A look at the NFC North and how the teams fared in Week 8.
After beating the Minnesota Vikings and taking first place in the NFC North, the Lions did not take their foot off the gas in a clash with the Tennessee Titans. After an early score from Detroit, the two teams began trading blows with four straight touchdowns, with the Lions leading 21-14. The Titans’ flame would then fade after Mason Rudolph threw the interception that would be the fuse allowing Detroit’s offense to explode. The Lions would score 4 more touchdowns capped by a field goal for a commanding 52-14 victory.
This victory shows the sheer dominance of Detroit’s offense as it improves week by week. It was also the first time the Lions’ offense had scored 50 or more points since November 1997. The win not only keeps Detroit in first place in the NFC North, but also in first place in the NFC. The Lions will face the second-ranked team in the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers, next week.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers have had many close games throughout the season and it was no different against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game started with four consecutive punts until the Jaguars picked off Jordan Love, giving him a league-leading 9th interception this season. It took the Packers two plays to intercept the ball, leading to the first touchdown of the game. The half would end with two Green Bay field goals and a Jaguar field goal and touchdown. The Packers had a slim 13-10 lead heading into the second half. On Green Bay’s first practice, Jordan Love was injured and Malik Willis replaced him. The half was a back and forth affair that was played until the end. With 2:02 left, the game ended at 27-27. The difference was a 51-yard pass from Willis to Jayden Reed to set up a 24-yard field goal from Brandon McManus as time expired, giving the Packers the 30-27 victory. Green Bay will battle for first place next week against the Lions, and the biggest question will be who will play quarterback after Jordan Love’s injury.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season to the Detroit Lions in a game against the Los Angeles Rams. Coming into the game, Rams star receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were back after injuries kept them sidelined for a few weeks. The first four drives of the game resulted in touchdowns by both teams, tying the score at 14-14, but after that the game slowed down. Minnesota couldn’t get another touchdown for the rest of the game, settling for two field goals and a safety. Los Angeles, on the other hand, scored two more, giving them the 30-20 victory at home.
The Vikings suffered their second straight loss after winning 5 straight and fell to 5-2 on the season. They have also currently slipped to third place in the NFC North. Looking ahead, Minnesota will face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football next week.
Chicago Bear
It was a duel between the top two overall picks: Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. The two very explosive quarterbacks could not do much for their teams since no touchdowns were scored in the first half. Instead, Washington kicked three field goals while Chicago had four punts and a turnover on downs. Early in the second half, the Bears looked to get their offense going again and did so after another field goal from Commander. D’Andre Swift ran for a 56-yard touchdown, still trailing 12-7. When Roschon Johnson ran a yard to the end zone and Chicago made the two-point conversion, it looked like the Bears were going to get their fifth win of the season. But, with six seconds left, Jayden Daniels was forced to throw a Hail Mary, where the ball was deflected by Chicago but then fell perfectly into the hands of Washington’s Noah Brown as time expired, the Commanders won 18-15.
With this heartbreaking loss, the Bears fall to 4-3, last in the NFC North, and are currently out of the playoffs. Chicago will look to bounce back and stay in division contention next week against the Arizona Cardinals.
This article was originally published on Lions Wire: NFC North Watch: Lions Division Recap in Week 8
