NFC North Recap: Preseason Week Two

Aug 21, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kellen Mond (11) throws in front of Indianapolis Colts defensive end Isaac Rochell (91) during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

It was a rough week around the NFC North in week two of preseason play. All four teams came away with losses, and there was plenty of sloppy football to go around. Of course it is still only preseason, and this is the time to work out the kinks before wins and losses begin to matter. Here’s the scoop on all the football that happened around the North this weekend.

The Revenge of Trubisky

Following his departure from Chicago for Buffalo, Mitchell Trubisky’s first game back in Chicago was supposed to be a time where Bears fans could cheer for his interceptions rather than boo them. Unfortunately for Bears fans, Trubisky didn’t give them that pleasure on Saturday. Instead, Trubisky threw for 221 yards and a touchdown en route to a 41-15 blowout win over his former team.

Andy Dalton started once again for the Bears, and his throws included a 73-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Adams. This was one of three catches for Adams on the day amidst another impressive performance during which he led the Bears in receiving yards. Rookie QB Justin Fields saw the field for entirety of the second half, but this game had far more difficult moments than last week. Fields finished his day 9/19 for just 80 yards and zero touchdowns.

Lions Left Licking Their Wounds

The Detroit Lions had very few things go right in Saturday’s loss to Pittsburgh, especially in the first three quarters. Detroit forced the Steelers to punt on their first possession of the day, but that was proceeded by six consecutive scoring drives. The Lions had no answers on defense for either of Ben Roethlisberger or Mason Rudolph, who combined to complete 75% of their passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

For the second week in a row, Tim Boyle had a very difficult week throwing the ball. He ended the game without any interceptions, but he should have been credited (I guess?) with at least two. In addition, Penei Sewell didn’t struggle quite as much as last week, but he still does not look like the guy that Detroit drafted seventh overall.

Green Bay’s Promising Youth

The Packers once again sat out over 30 of their starters in Saturday’s game against the Jets. They didn’t have Jordan Love either, who sat out the game with an injury. That left Kurt Benkert under center, and he certainly did a decent enough job filling in. Along with that, Amari Rodgers continues to show promising signs ahead of his rookie campaign. The wide receiver hauled in four of his five targets and made his presence felt in each of the receiving, rushing, and return games.

Speaking of rookies, Kylin Hill seems very close to locking up the RB3 position. He tallied nine touches for 40 yards and scored another touchdown this week. Finally, issues with the special teams continue to plague the Packers. J.K. Scott was once again inconsistent with his punts, including a kick that traveled just 21 yards.

Scoring Drought Continues in Minnesota

Once again, the Vikings offense failed to score a touchdown this week. Luckily, Troy Dye bailed them out with a pick-six, so Minnesota can at least say they’ve visited the end zone this preseason. Dye had an incredible game and made his impact felt all over the field. He is in Minnesota mostly as a run stopper, but he also showed some promising signs in pass coverage against the Colts. Dalvin Tomlinson and Michael Pierce also look like a menacing duo against the run.

Offensively though, the Vikings need to find some answers. Kirk Cousins got the start tonight, but he was unable to find much of a rhythm. It didn’t help that Adam Thielen left the game much earlier than expected after suffering an injury. Kellen Mond didn’t quite have the bounce back week that people were hoping for, either. He still had far too many instances of indecision, but there were still promising signs on a few passes under pressure. Maybe the Vikings offense will finally taste the end zone against the Chiefs on Friday.

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