Around the NFC North: Wildcard Round
Here's what happened this week in the NFC North.
By Mike Price
We're almost back on top after an insufferable 18 months. The Vikings and Bears are starting yet another off-season without a franchise QB talking about things like signing Kirk Cousins to another deal to keep their star WR or daydreaming about getting a first-round pick (wut) in a trade for Justin Fields. The important teams are battling it out in the playoffs. The Packers smoked the Cowboys in a game that shocked the world and the Lions squeaked by the Rams.
Lions
The Lions beat the Rams 24-23.
Game Notes
- The Lions shot out to an early 14-0 lead and then hung on to beat the Rams for their first playoff win in generations. Jared Goff was good against the on-and-off Rams defense, completing 22 of 27 balls for 277 yards and a TD.
- The Sun God was the beneficiary of many of those yards with 7 receptions for 100 yards and Josh Reynolds added 5 for 80 against his former team.
- The Lions weren't up to their usual selves in the running game, they combined to run 25 times for just 79 yards and gave up 4 yards per carry to the Rams. Of course, getting into that big late early meant the game script was set against them running the ball well or needing to stop it. The problem is that they still couldn't stop the Rams' deep pass game. Puka Nacua had 9 catches for 181 yards and a TD and four other receivers had catches of at least 17 yards. The Lions chose to build around the run game (in this economy!) on offense and defense and we'll see over the next few weeks how to works for them.
- Next week, the Lions will take on Tampa. On the surface, Tampa looks ready made to beat the Lions. They have a strong run defense, super fast linebackers, an offense based on downfield passing, and the Lions just had their biggest win since the 60s. But, when they played earlier this season, the Lions took care of business, winning 20-6 despite their leading rusher being Craig Reynolds who had 10 carries for 15 yards. In that match-up, Baker Mayfield barely completed 50% of his passes and Mike Evans was held under 50 total yards.
That's it for this week. We'll get into the season reviews once the Lions lose (or win the super bowl, I guess?).
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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.
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Comments (21)
T7Steve
January 16, 2024 at 11:22 am
We just have to beat the 9ers and face either of those teams in the NFCC.
No big deal for these youngsters.
Leatherhead
January 16, 2024 at 12:11 pm
Four teams in the NFC remaining, two of those are from the North. So much for the "weak division" narrative.
I'm also wondering if we should maybe take another look at our loss to Tampa. Obviously, they're a better team than we thought. Eagles and Cowboys crash and burn...what does that say about the NFC East?
Guam
January 16, 2024 at 02:36 pm
What are the down votes about? This is about as straight forward a comment as you can get and direct conclusions from this week's games. You deserve better LH.
Tundraboy
January 16, 2024 at 02:55 pm
I agree. Nothing here that isn't just a useful observation and honest assessment.
Leatherhead
January 16, 2024 at 03:00 pm
Thanks Guam. I've got two people here who downvote everything I say. They're just chickenshits who like to make anonymous attacks.
Packers0808
January 16, 2024 at 05:49 pm
Same here one every time no matter what is said. Some guy who I pissed off and pretty sure I know who. Risible.
GregC
January 16, 2024 at 03:07 pm
As awful as that loss to Tampa Bay was (with the statue-like De'Vondre Campbell frequently left covering one of their fast WRs in the middle of the field), it needs to be said that Baker Mayfield can be a really good QB when he's on his game, and the Bucs have been playing tough defense for years, led by one of the best defensive coaches in the league. The Bucs are not an easy out, by any means, when they are playing their best. I think we will see another highly entertaining game in Detroit this weekend.
Bitternotsour
January 16, 2024 at 03:52 pm
tell me that you don't understand what a zone defense is without saying that you don't understand zone defense.
ImaPayne
January 16, 2024 at 12:14 pm
Not to jinx the team but IMO the niners are ripe for picking. They just havent been as good of late and had we not beatin the snot out of Dallas, I could see them totally kicking niner butt this weekend.
Purdy is the key and I say you play man and he will toss those picks. It really cornfuses him trying to get the ball into a receiver who is covered.
barutanseijin
January 16, 2024 at 02:53 pm
So sick of them losing in the playoffs to SF. Can’t stand the way the media drools over their ringless coach as if he were Landry or Lombardi. QB play has been their achilles heel. Just like Garoppolo and Kaepernick weren’t up to the task, Purdy isn’t going to take them all the way. The Packers have to make them pay for that flaw in their team building philosophy.
Starrbrite
January 16, 2024 at 07:36 pm
Agree with you Barut, they fawn over Shanahan as if he invented the internet.
I hope LaFluer/Packers can find some retribution against them.
stockholder
January 16, 2024 at 12:41 pm
Tampa bay will not beat the Lions.
We must beat the Lions; but SF FIRST.
4thand10
January 16, 2024 at 01:38 pm
After what they just did to philly….Id beg to differ. That will be a game where the Lions..revert to well….the Lions.
croatpackfan
January 16, 2024 at 02:26 pm
Honestly, I would prefere to, if we will steal another grandious win vs 9ers, play vs Lions, than vs Bucs. We know Lions and knows how to deal with them. Surely, they will try to forget that humiliating loss month and so ago, but...
Matt
January 16, 2024 at 02:53 pm
People, stop talking about Lions or Buccaneers. We play 49ers. Don't be Cowboys 2.0.
Minniman
January 16, 2024 at 03:23 pm
The Bears fired everyone who even remotely had anything to do with Justin Fields.
I'm tipping that they move Fields on and select Williams
Leatherhead
January 16, 2024 at 03:37 pm
Are you kidding!!?? This is great. Burn it down and start over. Yup. Keep doing that.
edit: They kept the HC, but got rid of the OC, the QB coach, the WR coach. This is not another Chicago fire, this is pretty targeted towards the passing game. Even if the Bears are planning to start over without Fields, they don't want these people involved.
I contend that if you put better players around Fields you'll like the results. Get some better blocking and better weapons. Scale the offense according to what he does well. He's only as old as Love and has way more experience, and the right offense would have people comparing him to RGIII. They'd be our biggest threat in the division next year.
SicSemperTyrannis
January 16, 2024 at 06:46 pm
Agreed, it's to our benefit that they start over with a rookie QB and different offensive system. Maybe keeping Fields would never win a Lombardi, but they have the draft capital to improve. Instead, they'll regress.
Bitternotsour
January 16, 2024 at 03:53 pm
Cross your fingers they don't hire Mark Roman and turn Fields into Kaepernick...
Brewcity_BearsFan
January 17, 2024 at 08:32 am
I think you mean Gregg Roman, who they interviewed yesterday. He would be a great hire. And maybe Rivera for DC/ Asst. HC.
SicSemperTyrannis
January 16, 2024 at 06:51 pm
It looks like those who were predicting the NFC North is up and coming were right. I don't think GB and Detroit both advance next weekend but that it's even a possibility means the script has flipped!
Bears and Vikings could both improve next season. Instead, da Bares are being da Bares. I don't have any idea what the Vikings will do? Probably get swept by GB 😎