Around the NFC North 2022 Week 1
Here's what's happening this week and next with the teams in the NFC North.
By Mike Price
It was a wild week in the NFC North. The Bears upset the 49ers in what looked like an active monsoon. The Lions kept pace with the Eagles but lost because of an unsurprisingly poor defensive performance. And, of course, the Vikings looked dominant at times while outclassing our Packers. Let’s get into it.
Chicago Bears
The Bears defeated the San Francisco 49ers 19-10 in Chicago.
Game Notes
- You can’t glean much from this victory, not only was the weather in the game insane, but the Bears went up against a 49ers team starting a new QB in his first game with an almost completely new offensive line.
- The weather situation was made worse by incredibly poor field management. The sideline was crooked, and the water on the field would not drain. The Bears are truly an embarrassing franchise.
- Second-year QB Justin Fields played as well as could be expected in the downpour, going 8/17 for 121 yards, 2 touchdowns and a pick. He also had 28 yards on 11 carries which wasn’t quite enough to elevate my wife’s fantasy team to a week 1 victory.
- Inside linebacker Roquan Smith, who the team refused to offer a market level contract this offseason, led the team in tackles with 7 but had an extremely bad 28.1 PFF grade.
- One of the team’s best performers, per PFF, was second-year tackle Tevin Jenkins. Jenkins has a 77.9 grade after the team unsuccessfully tried to trade him this offseason and then switched his position late in training camp.
Former Packers
- Equanimeous St. Brown had one catch for a touchdown (minutes after his brother, the Sun God, Amon-Ra St. Brown scored for the Lions) and played a total of 44 snaps.
- Lucas Patrick played a total of 27 snaps in a rotation at RG with Tevin Jenkins. Patrick was injured in training camp and should be a starter once he is back to full health.
- Mike Pennel (the Penneltentiary) played 14 snaps and had 3 tackles.
Next Week
Next week the Bears come to Green Bay to get plastered by the Packers.
Detroit Lions
The Lions lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Detroit.
Game Notes
- Coming into the season, the Lions were widely expected to be an improved team that leaned on a strong running game and stout defense. The running game was definitely strong. D’Andre Swift piled up 144 yards on 15 carries and former Packer Jamaal Williams added 2 touchdowns.
- The defense was bad. Eagles WR A.J. Brown had 155 yards on 10 catches, QB Jalen Hurts had 243 passing and 90 rushing yards, and RB Miles Sanders had 96 yards and a TD. For the most part, the Eagles moved the ball at will throughout the game. The Lions just don’t have the guys on defense yet. Their front-7 players are young or bad and none of their corners played particularly well.
- The offense, powered by an impressive offensive line, was more encouraging. Swift had a great game. Phenom Penei Sewell looked like he took a step forward. And even former bust T.J. Hockenson played well. Don’t expect the offense to put up 30+ points every week but do expect the Lions to continue to be frisky.
Former Packers
- Jamaal Williams impressed with 2 touchdowns but had just 28 yards on 11 carries.
- Tim Boyle and former Badger Quintez Cephus had 0 snaps.
Next Week
Next week, the Lions stay in Detroit to face the Commanders.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings beat the Packers 23-7 in Minnesota.
Game Notes
- Am I being a homer if I think this game shows just as little about the Vikings’ future prospects as the Bears’ win over San Francisco? Coach LaFleur is allergic to games after coming off a bye or offseason. Last year the Saints looked like Alabama playing Buffalo in week 1 and then were slightly above average for the rest of the season.
- It is certainly worth noting that WR Justin Jefferson firmly put his name in the best WR in the NFL conversation in the game. The Vikings used him like the Rams use Cooper Kupp, as expected. But, perhaps more revealing, is that they used him like the Packers used to use Davante Adams. LaFleur mentioned in his press conference that the motions, double motions, and alignment that Minnesota used to free up Jefferson was very similar to what Green Bay used over the last three years with Davante Adams.
- Outside of Jefferson, Dalvin Cook had a strong performance with 90 yards on 20 carries, but no other players flashed on offense.
- On defense, free agent linebacker Jordan Hicks led the team in tackles, Harrison Smith was all over the field despite being like 87 years old, and Danielle Hunter got the better of Royce Newman more than once.
- Of course, the big name on defense for the Vikings is former Packer Za’Darius Smith. Smith made a lot of news disparaging the Packers prior to the game and amassed a sack and two tackles to go with defeating an Aaron Rodgers block and sporting a PFF grade of 55.
Former Packers
- Smith had the aforementioned sack and two tackles and played 45 out of a total 61 snaps.
- Chandon Sullivan played 49 snaps as slot corner amassed 3 tackles.
Next Week
Next week, the Vikings travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles.
