Around the NFC North - Week 4

The NFC North has a new team in charge but how long will the Minnesota Vikings hold that spot? The best way to win is to know what your enemy is up to, and Andrew Garda has you covered.

While the offense is looking like it is finally back on track, the Green Bay Packers still find themselves staring up at the Minnesota Vikings at the top of the division as they hit the bye week. There’s a long season ahead of us, but an early divisional loss stings a bit and could make the division hard to win.

While the Packers take the week off and, I’m sure, hang out and bowl or something, the rest of the NFC North is still preparing to play football.

Here’s what they are up to.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings actually have a pretty good matchup this week in the form of the New York Giants. The Giants are coming off an embarrassing collapse against Washington, and have a banged up backfield and secondary.

Meanwhile the Vikings have a quarterback finally comfortable in the offense and one of the top defenses in the NFL.

Of course, the Vikings offensive line is a mess, with Matt Kalil out for the season and the general ability of everyone else being questionable at best. They will find a tough test in the Giants’ front seven, and without Adrian Peterson, they will have to come up with creative ways to use their remaining backs—Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata.

I still hold that the Vikings are better off without Peterson, as he is nowhere near as effective on passing downs as Asiata/McKinnon, but right now nobody looks good behind this line.

This should be a win for the Vikings, though, as the defense should do enough to cover for the offensive issues.

Prediction: Vikings 21, Giants 17

The Giants might come into the game trying to make themselves feel better about collapsing to Washington, but they are facing an actual defense this week, so they will lose. Odell Beckham Jr and rookie Sterling Shepard will keep it close until Eli Manning throws a late pick.

Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears

Ugh, whose job is it to cover this game and can we get them hazard pay or a gallon of cheap rum to dull the pain.

Seriously, both of these teams are awful, though at least the Lions have the benefit of possessing an actual offense. I expect Theo Riddick and rookie Dwayne Washington to run the ball hard at a pretty poor Chicago run defense and have great success doing so. Chicago’s defense also has no answer for Marvin Jones or Golden Tate, although Tate has been a shocking non-factor so far this year.

Still, the corners for the Bears are not acquitting themselves well and without Kyle Fuller – now on injured reserve – they will get destroyed this weekend.

The only thing keeping the Bears in this, even on paper, is that the Lions defense is not good.

In point of fact—and hold onto your cheeseheads because this is a surprise—it’s worse than Chicago’s according to Football Outsiders. Chicago is actually better defending both the run and pass than Detroit is.

Which is a lot like debating which is worse, a nuclear meltdown or a nuclear missile explosion.

Unfortunately for Chicago, the offense isn’t much better than the defense and with a banged up Alshon Jeffery, an underwhelming Kevin White and Brian Hoyer throwing the ball, it probably won’t matter.

I looked up the odds and Google came back with “why does anyone care?”

The over/under in Vegas appears to be 46 though, which is shocking because I honestly don’t know if these two teams can score that many points, unless it’s all Detroit.

Prediction: Lions 24, Bears 10

Contractually I am obligated to pick a winner here, when really we’re all losers for having to witness this debacle. That said, the Lions have a decent offense, or the pieces of one, and the Bears don’t. If they did, we could be looking at a Falcons-Saints shootout, but for that to happen, both duelers have to have bullets for their six-shooters.

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Comments (16)

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oldfart's picture

September 28, 2016 at 01:36 pm

MINNESOTA VIKINGS ARE NOW FAVORED TO WIN THE DIVISION, NOT THE SUPER BOWL BOUND GREEN BAY PACKERS.

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TKWorldWide's picture

September 29, 2016 at 01:50 am

Eh?
Speak up, sonny!

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Lphill's picture

September 28, 2016 at 04:35 pm

The Vikings will not sustain the entire season without scoring points , Bradford will not survive a full season with that O line , the Packers will win the North and the next meeting with the Vikings will be meaningless .

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ray nichkee's picture

September 28, 2016 at 10:09 pm

3 of 5 seasons Bradford did not play 16 games. If he makes it all season (15 excluding week 1) I will be impressed.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

September 28, 2016 at 06:41 pm

Football outsiders has not taken into consideration the absence of Fuller. Two awful defenses will be on the field, so I can easily see 46 points. I would take the over.

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rdent's picture

September 28, 2016 at 09:44 pm

Anyone who thinks the Viking's are a mirage are only fooling themselves,after losing their starting QB they made a bold move to trade for Sam Bradford, they are 3-0 and beat GB and looked impressive trashing Carolina on the road,this team is SERIOUS about winning NOW, that defense is solid,the Packers will no longer waltz to the NFC north championship

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Oppy's picture

September 29, 2016 at 09:53 am

You may be right; perhaps the Vikings are 'for real'. There have been 5 years over the last twenty they were indeed 'for real'.

That being said, the vikes are notorious for late season implosions when the cards are down.

Let's talk after week 17 and see where the Vikings stand.

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rdent's picture

September 29, 2016 at 07:50 pm

Yes let's see,dont get me wrong,I am Packer to the bone but Minnesota has drafted well,has a better coach and has taken the NFC North crown from the Packers,does anyone in their right mind honestly think the Packers are going to rule that division year after year?

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packrat's picture

September 28, 2016 at 09:57 pm

I agree. Minn is, unfortunately, for real.

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rdent's picture

September 29, 2016 at 07:56 am

Thanks,and unfortunately some here can't handle the reality

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Samson's picture

September 30, 2016 at 01:43 am

Of course they are for real. -- After they take the Giants this Monday, their regular season record for the last 20 games is 15-5. --- Only homer-esque type fans would disregard a team that's playing at a .750 clip. --- They already have the tie breaker versus the Pack. (so far)

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bandnerd007's picture

September 29, 2016 at 12:15 pm

After 3 weeks of surprisingly good play from our young ILBs, is anyone still mad about not overpaying for Trevathan?

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Oppy's picture

September 29, 2016 at 04:48 pm

I get real ornery whenever I miss the opportunity to overpay for something.

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Lphill's picture

September 29, 2016 at 05:03 pm

I watched the Vikings game thanks to the Sunday ticket , Cam looked awful like his head was not in the game , he made some bad throws not under pressure , it did not appear like the Vikings D was rattling him, but maybe Cam should come up with a new cadence , ready set go is getting kind of played out .

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gembulback's picture

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Agis Maulana's picture

February 20, 2017 at 01:06 am

While the offense is looking like it is finally back on track, the Green Bay Packers still find themselves staring up at the Minnesota Vikings at the top of the division as they hit the bye week. There’s a long season ahead of us, but an early divisional loss stings a bit and could make the division hard to win.

While the Packers take the week off and, I’m sure, hang out and bowl or something, the rest of the NFC North is still preparing to play football.

Here’s what they are up to.

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