Lions Win, Packers Collapse as NFC North Takes Early Shape

It’s officially Victory Monday, as the Detroit Lions are now 1–0. Detroit will now have a quick turnaround, taking on the Buffalo Bills this Thursday at the Bills’ new stadium.

But how did the rest of the NFC North fare? The Packers took on the Vikings in a divisional matchup to start the season, while the Bears faced off against the Panthers.

Lions vs. Saints

Detroit nearly blew a 21-point lead but ultimately hung on to win the game in overtime. There were some ugly parts of the game, but there were definitely some positives to build upon, as Detroit forced three turnovers and recorded five sacks.

There were some miscues on offense, with Jameson Williams dropping a couple of passes, but overall, it was Jahmyr Gibbs who stole the show alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown. The two combined for 253 total yards and four touchdowns.

Packers vs. Vikings

The Vikings suffered an early loss when Kyler Murray took a hit to the head and was ruled out with a concussion. Murray will likely be unavailable for next week’s game.

Late in the third quarter, the Packers held a 22–10 lead and seemed to be in complete control. The Vikings immediately stormed back, scoring a touchdown to cut the lead to five points before scoring another touchdown to take a 25–22 lead. Minnesota then forced back-to-back turnovers and scored two more touchdowns to end the game with a 39–22 victory.

This was a complete meltdown by the Packers. Despite Jordan Love throwing for 387 yards, he did not look particularly good, completing just 50% of his passes and throwing an interception.

Green Bay’s run game also looked lost without Josh Jacobs, as the Packers’ running backs combined for just 20 carries for 66 yards. The offensive line struggled as well, giving up four sacks.

The Vikings looked good, but I’m still not sold on them. I believe the Packers could be much worse than many expected coming into the season.

Bears vs. Panthers

Ben Johnson and the Bears were firing on all cylinders, putting up 59 points against the Panthers, the most points Johnson has recorded with the Bears to date.

I can’t quite tell if the Panthers are just really bad or if the Chicago offense is truly elite, as the Bears’ running backs combined for 28 carries for 224 yards and four rushing touchdowns.

Surprisingly enough, former Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond led the Bears in receptions, receiving yards and targets.

Chicago star tight end Colston Loveland did not record a single reception, which seemed odd for a team that put up 59 points.

The Bears’ defense didn’t look nearly as impressive, surrendering 37 points and allowing Bryce Young to throw for 361 yards and three touchdowns. Chicago’s defense recorded just two sacks and five quarterback hits all game.

Overall

The Bears, Vikings and Lions all walked away with wins, while the Packers were the lone team in the NFC North to suffer a loss.

As it stands, the Lions are the favorites to win the NFC North at +150. The Bears have jumped to second at +270, the Vikings moved up to third at +370, and the Packers have dropped all the way to last at +450.

It’s still extremely early, but after one week, the NFC North already looks much different than many expected.