NFC North Round-Up: Lions Extend Lead in Division, Packers Fall out of the Playoff Picture, Vikings Stumble in Overtime
The NFL was back in action for Week 15.
For the final time of the 2023 season, there was not a single divisional game within the NFC North as each group played teams from different divisions. With the results of Saturday and Sunday now behind us, here is a look at how the division fared as a whole in Week 15.
Bears Just Miss Third Straight Win
The Chicago Bears traveled to Cleveland on Sunday to take on the Browns and one of the strongest defenses in the NFL. For most of the afternoon, Chicago stood up to the challenge. They allowed just seven points through the first three quarters of play and held a 17-7 lead going into the fourth.
Then, once again, Joe Flacco carried the Browns offense back into the game. Flacco and Amari Cooper connected for a 51-yard TD pass, and as the game wound down, he hit David Njoku for 34 yards to set up the eventual game-winning field goal with under a minute remaining.
However, Chicago had their opportunity to steal this one. Justin Fields lifted up a Hail Mary right as time expired, and after being tipped around, it very nearly landed right into the arms of Darnell Mooney. Instead, it bounced to the ground, and the Bears fell to 5-9.
Lions Storm Past Denver
The Lions had lost two of their past three games going into Saturday, and some questions had begun to arise regarding their defense. However, any doubts were quelled by their performance against the Broncos this weekend.
Detroit hosted Denver on Saturday night, who were winners in six of their past seven games, However, it would not matter as the Lions rolled to a 42-17 win behind 5 TD passes from Jared Goff and a 100-yard rushing day out of Jahmyr Gibbs.
Now, the Lions improve to 10-4 on the year and need just one more win to officially clinch the NFC North and their first division title since 1993.
Green Bay’s Defense Struggles Against Tampa Bay
The Green Bay Packers had an opportunity to even things up with the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 6 seed and second-place in the NFC North on Sunday. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers torched the Packers defense for 452 yards of offense while Baker Mayfield threw for 381 yards (a season-high) and 4 TDs.
This game marked the fourth time in the past five weeks that Green Bay has allowed at least 360 yards of total offense. For reference, the Vikings have allowed that much offense just four times all season.
The Packers now stumble to 6-8 and have dropped all the way to the 11th spot in the NFC following wins by both the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Vikings Stumble in Overtime
The Minnesota Vikings went into Saturday hoping to earn themselves a second consecutive victory following their 3-0 win in Las Vegas last weekend.
They had opted to make their fourth QB change of the season, allowing Nick Mullens his opportunity to start the game. Mullens lived up to his gunslinger reputation by throwing for 303 yards, a pair of TDs, and a pair of INTs.
These interceptions really hurt the Vikings’ chances in this game as both turnovers came on Cincinnati’s side of the field, and the Bengals were able to come away with a 27-24 comeback win in overtime behind 21 fourth quarter points. Now, the Vikings head back home and await a game against the Detroit Lions that could seal their fate in the NFC North.
3 Stats Led to the Vikings Loss in Cincinnati
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.