The NFC North Round-Up: Vikings Reign Supreme

ESPN Lays Out a Plan for Kirk Cousins' Contract
Nov 6, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) walks off the field against the Washington Commanders during the second half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

After another week of NFL football, the Minnesota Vikings continue their chokehold on the NFC North division. Kirk Cousins led the Vikings to another comeback win this weekend while both the Bears and Packers lost.

This means that Minnesota’s lead in the division has increased to 4.5 games, and there’s a possibility that the Vikings clinch the division by Thanksgiving at this rate. Here’s a look at the action around the NFC North this week.

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Justin Fields’ Record Day

Justin Fields had a rather ho-hum day passing the ball on Sunday, though he did have three touchdowns through the air in Chicago’s 35-32 loss to the Miami Dolphins. However, if you scroll a little further down the box score, you’ll see that he broke the NFL regular season record for most rushing yards by a QB.

Fields rushed for 178 yards, and overall, the Chicago Bears piled up 252 yards on the ground. It’s their fourth straight game with 237+ rushing yards, but they’re only 1-3 in that stretch. Regardless, this is the best Justin Fields has looked early in his NFL career.

The Packers Run into Trouble Against the Kardiak Kitties

It’s never good to lose five games in a row. It’s even worse when the latest of these losses came against one of the worst defenses in NFL history, and the back-to-back MVP puts up just nine points. Green Bay lost to the Detroit Lions, 15-9.

Of course, Green Bay suffered some injuries along the way, including WR Romeo Doubs and EDGE Rashan Gary. However, their biggest issues lie in Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur. Rodgers threw multiple interceptions in the red zone, and the Packers gave the ball to Aaron Jones just 11 times. It seemed like Green Bay had figured something out last week against Buffalo, but they fell back into Aaron Rodgers hero-ball on Sunday.

Kirko Ices the Commanders

Things looked ugly for much of the day for the Minnesota Vikings, as seems to be par for the course in the 2022 season. However, when things looked bleakest down 10 in the fourth quarter, once again Kirk Cousins stepped up and made outstanding throws. Despite taking a massive hit, he uncorked a 40-yard dime to Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings ultimately took a 20-17 win, winning their sixth consecutive game. It was also Cousins’ fourth game capped off by a game-winning drive, and he once again donned chains in the post-game celebration.

Minnesota has let lesser teams hang around with them this season, bringing some doubts as to how legitimate they are. They can put those doubts to rest against Buffalo this weekend.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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