Nfc North Is Wide Open After Packers, Lions Show Key Weaknesses

The Packers (5–2–1) mightiness beryllium pretenders aft losing to nan Panthers. The Lions (5–3) don’t look arsenic mighty arsenic past season. And J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams are acold from being busts aft guiding nan Vikings (4–4) and Bears (5–3), respectively, to connection wins connected Sunday.

As for nan biggest study successful Week 9 from this division: nan NFC North is wide open.   

The NFC North teams merit our gratitude for delivering 3 down-to-the-wire games, helping nan remainder of nan convention dress up for nan respective lopsided results that occurred past week. What transpired successful nan Bears’ chaotic triumph complete nan Bengals mightiness person been much bonkers than Giants-Broncos successful Week 7 and Cowboys-Giants successful Week 2.

Williams and nan Bears proceed to travel retired connected nan correct broadside of their chaotic games, an betterment from past season. They and nan Vikings now person a morganatic chance to triumph nan NFC North aft it appeared we were headed for a two-team title betwixt nan Lions and Packers.

We learned plentifulness astir McCarthy successful his signature triumph vs. nan Lions. Here’s what other we learned from nan NFC North and nan different games from NFL Week 9. 

There apt won’t beryllium 2 teams that triumph astatine slightest 14 games from this section for illustration past year. And possibly not moreover 1 gets that galore wins, but location will still beryllium plentifulness of play wrong this section each nan measurement done Week 18 again.

In past year’s regular-season finale, nan Lions hit up connected nan Vikings to clinch nan section and nan No. 1 seed. But nan Vikings ended a five-game losing streak against their divisional rivals aft Sunday’s upset 27–24 triumph successful Detroit. McCarthy had an awesome capacity to soundlessness each nan doubters who criticized nan Vikings for not re-signing Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones successful nan offseason. There were moreover reports of nan Vikings searching for a trusted seasoned backmost earlier Tuesday’s waste and acquisition deadline, signaling that possibly not moreover McCarthy’s ain squad had capable religion successful him to beryllium nan starter for nan remainder of nan season. 

But McCarthy, nan 2024 first-round pick, gained plentifulness of spot pinch his capacity successful Detroit and appeared to beryllium a much-improved backmost since he past played successful Week 2 erstwhile he sustained an ankle wounded that knocked him retired for 5 consecutive games. McCarthy vanished 14-of-25 for 143 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, and had a clutch 16-yard walk to Jalen Nailor connected 3rd down pinch nether 2 minutes near to crystal nan game. McCarthy besides had a nine-yard touchdown run. 

As for Williams, he mightiness person had his champion performance of his young career, throwing nan game-winning touchdown walk to rookie tight extremity Colston Loveland during a chaotic 47–42 triumph vs. nan Bengals. Yes, Williams torched a bad Bengals defense, but he executed each of Ben Johnson’s instrumentality plays to perfection. Williams, who had a never-seen-before stat line, went 20-of-34 for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns, added 53 yards connected nan crushed and moreover caught a two-yard touchdown walk from DJ Moore. 

It was a bully clip for nan Bears to research pinch their playbook against a horrendous defense, and nan glimpses we saw connected Sunday showed a agleam early for nan Williams and Johnson partnership. Once Williams establishes much consistency, this squad will beryllium a reliable retired connected a play basis. 

With nan Packers falling to nan Browns and Panthers and tying pinch nan Cowboys, expect much hiccups from a Green Bay squad still searching for identities connected some sides of nan ball. Jordan Love continues to look awesome against bad teams and doesn’t person overmuch of a way grounds against nan existent contenders. But nan Panthers are acold from being viewed arsenic contenders, and still, Love struggled to find nan extremity area successful Sunday’s 16–13 loss, going 26-of-37 for 273 yards, nary touchdowns and 1 interception.

With nan Lions, their defense continues to beryllium inconsistent and nan aforesaid could beryllium said for nan offense. Detroit’s erstwhile mighty discourtesy hasn’t cracked 30 points since Week 5 and Jared Goff again struggled playing from behind. The Lions aren’t very bully erstwhile nan rushing onslaught isn’t clicking—they only had 65 rushing yards vs. Minnesota. 

This will beryllium an intriguing section for nan last 2 months of nan regular season. Don’t beryllium amazed if nan Bears aliases Vikings travel retired connected top. 

Colts can’t beryllium trusted to triumph nan Super Bowl

The Colts (7–2) are bully capable to contend for a Super Bowl. They besides can’t beryllium trusted to triumph it all. Both these statements tin beryllium existent astatine nan aforesaid time, considering really poorly Jones played without a balanced discourtesy successful Pittsburgh. 

Indianapolis has earned nan correct to beryllium connected nan database of Super Bowl contenders based connected what it achieved successful nan first 2 months of nan season. There mightiness beryllium nary stopping this discourtesy erstwhile prima moving backmost Jonathan Taylor is rolling. But we saw really poorly it tin spell for nan Colts erstwhile Taylor is disconnected his game. Jones threw 3 interceptions during nan disfigured 27–20 nonaccomplishment against nan Steelers, which wasn’t arsenic adjacent arsenic nan deceiving last score. 

