Packers and Vikings making NFC North a two-team race
The NFC North is quickly becoming a two-team race.
Four-game win streaks for both the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings has put them way ahead in the NFC North race.
The Packers lead the way at 7-1 following their victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Vikings are just behind at 6-2 after winning on Thursday night.
The Detroit Lions are in third place, but despite winning this week, they are a long way behind with a 3-3-1 record. Making it even more difficult for them is their 0-2 division record, which compares to Green Bay’s 3-0 start against NFC North opponents.
The Chicago Bears’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7 could’ve effectively ended their hopes of regaining the NFC North title, and they’ll need a winning run to stay in the wild-card race. At 3-4, they are in last place and a long way behind the Packers and Vikings.
November schedule for NFC North
Green Bay: at LA Chargers, vs. Carolina, BYE, at San Francisco
Minnesota: at Kansas City, at Dallas, vs. Denver, BYE
Detroit: at Oakland, at Chicago, vs. Dallas, at Washington
Chicago: at Philadelphia, vs. Detroit, at LA Rams, vs. NY Giants
The Packers’ schedule in November is far from easy, but they’ll feel good about their chances against the Chargers and Panthers before a tough challenge on the road against the 49ers.
The Vikings are on the road the next two weeks. If Patrick Mahomes remains out, they’ll be favorites against the Chiefs, and they’re good enough to beat the Cowboys on the road.
It’s entirely possible both the Packers and Vikings enter December with a 9-2 record.
Three of the Lions’ next four are on the road, although they are all games they could win. The biggest challenge is at home to the Cowboys.
The Bears face two tough road games against the Eagles and Rams, but will be confident in their home games against the Lions and Giants.
There’s still a long way to go, but the Packers and Vikings are two of the NFC’s top teams after eight weeks. The Lions are inconsistent and have already lost or tied four games, meaning there is little margin for error the rest of the way. The Bears could do with a change at quarterback, but with Mitch Trubisky, it’s difficult to see them winning consistently.
The NFC North has been won by either the Packers or Vikings 10 times in the past 12 years. It’s looking like it’ll be a battle between these two teams once again to secure a home playoff game. The December 23 game at U.S. Bank Stadium could be very interesting.