Around the NFC North 2022 Week 6

Here's what's happening this week and next with the teams in the NFC North. 

Everything is awful. The Packers lost again. The Vikings are 5-1. The Lions are on bye. And the Bears have basically the same EPA season to date as the Packers. Somebody wake us up from this nightmare. 

Detroit Lions

The Lions had a bye this week s we'll do a quick review of their season to date 

  • The offense has been fine so far. It's 16th in EPA, 9th in DVOA, and 3rd in scoring (despite that stat including a shutout). The Lions are doing a good job making use of the personnel they have. Running the ball effectively with creative designs, getting the ball in the Sun God's hands, and making sure Jared Goff usually can just work off play action and easy reads. 
  • The defense is another story. It's the worst in the league in DVOA, EPA, and points allowed. They simply don't have the guys. Big-name rookie Aidan Hutchinson was a snap jumper in college and is only getting home now on blitzes and stunts. The defense has just one starter with a PFF grade over 70, safety Kerby Joseph, who has a 71.1 overall grade and 35.2 run defense grade. 

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings pulled off a 24-16 victory over the Dolphins (starting a third-string QB).

Game Notes

  • The Vikings are 5-1 and the Packers are 3-3. If you squint, the only real difference between the two teams is Justin Jefferson. Jefferson had six catches for 107 yards this week as the Vikings squeaked by a bottom 5 defensive team starting their third-string (rookie 7th round pick) QB. 
  • Keeping with that thought, the Vikings have the 21st-best defense through six weeks and a pretty similar offensive performance, outside of Jefferson, to the Packers. Cousins is getting it done but, as always, not really creating. Dalvin Cook has been about as good as Aaron Jones and the offensive lines for both teams have flashes of good play and flashes of meh play. You have to think the Packers with Davante Adams would be 5-1 right now. 
  • This week, Cousins was 20/30 for 175 yards and 2 TDs. Cook had 77 yards on 13 carries. 
  • I don't think you can glean much from the team's defensive performance as, I may have mentioned this already, the Dolphins were starting a third-string rookie 7th-round pick QB. Of course, once he got hurt, Teddy Bridgewater came in and lit them up to the tune of 329 yards and 9.7 YPA. The Vikings stop the deep ball first defense gave up 177 yards to Tyreek Hill, 129 yards to Jaylen Waddle, and the worst griddy in history to Mike Gesicki. Anything we can nitpick about the Vikings right now in our hour of pain is good, really. 

Former Packers

  • Za'Darius Smith terrorized the Dolphins o-line to the tune of 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. Chandon Sullivan added 4 tackles, one for loss, as well. 

Next Week

The Vikings have a bye next week. 

Chicago Bears

The Bears lost to the Commanders in what many are calling the worst Thursday Night Football game of all time.  

Games Notes

  • If you had told me before the season that Kurt Warner would criticise the Bears' passing game for being disorganized and uncreative, I would've guessed that it was Justin Fields' fault. Now that I've seen the no-Davante Packers offense that spawned the Luke Getsy Bears' attack (the Bears' surrender?), I'm not so sure. Fields was 14/27 for 190 yards, a TD, and a pick in this game and he added another 88 yards on the ground. He's becoming a sneaky OK fantasy start as a second QB with all that running. 

  • David Montgomery added 67 yards on the ground and Khalil Herbert was back to his hall of fame trajectory self with 75 yards on 7 carries.   

  • Dante Pettis led the team in receiving with 84 yards, although deep-threat Darnell Mooney had 12 targets for a clean 5.6 yards per target. 

  • The defense was fine, which is the best you can say about any defense that doesn't completely shut down the Commanders offense. Roquan Smith had another double-digit tackle day to pair with another just OK PFF grade. 

Former Packers

  • Equanimeous St. Brown had 1 catch for 1 yard. Maybe he's trying to bring Club Trillion to the NFL? 

Next Week

The Bears play the Patriots on Monday Night. 

 

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.

__________________________

Mike Price is a lifelong Packers fan who recently moved form Utah to Stoughton (a Madison suberb). You can follow him on twitter at @themikeprice.

__________________________

0 points
 

Comments (6)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
canadapacker's picture

October 18, 2022 at 01:40 pm

I have stayed off posting - just to let the anti AR crowd vent and discuss how bad management is etc etc. As I said before the loss to the Jets - the Oline needed to play better - and they didnt. What happened on the first snap - a run play - Stoned. First Jones run - negative 3 yards. Whatever.

Now dont care how good of a QB one has - if you cant block somebody you cant run the offense. Wentz Stafford Ryan Burrows, Wilson Jones - all of them have been sacked more this year . Some teams have better receivers therefore better results - and better run blocking - but if one even just looks at last night Wilson who is pretty mobile - was caught for a bunch of sacks. And if anyone things that Washington cant bring it - they never watched Fields get sacked and hassled all over the field.

Fix the Oline at least to where the backs have some holes and AR has nobody directly in his face at the snap and maybe there is a chance. And if that means simplify and make holes for the running backs sobeit. One cant expect the long passes to work if there is not time - One cant expect to run the ball with 8 in the box crowding the LOS and even screen passes wont work if everybody is crowding the LOS as somebody will have that responsibility. Time is needed and good blocking is needed.

3 points
4
1
10ve 💚's picture

October 18, 2022 at 02:36 pm

The O-line was clueless last Sunday. Williams (Jet's DL) is great, but the Packers' OL made him elite by making sure to avoid him at all costs. Same for the other Jet's Defensive guys.

2 points
2
0
10ve 💚's picture

October 18, 2022 at 02:32 pm

Washington is looking forward to their 3rd (guaranteed) W this coming weekend.

And the Packers are looking to keep their streak going.

2 points
2
0
Booner's picture

October 18, 2022 at 03:17 pm

We need to fix the o-Line. Our OC was the offensive line coach last year. They need to pull their heads out of their ass and work as a team to fix it ! Move Jenkins back to guard. If they can't run block and pass protect it does not matter who the stinking receivers are or how many touches Jones gets! FIX THE STINKING LINE!!!! Wake up Matt!

1 points
1
0
jurp's picture

October 18, 2022 at 04:58 pm

The Lions remind me of early 80s Packers, except with a worse QB. Good to Above Average Offense and a Defense that is plainly offensive. If they get their QB-of-the-future in the next draft and can find some defensive players, they'll be a team to watch in a couple years.

Oh yeah. given the offensive state of our offensive line, the Packers would NOT be 5-1 with Adams this year. They'd most probably still be 3-3. If there's no running game and no time to pass, Adams would just be doing wind sprints out there.

0 points
0
0
Caden819's picture

October 19, 2022 at 12:56 am

But everyone’s saying all we need is a receiver?!

0 points
0
0