For the first time this season, every starting quarterback in the NFC North is coming off a strong game, and that’s made the Week 7 picture a little tighter at the top. With Caleb Williams back in the lineup, the division’s quarterback race got another jolt, even as Jordan Love keeps hold of the No. 1 spot.
Love remains the standard in the division right now, and it’s hard to argue otherwise after what he’s shown over the past few weeks. He’s been playing at an MVP-caliber level despite having no running game to lean on, and he’s doing it while the Packers leave too much production on the field.
Green Bay has a nine percent drop rate, the highest in the NFL, and Love has taken the second-most yards lost because of drops among all quarterbacks. That helps explain why his completion percentage has fallen below 60 percent at times.
Even with that noise around him, his arm talent, his feel for defenses and his athleticism let him impact the game in just about every way possible.
The Bears’ quarterback jumped right back into the mix in Week 6, and he did it with a polished performance against the Falcons. Williams helped Chicago put up 31 points and finished 30-of-36 passing, good for 83.3 percent.
Some of the criticism aimed his way has been a little off-base, especially when the conversation turns to shorter throws and a point-guard style approach. That’s part of the modern game.
Williams has already shown he can create off script, drive the ball downfield and benefit from the run game and yards after the catch. Even in a game plan designed to get the ball out quickly, he looked comfortable and in command.
Still, the early-season body of work from Love and Jared Goff keeps Williams at third for now. Goff was idle in Week 6, but the bye only reinforced how steady he’s been.
He has multiple touchdown passes in all but one game this season and is averaging nearly 300 passing yards per game. That mix of production and reliability gives the Lions exactly what most teams spend all year chasing at quarterback.
Kyler Murray slides a spot, even though the Vikings didn’t play in Week 6. His most recent outing against the Saints was his best with the team so far, and he completed 80 percent of his passes in that game.
Over his last two appearances, he’s hitting 76.1 percent of his throws. Minnesota doesn’t need him to carry the offense.
With the defense playing well, the ask is simpler: be accurate, avoid mistakes and hit Justin Jefferson and the rest of the receiving group when the chances come. So far, Murray looks like he’s settling into the Kevin O’Connell offense.
The next test comes at home against the Colts in Minneapolis, and that should tell a lot more about where he stands.
The division’s top quarterbacks are all headed into Week 7 with momentum, and the Packers-Lions matchup has the feel of the biggest stage of the week. Goff and Love are the headliners, and for now, they’re the clear top two in the NFC North.
In Other News...
Packers Receiver Situation Just Got More Interesting After Savion Williams Debut
The Packers receiver room keeps shifting, and Savion Williams season debut gave the staff another look at how the rookie might fit once he settles in. Activated from injured reserve on Saturday after missing the first five games with an ankle injury, Williams got his first action of the year in the recent game against the Dallas Cowboys, where Green Bays coaches came away encouraged by the impact he made.
There is still a development curve here, especially with Williams continuing to work on his route running, but the conversation around the group has changed a bit with his return. The Packers also placed Skyy Moore on injured reserve, while Jayden Reed remains on injured reserve, leaving Green Bay with more questions than answers as it tries to piece together the position and figure out how much Williams can handle right away. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Trade Deadline Debate They Cant Ignore
With the Nov. 10 trade deadline creeping closer, the Packers are being pushed into a familiar kind of roster conversation: not whether they have needs, but how aggressively they want to address them. The speculative shopping list around Green Bay stretches across linebacker, cornerback, defensive tackle and guard, a reflection of a team that has enough talent to stay in the mix but still has a few obvious spots where upgrades could matter.
Among the names being floated are Cody Barton, Donte Jackson, Daron Payne and Landon Dickerson, each tied to a different area of need and each bringing a different price point and level of availability. Dickerson is the most intriguing of the bunch because of his status, and that is where the Packers' debate gets interesting - whether to chase help now, or wait and see how the board breaks as the deadline gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Still Have A Real Problem At Left Guard vs Lions
The Packers left guard situation remains murky heading into Week 7, and Aaron Banks is still at the center of it. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said the team wants Banks back healthy and able to hold up with consistency, but the linemans recovery from knee and toe injuries has kept him out of action and forced Green Bay to keep waiting for stability on the interior.
Banks has returned to limited practice, which at least suggests progress, but there is still no confirmed timetable for his return. For a Packers offense preparing to face Detroit, that uncertainty matters, because the left guard spot has become one of the few unresolved questions in an otherwise important stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]