The NFC North refused to make life easier on Detroit.
With the Chicago Bears rolling past the New England Patriots on Thursday night, the division tightened again and turned Sunday’s Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions matchup into a bigger deal. Chicago moved to 5-2, jumped into second place in the NFC North, and kept the pressure squarely on the Lions.
The Bears are starting to look the part of a Super Bowl contender. Caleb Williams has the offense looking more under control, and the defense has been disruptive. The catch, though, is that both Chicago losses came against divisional opponents, and that could matter later if tiebreakers come into play.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is still unbeaten and will try to keep that going Sunday afternoon against the 2-4 Colts after coming out of the bye week. That leaves the Lions and Packers to sort out who emerges as the third serious contender in a division that keeps stacking wins.
Here’s where the NFC stands after six weeks and Thursday Night Football:
Division leaders: 1.
San Francisco 49ers (6-0) 2.
Minnesota Vikings (5-0) 3.
Carolina Panthers (3-2) 4.
New York Giants (3-2-1)
Wild Card teams (top three advance): 5.
Chicago Bears (5-2) 6.
Green Bay Packers (4-2) 7.
Detroit Lions (3-2) 8.
Seattle Seahawks (3-3) 9.
Atlanta Falcons (2-4) 10.
New Orleans Saints (2-4) 11.
Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) 12.
Dallas Cowboys (2-4) 13.
Arizona Cardinals (2-4) 14.
Los Angeles Rams (2-4) 15.
Washington Commanders (1-4-1) 16.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5)
Detroit is sitting in the last playoff spot in the NFC right now, but the margin for error is thin. A loss this week would leave the Lions with real work to do in the division, especially with the NFC North so packed at the top.
At the same time, the broader conference picture is still giving Detroit some breathing room. The only team that could catch the Lions for that final Wild Card spot is Seattle, and the Seahawks are lined up with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Beyond that, the Eagles, Cowboys, Rams and Buccaneers have all fallen short of expectations. There’s still plenty of season left for those teams to turn things around, but for now Detroit has room to sort out its own problems.
In Other News...
Lions Pass Rush Could Finally Flip A Frustrating Jordan Love Trend
Jordan Love has made a habit of staying in control against Detroit, but the Lions have reasons to think this matchup can look different. Love has never topped 300 passing yards in seven career starts against the Lions, and his high-water mark in the series came last season at 273 yards. Even as Detroit has dealt with its own issues defending the pass this year, the one area that can alter the script is the front seven, where the Lions have enough rush to make life uncomfortable on any quarterback.
Jordan Loves protection has become a bigger concern, too, with Green Bays offensive line hit by injuries in recent weeks. For Detroit, that creates a possible opening to turn a familiar frustrating trend into something more meaningful by getting after Love before plays can develop downfield. If the Lions can make him work under pressure, they may finally have the kind of defensive edge that has been missing in this matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Secondary Pressure Suddenly Falls On Ennis Rakestraw Against Packers
Ennis Rakestraw has barely had a chance to settle into a real role in the Lions secondary this season, working mostly as an outside cornerback in limited defensive snaps. Even in that small sample, he has given up five catches on 11 targets and a 63.8 passer rating against him, but his coverage has still been steadier than what Detroit has gotten from some of its other cornerbacks.
Now the spotlight is shifting quickly. With Week 7 bringing a trip to face the Packers, Rakestraw is set for a much bigger workload, and the way he handles that assignment could carry more weight than just one afternoon in Green Bay. A solid showing against Christian Watson and Matthew Golden would give the Lions a better read on what they already have, while also shaping how urgently they need to pursue more help at cornerback. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Finally Addressed Sam LaPortas Contract Frustration
Sam LaPortas frustration over not getting a contract extension had enough traction to draw a response from Dan Campbell, and the Lions coach made it clear the team is treating the situation as part of the normal churn around a young star. Campbell addressed the media and framed LaPortas comments as the kind of thing that can surface when a player has been waiting on a deal, rather than a sign of anything deeper going on around the tight end.
Inside the building, the message is apparently calm rather than alarmed, with Campbell stressing that the remarks are not being taken personally. He also said LaPorta remains focused and ready to play, describing the comments as pent-up frustration and not something that says anything about his character, which is about as direct a line as a coach can draw without turning the issue into a bigger story. [Read more 🡒]