NFC North power rankings after Week 10: Packers offered hope during bye week

While Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers sat on their bye week, the other three NFC North quarterbacks combined for two touchdown passes and eight interceptions, yet their teams went 2-1 over the weekend.

Despite the outcomes of the games going against the Packers, the performances offered hope. The Minnesota Vikings looked untouchable in the opening five games of the season, but it's a different story now. While undoubtedly the team to beat in the NFC, the Detroit Lions showed vulnerability on Sunday Night Football.

The Packers would have preferred the Houston Texans to, maybe not blow a 23-7 lead? However, while they didn't hold on for victory, they did create a potential blueprint for beating the Lions (more on that in a moment).

It wasn't a perfect bye week, but it offered hope for the Packers in the NFC North.

Drama-filled Week 10 shakes up the NFC North power rankings

4. Chicago Bears (4-5)

Bears fans have reached the next stage in the annual cycle. It started with Chicago "winning" the offseason and laughing at the Packers because Caleb Williams was definitely, undoubtedly, better than Jordan Love. Well, we're yet to see any evidence of that. They are now at the "blame the coaches but not the quarterback" phase.

The Bears hit a new low with an emphatic loss to the two-win New England Patriots in Week 10. Williams finished his third consecutive game without a touchdown and his fifth of the year. It's hardly all his fault, as Chicago allowed nine sacks to take its total to 38, the second-most in the NFL.

Up next? Love and the Packers come to town.

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3. Minnesota Vikings (7-2)

The Vikings found a way past a struggling Jacksonville Jaguars team, but Sam Darnold looked like the Sam Darnold we all expected to see at the start of the season. After playing at an MVP level through the opening four games, Darnold has thrown six touchdown passes with seven interceptions in the past five.

Minnesota's defense has enjoyed a nice bounce-back since tough performances against the Lions and Los Angeles Rams, but if Darnold can't recapture his early-season form, the Vikings are going nowhere in a hurry despite their 7-2 record. The schedule helps their playoff chances, but beyond that, it could get ugly.

2. Green Bay Packers (6-3)

The Packers needed their bye week after a tough loss to the Lions.

They must achieve two things: get healthy and figure out how to clean up the self-inflicted mistakes on offense. Regarding part one, the Packers could get several key players back from injury in Week 11, and the hope is that Love will return close to 100 percent after battling a groin issue.

The second part isn't as easy a fix. With 30 pre-snap penalties and 20 drops already this season, the Packers need more than just a self-scout to overcome their biggest issues. They need better discipline. This team turned things around in the second half of last season and has a roster capable of challenging the Lions in the NFC North, but they have a lot to improve.

1. Detroit Lions (8-1)

Detroit showed grit to fight back to beat Houston on Sunday Night Football, but for one of the few times all season, Dan Campbell's team looked beatable.

Jared Goff threw more interceptions (5) in this game than in the previous eight games combined (4). Having completed a little under 75 percent of his passes entering Week 10, he managed just a 50-percent conversion rate against Houston.

The Texans slowed down the Lions' offense in the same way the Packers did on Thanksgiving Day last season. It all starts up front. You hold the key to victory if you can find cracks in Detroit's dominant offensive line. Houston limited Ben Johnson's offense to 3.3 yards per carry and got consistent pressure on Goff.

When the Packers beat the Lions last season, they registered an incredible 33 pressures. The key is making Goff look uncomfortable—Green Bay rarely achieved this in its Week 9 loss to Detroit, allowing him to dink-and-dunk his way to victory.

The Lions are undoubtedly the best team in the NFC, but they looked beatable in Week 10.

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