Through two weeks, the NFC North has already sorted itself into a familiar shape: the Minnesota Vikings are sitting alone at the top, and the rest of the division is chasing.
That’s not just about the 2-0 record. It’s about how they’ve gotten there.
Minnesota opened by beating both the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, which gives them an early edge inside the division and leaves them with a clean-looking start in a messy race. More importantly, they’ve done it with a defense that looks like the one thing nobody else in the North can claim right now.
Brian Flores has the Vikings playing fast and disruptive, and the blitz-heavy approach just gave Chicago fits in Week 2. The Bears were held to a 25.9 percent rushing success rate, another sign that Minnesota may have the most dependable defense in the division. That’s enough to put them first in this week’s power ranking.
The Vikings are the standard right now. They’ve allowed just 12.5 points per game across their first two outings, and opponents are averaging 100 rushing yards against them.
Yes, Jordan Love picked them apart early in Week 1, which pushes their passing numbers up to 258 yards allowed per game. But the Week 2 version of this defense - the one that smothered Caleb Williams and the Bears’ ground game - looks much more like the real thing.
And there’s still room for Minnesota to get even better. Kyler Murray hasn’t played a full game yet with this offense, its strong offensive line, or its collection of weapons.
Once that comes together, the Vikings could really get rolling. They may need it, too, because they have the toughest remaining schedule in the division.
Chicago sits right behind them at No. 2, but Week 2 came with a major scare. Caleb Williams went down with a non-contact injury in the loss to Minnesota, and the Bears were already having trouble generating much offense before that moment.
Williams was unusually unsettled against Flores’ blitzing, even though that’s usually a look he handles well. That says plenty about how well Minnesota executed.
The Bears’ defense also remains a problem, even if the box score says they held the Vikings to nine points. Of course, Minnesota was without Kyler Murray. With Williams possibly sidelined for a while and no clear fix for either the defensive talent issue or the offensive line play, Chicago could be in a difficult spot fast in a division that is not going to wait for them.
Green Bay checks in at No. 3 after barely escaping MetLife Stadium with a win over the New York Jets. That game could have gone the other way with a few more timely blocks late or a successful fourth-and-1 rush in crunch time. The Packers got enough done to leave with the result, but it was far from clean.
The offense has had trouble with strong defensive fronts to start the year, though Jordan Love does seem to be settling in a little better against that kind of pressure. Getting the ball out quickly helped Green Bay pull out the win.
Even so, the first two games have made one thing clear: the Packers miss Micah Parsons next to Lukas Van Ness, and they don’t have much going on the ground right now. A porous offensive line isn’t helping that cause.
Detroit lands at No. 4, and while the Lions are 1-1, the bigger concern is what still isn’t known. There’s been no update on when Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch might return from the PUP list, and the four-week minimum for activation is approaching. For now, the silence around both players says plenty.
The rest of the secondary doesn’t offer much comfort either. Rock Ya-Sin, listed as the team’s CB2 for this season, has a 43.7 PFF grade through his starts.
D.J. Reed has looked a step slow in coverage through two games, and Roger McCreary has shown some flashes but isn’t used much on the outside.
That leaves the Lions trying to piece together the best possible setup for Kelvin Sheppard, and it’s starting to feel like that may not be enough without a bigger move at cornerback. Still, at 1-1, they’re not in panic mode yet.
In Other News...
Lions Secondary Issues Are Forcing Detroit To Act Fast
The Lions are trying to stabilize a secondary that has been hit hard early, and that urgency showed up this week at the Allen Park Performance Center. Detroit has allowed 71 points through the first two games, a rough start that has put even more pressure on a defensive back group already dealing with injuries, including safety Avonte Maddox.
Among the players getting workouts are veterans Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, both of whom bring NFL experience and familiarity with the league grind. Mills also has a prior connection to Detroit after being claimed off waivers by the Lions in 2025, and the teams decision to bring in that kind of depth suggests it is moving quickly to find answers before the schedule creates even more problems. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Secondary Issue They May Need To Solve Fast
When the Lions get back from their break, the defensive backfield will be worth watching closely. Detroit plans to work out a group of defensive backs, including Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, as it continues to sort through both health questions and performance concerns in the secondary. Avonte Maddoxs foot injury is part of the picture, and the team has already been forced to keep an eye on a unit that has needed help at times.
There is at least a path toward relief if the timing breaks right. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but both may be nearing a return to practice, which could help stabilize a group that has been thinned out. Until then, the Lions may need these workouts to do more than just add bodies, because the back end of the defense has become a spot they may have to solve quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Badly Need Cade Mays Back For This Brutal Stretch
Jared Goff has already spent too much of the early season dealing with heat in the pocket, and it has put a spotlight on a Detroit offensive line that has not looked nearly as steady as the Lions need it to be. The issue becomes even bigger with the schedule turning toward a pair of division tests against the Packers and Vikings, both of whom can make life miserable for a quarterback when they get to the front of the pocket.
Cade Mays absence has been part of that problem, with the starting center still working back from a wrist injury that has kept him sidelined. The bye week offers the Lions a natural reset, and there is at least a chance he could be back by mid-October, which would give Detroit a much-needed reinforcement right when the trenches figures to matter most. [Read more 🡒]