NFC North Round-Up: Vikings Gain Ground, Lions and Packers Suffer Big Losses
The results of Week 14 brought a few big developments in the NFC North.
There was one intra-divisional matchup as the Chicago Bears played host to the Detroit Lions while Green Bay and Minnesota traveled to opposite sides of the country for their Week 14 matchups against the Giants and Raiders. Now that the games are behind us, here is a look at how the NFC North fared this past weekend.
Chicago Knocks Off Detroit
We may not be able to count out the Chicago Bears just yet. They desperately needed a win this weekend to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, and they got just that by defeating the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Detroit missed a huge opportunity to move to 10-3 on the season and tie the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers for the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Much of Chicago’s success this weekend needs to be attributed to Matt Eberflus’ defense. The group pitched a shutout during the second half against a Lions offense that has left many teams struggling to find answers. With the win, the Bears are just one game behind Green Bay for the No. 7 seed.
Green Bay Falters in the Big Apple
The Packers watched the action unfold on Sunday before a Monday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants. However, they were once again without Aaron Jones, and A.J. Dillon was unable to carry the team with his rushing.
On the other side, Tommy DeVito didn’t necessarily have a spectacular day throwing the ball, but he made very few mistakes, and the Giants were able to rush for over 200 yards throughout the evening. Green Bay remains the No. 7 seed for one more week, but now, they have to prepare for a matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Vikings Defense Shines in Vegas
Once again, the Vikings offense could not put points on the board throughout much of their game against the Raiders. We went well into the fourth quarter with this game tied at 0-0, and as a result of the struggles, Minnesota finally pulled the plug on the Josh Dobbs experience.
Nick Mullens went under center for the final three drives, and he was able to lead a field goal drive that ultimately decided this game with the Vikings winning 3-0. Heading into a Week 15 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, it seems that Mullens should be the starter as Minnesota tries to hold onto the No. 6 seed.
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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.