The Packers are sitting at 4-3 after their Week 7 loss to the Lions, and that record alone doesn’t scream disaster. With the injury pileup they’ve already weathered and Micah Parsons still not back, there’s at least some context for why Green Bay hasn’t hit full stride.
But the bigger problem is staring them right in the face: this division is a beast.
Minnesota is 6-0. Chicago is 5-2.
Detroit, fresh off beating Green Bay, is 4-2. In other words, the Packers aren’t just chasing one team - they’re fighting to keep up in what might be the NFL’s toughest division.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky put it bluntly: "Where are the Packers in the NFC North pecking ordeR? The short answer: They're in trouble," Demovsky writes.
"... They're 1-2 against NFC North teams."
That’s the part that really stings. Green Bay has already dropped games to the Vikings and Lions, which leaves the Packers behind in the tiebreaker race before the stretch run even starts to get serious. If the playoffs opened today, the Packers would still be in, but only as a Wild Card team - and even that spot is far from safe.
The standings around them are crowded. The Vikings, Lions and Bears would all sit ahead of Green Bay. And the NFC Wild Card picture doesn’t offer much breathing room either, with the Seahawks and Rams lurking and the 6-1 49ers in control of the NFC West.
That makes the road ahead look awfully unforgiving for Green Bay. The wins they’ve banked so far have come against the Jets, Buccaneers, Bears without Caleb Williams, and Cowboys. That’s a decent list, but not one that guarantees much if the losses keep piling up inside the division.
The next three weeks may tell the story. The Packers get the Panthers on Thursday Night Football, then the Patriots, then the Vikings before their Week 11 bye.
After that, the schedule only gets tougher with the Rams, Bills, Bears, Lions and Texans still left. The Saints and Dolphins are in there too, but this closing stretch is anything but soft.
So while it’s still too early to bury Green Bay, the warning signs are obvious. Last in the NFC North and already trailing every division rival, the Packers have put themselves in a spot where the margin for error is shrinking fast.
In Other News...
Vikings Are 6-0 But Fans Can See The Real Test Coming
The Vikings have turned a 6-0 start into one of the NFLs early surprises, and it has not happened the way most unbeaten teams usually look. Minnesotas defense, with Brian Flores setting the tone, has been the driving force, allowing the fewest points per game in the league and keeping the team afloat while the offense has searched for a steadier rhythm.
Minnesota has scored just 125 points through six games, tied for the second-fewest by any 6-0 team since 1950, which is why the unbeaten record comes with a little more caution than celebration. The schedule is about to offer a much tougher read on where this team really stands, with the Lions, Bills, Packers and 49ers up next and three of those games on the road. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Have A Week 8 D Line Decision To Make
The Vikings have spent the early part of the season easing their 2026 rookie defensive linemen into the mix, leaning on more experienced options while Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange continue to develop. That approach may have to shift in a hurry for Week 8, with Banks exiting the Week 7 game against the Colts and not making it back onto the field.
Domonique Orange is the next name to watch here, especially after showing some improvement in his performance grades. If Banks is sidelined against the Lions, Orange could be in line for a bigger role in the rotation, giving Minnesota another look at a young interior piece it has been trying to bring along carefully. [Read more 🡒]
Jakobe Thomas Keeps Waiting As Vikings Safety Battle Gets Tougher
Jakobe Thomas has spent his first season in Minnesota in an unusual holding pattern, working behind a safety group that has given the Vikings little reason to shuffle the deck. The rookie defensive back has yet to dress for a game since being drafted, and the path to his first active role has only gotten narrower as Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson continue to handle the job well.
For Thomas, the assignment is less about waiting for an opening than about making himself impossible to ignore in practice and on special teams. Minnesota can afford patience when the current trio is playing at a high level, but the competition at safety is not going to ease up on its own, which means Thomas will have to keep building toward a chance that may still be some time away. [Read more 🡒]