Lions Fall to Last Place in NFC North as Massive Two-Game Stretch Looms

With the Detroit Lions not playing this week, they have officially fallen to last place in the NFC North, which has quickly become one of the most competitive divisions in football.

Detroit wasn’t the only NFC North team on a bye, as the Minnesota Vikings were also off this week. However, with a perfect 5-0 record, nobody could catch Minnesota in the standings.

The Chicago Bears got Caleb Williams back after missing three weeks, and he showed no signs of rust. Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown, helping Chicago take down the Atlanta Falcons on the road. The Bears improved to 4-2 and will face the New England Patriots this Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers handled the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, holding them to just 13 points, including a late garbage-time touchdown, in a 23-13 victory.

Despite the win, Green Bay’s running game continued to struggle. The Packers’ three running backs combined for 20 carries and just 36 yards, making the return of Josh Jacobs even more important. Jacobs was removed from the NFL commissioner’s exempt list and is expected to begin practicing this week. However, head coach Matt LaFleur has already stated that there is no guarantee Jacobs will play, considering he has yet to practice or play in a game this season.

Personally, given how poorly Green Bay’s running game has performed, I would be surprised if Jacobs didn’t see the field against Detroit this week.

The Packers improved to 4-2 and will now prepare to face the Lions at Ford Field in a 4:25 p.m. kickoff.

Detroit, on the other hand, had the week off to rest, recover and prepare for its first divisional matchup of the season. The Lions also made a roster move, signing veteran returner DeAndre Carter to replace the injured Tom Kennedy.

Dan Campbell has already confirmed that both Brian Branch and Cade Mays will play this week. However, the biggest question surrounding Mays is whether he will immediately reclaim the starting center job after Juice Scruggs has performed well this season.

Campbell somewhat addressed that question by saying both players will play. It remains unclear whether he meant they would both see time at center or simply find roles somewhere along the offensive line, as Scruggs also has experience playing guard.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see Scruggs move to left guard while Mays takes over at center. However, current left guard Christian Mahogany has also played well, so Detroit could elect to give both centers opportunities at the position. While rotating players along the offensive line would be an unusual approach, having multiple capable options is certainly a good problem to have.

Detroit initially opened as a -3.5 home favorite against Green Bay, and that line has since moved to three points following the Packers’ victory over Dallas.

The Lions will finally face their first divisional opponent of the season, and their next two games could ultimately define their season. After hosting Green Bay, Detroit will welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Ford Field.

If the Lions can win both games, they should feel confident about their chances of winning the NFC North. However, losing both matchups could put Detroit in a difficult position and cause its season to unravel quickly.

With the division tightening up and the Packers coming to town, Detroit can’t afford to waste this opportunity. The Lions have a chance to make a statement, but they’ll need to take care of business against two of their biggest rivals.