NFC North Round-Up: All Four Teams Fall in Week 2
Things may have seemed grim in Minnesota after Thursday night’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, dropping the Vikings record to 0-2.
However, as the dust settles from Week 2’s results, the Vikings still find themselves one game behind the division leaders as every other NFC North team lost this weekend. With the second week of football now behind us, here is a look at what happened in each game across the division.
Late Interception Costs Bears
The Chicago Bears went into Week 2 looking to bounce back from their 38-20 home loss against the Green Bay Packers last weekend. However, Tampa Bay’s defensive front proved to be far too much of a challenge for Chicago’s offensive line. The Bears totaled just 67 rushing yards on the day, and Justin Fields was sacked six times.
Mike Evans had a huge day as well in the receiving game. He caught six passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, including a 70-yard connection from QB Baker Mayfield.
Despite all that, the Bears found themselves down 20-17 with a chance to tie the game or take the lead late in the fourth quarter. However, Fields would throw a costly interception near Chicago’s own goal line, and Shaq Barrett would take it in for a touchdown, giving us a final score of 27-17.
Chicago now sits at 0-2 to start the year, and things don’t get any easier as they head to Arrowhead and take on the Chiefs in Week 3.
Lions Fall in OT vs. Seahawks
Following their upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Lions hoped to keep the good times rolling as they hosted the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2.
The game went back-and-forth throughout, and Jared Goff’s first interception of the season was a pick-six that put Seattle up by 10 in the fourth quarter. However, the high-flying Lions offense put together a pair of scoring drives to close regulation, sending the game into overtime.
Seattle won the coin toss going into overtime, though, and Geno Smith led a methodical nine-play drive that resulted in a Tyler Lockett TD to secure the road victory.
The Lions now sit at 1-1 and will host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3.
Packers Blow Big Lead in Atlanta
Jordan Love made a statement in Week 1, passing for 3 TDs and no interceptions as the new era of quarterbacking began in Green Bay.
He started Week 2 against the Falcons in similar fashion, throwing for 3 more TDs as Green Bay jumped out to a 24-12 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Atlanta moved the ball fairly well through the first three quarters, but Green Bay’s defense held strong near the end zone, forcing Atlanta to kick four field goals.
That was not the case in the fourth quarter. Love went cold down the stretch and didn’t throw a single completion during the final 15 minutes of the game. Meanwhile, the Falcons scored 13 points in the fourth, erasing their deficit and claiming an impressive 25-24 victory over Green Bay.
The loss ended up not mattering too much for the Packers as they still lead the division because of their divisional win over Chicago. Now, they will play host to the Saints who are hoping to get off to a 2-0 start on Monday night against the Carolina Panthers.
Vikings Comeback Effort Falls Just Short in Philly
Things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Vikings during the middle stretch of their Thursday night game against the Eagles.
After turnovers were a main reason for their Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers, Minnesota fumbled the ball away four times in a five-possession stretch to close the first half and begin the second. Because of these turnovers, the Eagles jumped out to a 27-7 lead.
However, the Vikings would close in behind the strength of their passing offense. Kirk Cousins threw for 364 yards and 4 TDs, but the comeback effort would fall just short as Minnesota lost 34-26.
Now in an 0-2 hole, the Vikings are hoping to turn their season around in Week 3 as they play host to the Los Angeles Chargers.
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.