NFC North Round-Up: Chicago and Detroit Sneak Out Wins, Green Bay Falls Back to Earth, Vikings Win 5th Straight
Josh Frey
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Week 10 of the NFL season is now largely in the rearview mirror, and once again, all four NFC North teams were back out on the field this past weekend.
Three of the four teams in the division managed to win their games this week with the only team to lose being the Green Bay Packers, who fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon.
With the dust settling from this weekend’s results, here is a look at how the NFC North fared as a whole in Week 10.
Chicago Sneaks Out of Thursday Night with a Win
There was a football game that took place on Thursday night, which is unfortunate for those who took the three-plus hours to watch the entire thing unfold. It is very clear that neither Carolina or Chicago are very good football teams based on how the two groups looked on Thursday, particularly on offense.
Luckily for the Bears, they were slightly better than the Panthers on Thursday, and they managed to steal a win at home by a score of 19-16. Tyson Bagent was a good enough game manager for the offense as he threw for 163 yards and didn’t turn the ball over. Meanwhile, Chicago’s defense was able to hold the Panthers to just 213 yards of offense, and a last-minute 59-yard field goal attempt from Eddy Pineiro fell short.
Now, Chicago heads to Detroit for their third NFC North contest of the year, and they hold a 3-7 record going into that game.
Lions Outlast Chargers
Coming off a Week 9 bye, the Detroit Lions were well-rested going into their Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. They also were able to get RB David Montgomery back in the lineup for the first time since their Week 6 win over Tampa Bay.
Both Detroit and Los Angeles had their offenses rolling on Sunday afternoon. The Lions jumped out to an early lead over the Chargers, but LA came roaring back behind sublime performances from Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen. In the end, though, Detroit had the ball to conclude the game, and a 41-yard field goal as the clock expired gave them a 41-38 victory.
With the win, Detroit continues to hold the No. 2 seed in the NFC at 7-2, and they remain 1.5 games ahead of the Vikings in the NFC North. Next week, they will head back to Ford Field to take on the Bears.
Green Bay Stumbles Against Steelers Defense
The Packers came into this week after finally getting out of their losing skid. They defeated the Brett Rypien-led Rams to get back into the win column following four-straight losses prior to that Week 9 game.
However, Green Bay was unable to continue their winning ways in Week 10, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 23-19. Jordan Love had a difficult time navigating his passes through a tough secondary, and he threw a pair of interceptions to go along with his 289 yards and 2 TDs. Meanwhile, the Packers defense allowed 205 rushing yards to Pittsburgh’s offense, proving to be no match for that offensive line.
Now, the Packers sit at 3-6 through 10 weeks, just half a game above the Bears for third place in the NFC North. They will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11, who just got done with a game against the Lions.
Minnesota Escapes Week 10 with Another Win
Everything has been going right for the Vikings over the past month. Despite losing Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson to injuries, this team has just rattled off win after win, and they came into Sunday’s action on a four-game winning streak.
Josh Dobbs’ continued to play some magical football during the first half of this game, and despite Minnesota nearly allowing the Saints to steal this one, they escaped with a 27-19 victory over their rivals. Dobbs threw for 268 yards and totaled 3 more TDs during the win while Ty Chandler actually led the way for the Vikings in the running game.
Now coming off their fifth straight win, the Vikings prepare to head to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 11.
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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.