By Sonja Greenfield //@Mom23RN
Now that my life is somewhat less complex, let’s talk some football, shall we?
The NFC North has been a division that has surprised me. At the beginning of the season, if you had told me that the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers would start off the season tied for first, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But (H)alas, they did. (See what I did there?)
The Bears were what really surprised me at first, but it seems like they’re starting their descent back to Earth. After starting their season 3-0, they’ve gone 2-4. Now, losing running back Tarik Cohen certainly doesn’t help, along with uncertainty at the quarterback position, but their offense just isn’t getting it done. Sunday’s loss to the Titans pretty much showed us that.
Since naming Nick Foles the starter, the Bears have lost 4 of their past 6 games.
Chicago has also not scored more than 23 points in a game with Nick Foles as the starting QB.
— Allan Bell (@AllanBell247) November 9, 2020
But despite all their issues, they’re still in 2nd place in the division.
Green Bay, on the other hand, continues to do Green Bay things, and that should come as surprise to no one. Despite quarterback Aaron Rodgers slide last season, drafting QB Jordan Love must have become a motivator. Either way, Rodgers is playing like Rodgers of old, and his offense, and his offensive line is doing great things.
#Packers center Corey Linsley HAS to be a Pro Bowler this year.
321 pass-blocking snaps, allowed 1 hurry. That’s it. @PFF‘s No. 1 rated center. By over 10 points.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) November 8, 2020
And, after quarterback Russell Wilson‘s day on Sunday, people are starting to say Rodgers is the front runner for MVP this year. The MVP race will be a fun one to keep an eye on this year.
Which brings us to the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings. Who, coincidentally enough, played each other yesterday. The Vikings have been the bigger surprise to me this season, as they’ve struggled. However, having an injured RB Dalvin Cook made things a little harder. But the Vikings are starting to get things in order.
After a 1-5 start, they’ve rattled off 2 wins in a row, against the Packers (at Lambeau) and the Lions. Cook has been cooking in those wins. He’s scored 5 touchdowns and had almost 370 yards rushing in those games, with 206 coming against the Lions. I think there’s time to add another name in that MVP race.
And then there are the Lions. The head-scratching, faltering Detroit Lions. They outlasted the Atlanta Falcons last week in a crazy game that only the Lions and Falcons could play, but this week, they looked….well, like the Lions we know and love. Now, quarterback Matthew Stafford had a tough week with a positive COVID test and having to be separated from his team and family, then having taken a hit in the game. He is truly one of the toughest guys out there, but I’m sure it’s starting to get old. And here’s another thing to put into perspective:
Matt Patricia has never beaten the Vikings
Matt Patricia has never beaten the Bears
NEVER. NOT ONCE.
— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) November 8, 2020
So, that’s the NFC North in a nutshell. How are you feeling about it?
Follow Sonja on Twitter @Mom23RN
#SmartWomen #SmartFootball
The post The NFC North roundup first appeared on https://www.ourturffb.com.