Chicago Bears

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the NFC North division-leading Chicago Bears.  While it is hopefully a short stint leading the division, the Bears sit atop the division for the first time since 2013 thanks to a come from behind victory in Arizona this past Sunday. 

The Bears quickly fell to a 14-0 deficit against the Cardinals, but the defensive unit went on absolute lockdown as the team rallied for a 16-14 victory in the final minutes of the game.  Trailing 14-3 at halftime, the Bears defense opened the second half with four straight takeaways (three interceptions, one fumble recovery) and put their offense in position to score a touchdown and knock through two field goals for the win. 

With the Bears offense still sputtering with Mitch Trubisky under center, the defense has been lights out in securing wins over the last two weeks against the Cardinals and Seahawks.  The Khalil Mack sweepstakes appears to be paying off as does first-round draft pick Roquan Smith.  It pains me to say this week after week, but if the Bears offense and Trubisky can find a rhythm, they could be one dangerous team moving forward.

This Sunday, the Bears welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Soldier Field.  After starting out red hot with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, the Bucs are coming off a close loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.  With the return of Jameis Winston from suspension, mum has been the word on who will be under center this weekend for the Bucs but it is hard to imagine them moving on from Fitzpatrick after his performances in week one and week two. 

I’ll be very interested to see how the Bears handle the suddenly potent Bucs when they clash this Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings

Following their come from behind tie against the Packers the week prior, the Vikings headed into their home matchup against the Buffalo Bills as 17 point favorites.  After being completely dismantled and dominated by the Bills by a final scored of 27-6, the Vikings became the first 17 point or greater favorite to outright lose a game in the NFL since 1995.

In a game that was 27-0 at halftime and all but over at that point, the Vikings offense had only mustered two first downs and 46 yards on offense.  Two strip sacks of quarterback Kirk Cousins put rookie Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense in prime position for easy scores on the Vikings defense.  The Vikings offense still looked lifeless in the second half of the game, only showing some signs on life with a garbage-time touchdown pass from Cousins to tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Was the embarrassment at the hands of the Bills solely the case of the Vikings looking ahead to their Thursday night matchup against the Los Angeles Rams?  Or are bigger issues looming in Minnesota?  These questions obviously remain to be answered and I don’t know if they will be when the Vikings take on one of the hottest teams in the NFL in the 3-0 Rams. 

Detroit Lions

After a putrid start to their season through their first two games, the Lions showed a pulse on Sunday Night Football in their 26-10 victory against the New England Patriots.  The national TV audience heard loud and clear that the Lions weren’t dead when the Lions defense came out and stifled Tom Brady and the Patriots offense.  Moving out to a quick 13-0 lead in the game and a 13-3 lead at the half, the Lions had this game in their control from the start and continued to hold the Patriots offense in check through the end of the game to seal the victory.

In the win, Lions running back Kerryon Johnson became the franchise’s first 100 yards rusher since Reggie Bush topped the mark in 2013.  Johnson’s 101 yards on 16 carries helped the Lions offense control the game and allow Matt Stafford plenty of passing opportunities.

Week three in the NFL proved that this is truly a week to week league.  For the Lions, it was definitely an ideal time for them to be facing the reeling Patriots whereas the Packers, Bears and Vikings will get their shot at Bill Belichick and company later in the year when the Patriots will most likely be firing on all cylinders.

This Sunday, the Lions will travel to Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys.  With both teams sitting at 1-2 on the young season and looking to get back on track to .500 football, I would expect a solid showing from each team.