Three of the four teams in the NFC North won this weekend.
Sorry, Green Bay.
As we approach the first quarter mark of the season, it’s important to take note about how each team is finding ways to win games.
With another week in the books, here’s what we learned about the NFC North after Week 3’s slate of NFL games.
Vikings: It’s one winning step at a time for Minnesota
On paper, Minnesota is in a precarious state. Justin Jefferson is injured, the Vikings just sold the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for a fifth-round pick and Kyler Murray threw an interception in his return to the field.
That’s just on paper. The Vikings are 3-0 after a 23-16 win over the Buccaneers.
The offense wasn’t good. Murray struggled to move the ball consistently, and Aaron Jones rushed for 58 yards with counterpart Jordan Mason on injured reserve.
Minnesota gained 4.2 yards per play. On the other hand, the Vikings held Tampa Bay to 3.8 yards per play.
Much can be said about the Vikings’ offense, but the fact is Minnesota is winning games in spite of the fact the offense has struggled. Carson Wentz might have led the Vikings in two of those games, but Murray playing a full game is a good sign that Minnesota has two veteran options at quarterback.
Time will tell if it was a good idea to part with McCarthy this early on in his career. But, it’s an example of one thing: The Vikings aren’t shy about moving on when it’s not working.
That’s why it’s fair to assume they’ll find something that works offensively. At 3-0 with a great defense, the Vikings have some leeway.
Bears: Another flower in Ben Johnson’s cap
The Ben Johnson Bears continue to find ways to do what plenty believe they should not be doing.
On Monday Night Football, with their third-string quarterback, they shut down the Eagles 27-7. Case Keenum looked surgical as he slivered the Philly secondary with 242 yards passing and two scores.
On top of this win is all a reminder that Johnson had never had to scheme with a back-up quarterback before. He’s done that now.
Johnson has earned the credit where it’s due of winning with a back-up quarterback. It’s not easy, but one of the best offensive minds in the NFL has now added that badge to his chest.
It’s an important one. It shows mental mettle and his ability to adjust on the fly, as well as the skill of getting players to believe in him.
The Bears are 2-1 with an improving defense, an offense that can operate with a 38-year-old quarterback and a coach that’s earning his stripes as the year continues.
The question this year is: What else can the Bears accomplish?
Lions: The defense got a rebound it needed
The Jets and quarterback Geno Smith scored 17 points on the Packers in a Week 2 overtime game. New York lost that game.
That same week of games, the Lions lost to the Bills after Josh Allen and James Cook devastated the Detroit defense. Against the Jets, the Lions needed to get right.
With 51 seconds left, they did.
Lions safety Chuck Clark strip-sacked Smith in the final minute to end the Jets’ final shot at tying the game at 31-31. The Lions preserved a 31-24 final, hanks to Clark’s forced fumble and linebacker Jack Campbell’s recovery.
After a tough week against Buffalo, that’s what the Lions needed to rebound and get back on track. At 2-1, they’ve found a way to win in two of their three games. The Bills are a different story, but the defense had to get one and did.
Through three games, it’s clear the Lions’ offense will be fine. Quarterback Jared Goff can get the ball where it needs to go, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the best overall weapons in the league.
The Lions’ defense needed to get back on the board. For most of the game, it wasn’t looking good. Smith had thrown for 321 yards and three touchdowns.
That is, until the strip sack at the end won the game. Lions’ defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has some ways to go, but he’s figuring out how to use this unit in crunch time.
Packers: The list of issues keeps growing
It wasn’t just that Atlanta came into Lambeau Field and beat Green Bay 35-14. It wasn’t just that the Packers struggled.
It was how.
That is, nothing really went right for the Pack on their home turf.
Green Bay’s running game gained 17 net yards. Fifty-five million dollar per year quarterback Jordan Love completed 52 percent of his throws. Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson led the way to the tune of 242 rushing yards. The Micah Parsons-less Packers’ defense struggled to pressure Michael Penix.
The list of grievances continues to grow in Green Bay. On top of all that, the offensive line, which struggled to start the year and seemingly got worse. That unit just lost right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele with an injury.
Coach Matt LaFleur has to find a way to at least solve a few problems. Parsons’ return can help the pass rush, but he also can’t cover, run the ball and protect Love and the same time.
However, that might not be enough. Especially after the Packers went all in to get Parsons and create a Super Bowl contender.
Whatever LaFleur does, he’ll need to do it soon. His seat could grow warm in the tundra.
The Source: Story is researched and written by FOX Chicago’s Chris Kwiecinski, who covers the NFL and the Bears for FOX.