The Vikings sewed up the division this week. The Packers with a (washed up?) hall-of-fame QB were the only team within spitting distance entering the week and now they've lost to the lowly Lions. The Bears have an excitingish offense with Justin Fields breaking out but they just don't have the other pieces to make a run at the division. We can take solace in the fact that the Vikings will almost certainly get blown out in the first round of the playoffs. 

Detroit Lions

The Lions beat the Packers 15-9.

Game Notes

• In a year full of close losses that the Lions maybe should've won, they won a game that they probably should've lost. The Packers dominated in total yards and yards per play and moved the ball fairly well for most of the game. But had three devastating interceptions on the Lions' side of the field and a missed deep touchdown to Samori Toure. Last year's Packers probably win this game 35-10. This year's version lost.
• Though it seemed, at times, like the Lions were running the ball at will, no one on the Lions' offense had a particularly good day. Jamaal Williams averaged 3.4 yards per carry and Goff averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt and threw a pick. It just wasn't the Packers' day. 
• On defense, the Lions had one sack on a linebacker blitz by Derrick Barnes and were stymied by the Packers o-line for the rest of the game. Against the pass at least, Jones and Dillon couldn't get the run game going and Rodgers led the team in rush yards. 

Former Packers

• Jamaal Williams had 81 rushing yards on 24 carries. 

Next Week

The Lions travel to Chicago to take on the Bears. 

Chicago Bears

The Bears lost 35-32 to the Dolphins in a strangely exciting game. 

Game Notes

• Justin Fields is the best Qb in the division. Ever since former Packers QB coach Luke Getsy started to build the offense around the run game and specifically Fields' movement ability, he has thrived. This week, he ran for 178 yards and a TD with a 106.7 QB rating in the pass game. He isn't getting a ton of pass yards (who would on this team?) but he's the reason a team with talent as moribund as the Bears can out 32 points against an NFL defense. 
• Outside of Fields, 5 Bears had at least one rush this week and the only one to average more than 4 yards per carry was tight end Cole Kmet. 
• Kmet also had a good game (relatively) receiving with 5 catches for 41 yards and 2 TDs. 
• Defensively, the Bears couldn't stop the Dolphins insane pass game, and that's no surprise as basically, no one has this season. Tyreek Hill had 143 yards and Jaylen Waddle added 85. 

Former Packers

• EQ St. Brown had 2 targets and no catches.
• Joe Thomas had a tackle. 

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings squeaked by Washington 20-17.

Game Notes

• In Kirk Cousins' revenge game he had a classic Kirk Cousins stat line, 55% completion percentage, under 7 YPA, an int, a QB rating barely over 80, and, of course, the team still won. 
• The Vikings were down 17-7 at one point and came back thanks to Justin Jefferson's 7 catches for 115 yards and a TD. 
• The team's success despite meh play is annoying, but  Za'Darius Smith's all-pro level play is just depressing. he didn't have a sack this week but he's constantly getting pressure on the QB (he leads the league) and had 2 passes defended. 

Former Packers

• Almost don't need this section for the Vikings. Every week Za'Darius plays well enough to be mentioned in the game notes and Chandon Sullivan does nothing. 

Next Week

The luck never ends, the Vikings may play the Bills without Josh Allen next week.