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Mike Price is a lifelong Packers fan who recently moved form Utah to Stoughton (a Madison suberb). You can follow him on twitter at @themikeprice.
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Comments (10)
T7Steve
September 13, 2022 at 01:33 pm
Nice article Homer, I mean Mike. In the parts about Packers playing for the other teams you forgot the coaches and the present Packers O-line. They executed everything the Vikings wanted.
JohnnyLogan
September 13, 2022 at 01:39 pm
Speaking of coaches, is there something to read into Hackett looking completely unprepared in his first game as Denver head coach? His offensive game plan was awful and his clock management at the end was absurd. Wonder where he was trained.
T7Steve
September 13, 2022 at 01:42 pm
Did they pick fruit from the wrong coaching tree?
Leatherhead
September 13, 2022 at 01:52 pm
duplicate
MooPack
September 13, 2022 at 01:57 pm
On sort of a side note - The Packers called up OT Caleb Jones to the 53 from the PS. So who goes and where? Barnes because of injury. IR? Hanson back to PS, because, well he sucks? Does this reflect on Bakh not being ready anytime soon? Runyan was dinged. Really hopeful Jenkins is back soon. The OL is a mess, imo. It needs fixing, may be as much or more of immediate need than Defense. But not by much.
Packers1985
September 13, 2022 at 02:25 pm
Agreed our Ol is real mess right now. We definitely need atleast one of Jenkins or Bakh if not both against the Bucs.
Leatherhead
September 13, 2022 at 02:40 pm
Barring further injury, I'd expect us to line up Nijman, Tom, Myers, Hanson, Newman. We're already down 3 preferred starters so yes, our #8 guy is starting for us. The next injury puts #9 on the field.
Yeah, I'd say that fixing the 0line is much more of an immediate need, because we're not protecting our QB or scoring points. This is temporary, and Runyan and Jenkins will return and things will improve, but for right now, we have to have a plan to keep Rodgers alive against Chicago.
Leatherhead
September 13, 2022 at 02:33 pm
Thank you for the focus on the division. It's easy to get distracted by less important teams.
The Bears and Vikings both won home games against some good teams. I watched the Bear game and couldn't believe how little help Fields was getting, and how little the offensive line was getting done against SF. And yet, like a dog turd that's ground into the grooves of your boot, they kept sticking around and waiting for SF to make mistakes, which they did.
The Bears looked like a bad offensive team, and I think they are a bad offensive team. Fields can't survive a season of shots like that. If I were going to predict, I'd predict the Bears will finish this season in the bottom half in scoring, and maybe even in the bottom 8.
They look to have a physical defense. The SF QB took several hard shots and if they hit Rodgers like that ....well, we were warned. This group is good defense which will finish the season in the top half in scoring defense, and maybe even in the stingiest 8.
I never, ever, even for one second considered the Lions to be improved at anything, except for maybe finding ways to lose football games. 1957. They only won a couple games last year and one of those was a gift. Tom Brady couldn't win with this bunch. These guys could make Lombardi want to quit. I'm not quite 70 yet, I might live long enough to be worried about the Lions, but it's not likely.
Next Week, the Vikings play AT the Eagles. If Minnesota can win a road game against a decent team, they'll be 2-0. I think they played a nearly perfect game in their annual Super Bowl and that they won't do that two weeks in a row. The Lions will host the Commies. If Detroit hopes to not go 0-17, they're going to have to win games like this, at home, against weaklings.
The Packers are a better team than the Bears and they're at home, so I'd expect them to win a low scoring, error-plagued game. We're not going to run up a bunch of points on these guys.
HarryHodag
September 13, 2022 at 02:43 pm
I detest the Bears and Vikings. I lived in Minnesota one year and found their fans to be disgusting. I felt pity for the Lions so long I hope they have a revival, but not at the Packers expense. Bears fans are a mix between Packers fans and Vikings fans.
But realistically, are ANY of these teams Super Bowl material? The Vikings had a good game against a Packers team that, once again, was not ready to play its first game. The Bears defense looked ok against San Fran so they have some hope. The offense looked like the Bears offense the last 15 years.
If you take the Green Bay Packers rose-colored glasses off, you can see they don't have the firepower they once had. One commentator said, accurately, that Adams covered up a lack of production by the rest of the receiving corps. The offense might get rolling, but the Vikings showed that even a mediocre offensive line can carve up Green Bay. Even a second-tier QB like Cousins can carve up the secondary.
Winning this division simply means losing to someone in the playoffs. I remember the dominance of the Packers teams a decade ago. I don't see dominance there today. What I'm looking for this year is the continued growth of young players that will lead to a better future.
LeotisHarris
September 13, 2022 at 04:13 pm
Good stuff, Mike, thanks. Always good to see someone willing to Carry the Aforementioned.