Taylor was held to a season-low 45 yards connected 14 carries. It was besides nan first clip he was kept retired of nan extremity area since nan Week 4 nonaccomplishment vs. nan Rams. So that’s now 2 losses for Indianapolis erstwhile Taylor isn’t playing astatine a super-human level. 

Jones had 5 turnovers against nan Steelers arsenic nan Colts were held to 20 points, tied for their play low. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Colts will apt beryllium good and cruise to an AFC South title. They had a bad crippled against a hopeless Steelers squad that yet saw stellar contributions from their talented protect front—sacking Jones 5 times connected Sunday. 

However, we shouldn’t unreserved to spot money connected nan Colts to triumph nan Super Bowl successful Santa Clara successful February. The much trusted options to travel retired of nan AFC played each different successful Buffalo, and nan Ravens abruptly person dream to move it astir and perchance morph into a morganatic contender successful nan coming weeks. 

Maybe it’s cowardly of maine to put much banal into nan acquainted contenders, but nan Colts still person plentifulness to beryllium successful nan adjacent 2 months. Perhaps they’ll summation much spot erstwhile they play nan Chiefs successful Week 12. 

The claims of nan Chiefs being each nan measurement backmost were evidently premature based connected really poorly Patrick Mahomes’s discourtesy played against nan Bills’ up-and-down defense. 

Credit to nan Bills for making their protect adjustments during nan bye week because they’ve been a different squad during this two-game winning streak, including nan ascendant triumph successful Carolina. But nan Bills’ 28–21 triumph doesn’t opportunity overmuch for them successful nan agelong tally because it’s each astir what they do successful nan postseason against nan Chiefs. Buffalo has a five-game winning streak vs. Kansas City successful nan regular season, but has dropped 4 consecutive playoff games against its biggest rival.

As for nan Chiefs, this nonaccomplishment says plenty. I’ve rolled my eyes rather a fewer times seeing nan Chiefs atop astir powerfulness rankings successful nan past period erstwhile their discourtesy intelligibly hasn’t established an identity. Yes, nan return of Rashee Rice has helped Mahomes, but Rice’s beingness hasn’t opened up nan section for speedy wideouts Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown. It’s clip to person an honorable chat astir Worthy because he hasn’t played up to expectations since being drafted successful nan first information past year. 

Also, nan rushing onslaught had different sluggish outing, only signaling 79 of nan Chiefs’ 305 full yards successful Buffalo. Kansas City’s defense has shown signs of property and fatigue passim nan season, including allowing James Cook and Josh Allen to do what they want connected Sunday. 

I get that nan Chiefs merit nan use of nan doubt, but this is not nan aforesaid squad of erstwhile seasons. They’re losing one-score games, including to nan Jaguars not that agelong ago. It was awesome that nan Chiefs defeated nan Lions, but moreover successful that crippled they didn’t look arsenic mighty and caught a break pinch Amon-Ra St. Brown’s driblet connected 4th down, which changed nan momentum of nan game. And it doesn’t opportunity overmuch that they hit up connected Marcus Mariota and nan Commanders past week. 

The Chiefs (5–3) should beryllium good successful nan AFC West because nan Chargers (6–3) conscionable mislaid their near tackle Joe Alt for an extended play owed to an ankle injury, and it’s evident nan Broncos (7–2) still person a consistency problem connected nan violative side, pinch nan constrictive triumph successful Houston being a cleanable example. It conscionable doesn’t look correct to presume nan Chiefs are each nan measurement backmost erstwhile they person their ain group of concerning issues. 

Raiders make nan correct determination to spell for 2 vs. Jaguars

I yet person thing affirmative to opportunity astir nan Raiders (2–6) that doesn’t impact Brock Bowers, who was a monster connected Sunday against nan Jaguars. 

Coach Pete Carroll executed nan playbook for tanking competitively to perfection. He went for nan two-point conversion pinch hopes of stealing nan triumph complete nan Jaguars successful overtime, but Geno Smith had his walk batted and nan Raiders lost, 30–29.

The nonaccomplishment will apt sting for days, but nan Silver and Black will use successful nan agelong run, particularly if they onshore a top-10 prime successful adjacent year’s draft. Carroll should proceed to beryllium fierce and coach pinch a nothing-to-lose mindset. If nan Raiders travel up short, Carroll tin ever opportunity he had belief successful his squad to triumph games while knowing Bowers will get much thief pinch a imaginable top-10 prime successful April. If nan Raiders extremity up winning much games pinch this fierce approach, past truthful beryllium it, possibly nan momentum carries into adjacent year.

With nan waste and acquisition deadline conscionable a fewer days away, much teams should return a page retired of nan competitively tanking playbook.