NFC North Recap: Week Two
Josh Frey
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After every team in the NFC North went defeated in week one, we saw two victories this time around. Things look a little bit more normal around the division as the Green Bay Packers find themselves back on top of the standings following their Monday night win against Detroit. Here’s a quick look at where every team in the division stands as week three approaches.
Chicago Gets in the Win Column
The Bears had a much easier time against the Bengals this week than the Vikings did last. Their defensive front had similar success in getting home on Joe Burrow, but the difference really happened in the secondary. Chicago had three interceptions on the day and made things difficult on Burrow’s receivers all afternoon.
On the other side of the ball, Andy Dalton wasn’t having a great day, but he did enough game managing to get the Bears in front. Following his exit with an injury, Justin Fields had a rough day, but again, the defense did enough by forcing turnovers to limit Cincinnati’s chances.
The Lions Falter Down the Stretch
Detroit seemed to have the Packers number in the first half of the Monday night game, and Jared Goff came out slinging the ball all over the field. He had two TD passes through two quarters, and the Lions led 17-14 going into the half.
However, at the end of the day, Jared Goff can’t hang in a shootout with Aaron Rodgers. Goff fumbled a snap, had a ball slip out of his hands, and threw an interception down the stretch. When these things are happening, you can’t beat Green Bay.
Green Bay Bounces Back
The Lions defense did a good job of holding Aaron Rodgers and the Packer offense in check for the first half, but it wasn’t ever going to last. Coming out of halftime, Rodgers decided he’d had enough of dumping the ball off and threw a deep strike to Davante Adams.
That’s all it took, and Green Bay’s offense was off and rolling. They got a few extra chances after Detroit turnovers, took advantage, and put the game away early in the fourth quarter.
Vikings Are Snakebitten in the Desert
The Vikings fell to 0-2 this week after another heartbreaking loss, this time courtesy of the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings offense felt much more fluid for most of this game, and Dalvin Cook had his way against the defense. Kirk Cousins got going early in the passing game too, with three touchdowns in the first half.
However, the defense could not contain Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense, which allowed them to keep pace throughout the game. It inevitably came down to a pair of missed kicks by Greg Joseph that proved to be the difference in the game.