It Was Another Wacky Week in the NFC North
This year may be a race to win the division right to the end, just like last year. Only this year, it may seem more like a stumble to the finish line, rather than two teams battling to the end.
The only honest thing that can be said about the NFC North’s performance so far is that it is unstable. Just when it seems things are coming into focus, we get a new wrinkle in the division.
The NFC North stays unpredictable as the Vikings battle injuries in Dublin, nearly rally against the Steelers, and the Packers avoid a result.
The day started with the Vikings taking on the Steelers in Dublin, with an almost come-from-behind win, and ended with the Packers neither winning nor losing.
A Peek at the NFC North after Week 4
Vikings at Steelers
The Vikings were part of history as they traveled to Dublin, Ireland, for the NFL’s first game in the country. Kevin O’Connell has had to make a patchwork offensive line since day one this year, and it just keeps getting more patches.
The game started with only right guard Donovan Jackson out due to some wrist surgery, and it ended with 60% of the offensive linemen injured. In the game, right tackle Brian O’Neill got his knee injured on an early field goal and didn’t return. Center Ryan Kelly got put into concussion protocol again mid-contest.
To add insult to injury, backup center Michael Jurgens got injured in the game, leaving left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right guard Will Fries as the only healthy starters left.
The game started on a great note with Jalen Redmond sacking Aaron Rodgers right out of the gate. It looked like the defense might feast on a Pittsburgh offensive line that had been struggling. What was needed was for the offense to get into a rhythm that had been lacking in the previous two games.
With the first drive, it looked like that might not happen as Jordan Mason fumbled near the sidelines and the Steelers ran it back for a touchdown. Luckily, the ball was ruled out of bounds, and the Vikings dodged an early bullet. The drive resulted in another Will Reichard field goal.
The next drive saw the Steelers march down the field for a touchdown, and the Vikings seemed to keep tripping over themselves while Carson Wentz was running for his life behind the patchwork line the rest of the game. This has been the Vikings’ M.O. with the defense performing well, but the offense not holding up its end of the bargain most of the time.
While Carson Wentz threw two interceptions, Aaron Rodgers fumbled the ball on a scramble that popped right into a trailing lineman’s hands instead of to the Vikings. It was becoming that sort of day. Then the Vikings suddenly came to life in the fourth quarter. Wentz had been feeding Justin Jefferson the ball most of the game, but Jordan Addison was the one who broke free and should have scored a touchdown when the Steelers blew their coverage.
Instead, Zavier Scott got his first career touchdown on a pass from Wentz, and Jalen Nailor added a 2-point conversion catch. The Vikings then drove the field with Nailor getting a touchdown catch, and suddenly the Vikings were only down by 3 points. They managed to regain possession of the ball and were set up for a game-winning drive or a tying field goal.
It almost happened as the Steelers had two penalties that helped the Vikings get down the field a bit. It looked like it was all over when Wentz threw his third interception, but the review showed the ball was bobbled, and the Vikings’ chances were still alive. However, the way they played the rest of the game returned, and they ended up going backwards and losing with a thud.
The thing that bothers me is that the potential to win and even make a comeback, as we saw against the Bears, is there, but the team keeps tripping over itself. They enter this week’s game against the Browns with their 12th offensive lineman on the roster, and it’s only Week 5.
Lions vs Browns
Are the Lions the same old Lions, or are they the Lions of the last few years? It’s still in question, but this week they appeared to be the most recent version.
The Browns stunned the Packers by winning with a last-second field goal and keeping things in check, according to some, with what is being called the best defense in the league. This week, the Lions sliced and diced that defense while stymying the Browns’ questionable offense.
The Lions got Joe Flacco sent to the bench and replaced him with rookie Dillon Gabriel for their matchup against the Vikings this week. The Browns didn’t look good at all in this game, and the Lions appeared to be the team that won the division last year.
Bears at Raiders
This game was expected to be a snoozefest, featuring two teams that aren’t very good, and the first half confirmed that with a 14-9 Raiders lead at halftime. The game was more exciting than most expected. The Raiders seemed to have control most of the game, with running back Aston Jeanty having a breakout day.
The Bears kept hanging around when they finally took a lead late in the game. The Raiders had one last drive to get the winning field goal, and the Bears blocked it. The game looked more impressive on the scoreboard than it was played. No matter, Chicago got the win, even if it wasn’t overly impressive.
Packers at Cowboys
Or Micah Parsons versus his old team. After the big trade of Parsons to the Packers, this game drew a big circle around it from everyone. My thought was that with that drive behind it and the fact that the Packers are a better team, they would roll the Cowboys, who, I feel, have been overrated over the last few years.
While the Packers started strong, the Cowboys came alive in the 2nd quarter, which included the rare extra point return for a score. After that, the two teams just traded scores back and forth, with that extra point score being important as the Cowboys finished regulation tied with the Packers to get to overtime.
Then both teams did the thing everyone hates: they traded field goals, and the game ended in a tie. So, the revenge game for Parsons didn’t end with a triumphant return, but an underperforming, meh. Parsons only had one tackle and one sack. That doesn’t equal a dominant day that players like him usually have in revenge matchups. No win. No loss. No fun.
The Division Standings
Again, this is my opinion on how the teams are performing and how they are winning and losing games. There isn’t much change this week.
- Lions
- Packers
- Bears
- Vikings
The Lions look like they’re back on track with a solid win against a Browns team with a stout defense. The run game, passing game, and the team as a whole appear to be all on the same page again, with things rolling smoothly for another division title.
A tie?! Nobody likes those, especially when it’s against a team you should beat without the revenge factor substory. The Packers should have destroyed the Cowboys. While I think the Packers are a playoff team they are not a strong one and look like, at this point a team that would take any early exit. They still have time to straighten things out.
The Bears are still not that good and didn’t beat a quality team last weekend. However, they have won and lost more often than the Vikings. As they play better opponents, their record will start to reflect that. They have too many inconsistencies that will hold them back until they are corrected.
While the Vikings aren’t completely banjaxed, they also aren’t grand as my friends in Ireland would say. The injuries have to be factored in at this point and are not just an excuse.
It wasn’t for the Lions last year when they got bounced in the first round of the playoffs after pushing past them during the regular season. What is interesting is that, despite the injuries and Wentz not playing particularly well, the Vikings were still in the game with a chance to pull it off in the end.
Something the team is avoiding so far is a quarterback controversy with Wentz not doing much to keep JJ McCarthy from returning as soon as he’s available. If you’re one of those people who think they’re hiding McCarthy behind an injury, you probably should run out to the mailbox and grab your issue of Alien Conspiracies and Area 51. He’s hurt, and that’s it.
You saw it on your TV when he scrambled towards the sideline in the Falcons game, and his ankle gets tweaked, and then he limps. While I don’t expect him back until after the bye week, he will be back as soon as his ankle allows. Wentz has been OK but not sensational in his play with the terrible Bengals padding his stats. The Vikings need to win this weekend because after the bye, things get really tough.
Week 5 or 6 is when the season for teams really starts to take shape. Until the Vikings improve their health, we may not see who they really are for a few more games. Hopefully, that is before the season is lost.
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