specifically defensively.
Shutting down the Bears with two back-ups was crucial in getting an NFC North win, but it doesn’t say much about the long-term effects for a defensive unit.
How about limiting a Cowboys’ offense of Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens to just 13 points?
That’ll play.
The defense has earned your respect. After wondering if they could stop anyone, they’re on a roll at what feels like the perfect time. This comes after losing linebacker Edgerrin Cooper with a season-ending injury.
Oh yeah, that Micah Parsons guys will be back healthy soon, too. Imagine how aggressive Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon can be then?
Why you should care:
“I thought our defensive performance was outstanding,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said. “I thought J.G. (defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon) was aggressive, getting pressure on the quarterback. It’s hard to throw when you’ve got stuff in your face and I thought the coverage was outstanding.”
Bears: They’ve earned a prove-it game
Plenty assumed Bears went back to lick their wounds after a gut-punch loss to archrival Green Bay. On Sunday, they showed they just went back to the drawing board.
It helps getting Caleb Williams back. The Bears’ franchise quarterback completed 30 of his 36 passes. He was efficient and was not slowed by the torn hamstring he suffered against the Vikings.
It also helps getting Kyler Gordon back. The Bears’ defense now gets a heat-seeking missile it can use to bolster its pass rush and its secondary.
The 31-23 win over Atlanta was closer than it seemed just because Bears coach Ben Johnson tried to pull some starters early in the fourth quarter, looking to the second-string players to carry the torch.
A quick score and a fumble later, and the Bears put their starters back in. Johnson just wanted rest for his starters because a prove-it game with the Patriots is on deck on Thursday night at Soldier Field.
The Bears earned a chance to prove their worth after weathering the back-up quarterback storm to sit at 4-2.
Why you should care:
“I’m not surprised at all by how our guys responded, when we get punched in the face, this locker room comes back to fix and execute,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. “It took a complete team effort across all three phases to bottle up a player like Bijan Robinson. Defense swarmed, special teams created turnovers, and holding the ball for over 40 minutes on offense set the tone. A total team win, but on a short week, we have to enjoy it on the flight home and quickly turn the page.”
Lions: They’ve earned the chance to regroup
The Lions’ 3-2 record in the first five weeks of the season is mainly highlighted by a defense that’s struggled.
In losses to Carolina and Buffalo, the Panthers and Bills found success in every facet of the game. There was little resistance.
The weekend off with a winning record means the Lions have earned a chance to regroup instead of debating wholesale changes to their defensive outlook. Things might not be great, but it’s better to be over .500 and have these issues.
It might also improve with the returns of center Cade Mays and safety Brian Branch. The Lions had back at practice a couple of weeks ago, and they’re set return to the lineup in Week 7.
That’s a boost to the offense and defense with the Packers looming.
Why you should care:
“Barring anything negatively happening between now and the game, we plan on playing both of those guys,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday on the returns of Branch and Mays
Vikings: They’ve earned the opportunity to sit in first
One of the last unbeaten teams in the NFL, the Vikings sit atop the division at 5-0 and with two division wins already in their pocket.
That’s earned coach Kevin O’Connell’s team a little R&R.
The Vikings’ defense is scary. It blitzed and blitzes some more, testing an offense’s capability to keep up. This is the most dependable part of this team, and it’s showing no sign of slowing down.
The offense could use more out of quarterback Kyler Murray, but he’s proving he can win games. Back-up Carson Wentz has already done the same. If Murray can rekindle more of the magic that made him special in Arizona, the Vikings could take a commanding leading in the North.
Big picture view:
In two weeks, the Vikings get the Lions. A win there, and the Vikings are 3-0 in the NFC North.
That’s a firm of a grip as any team has had on the north nearing the halfway point of the regular season in a long time.
For all the guffaw about the Vikings’ quarterback situation, it seems to be working out alright.
NFC North Standings
Vikings – 5-0 (2-0)
Packers – 4-2 (1-0)
Bears – 4-2 (0-2)
Lions – 3-2 (0-0)
The Source: Analysis is from FOX Chicago’s Chris Kwiecinski, who covers the Bears and the NFL regularly.