NFC North Roundtable: Lions Surprises, Keys to Victory

Lions have plenty to prove after Week 2 loss.

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26). / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions suffered their first loss of the season in Week 2, becoming one of two teams to lose on the day.

Only one unbeaten team remains in the division, as the Minnesota Vikings moved to 2-0 with a surprise dispatching of the San Francisco 49ers. While the Vikings entered the season with a number of questions, they have managed to start much stronger than pundits expected.

The division has the potential to be one of the best and most competitive in football, and this has shown through two weeks.

Here's a look at where each NFC North teams stand ahead of Week 3, with insight from team publishers across the division.

Detroit Lions

NFC North rankings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Week 3: Lions at Cardinals (4:25 p.m., Sunday, State Farm Stadium)

Surprises through Week 2: The Lions offense underwhelmed against Tampa Bay in a Week 2 loss. Most notably, they were 1-for-7 on trips to the red zone on Sunday. Amon-Ra St. Brown bounced back after a quiet first week, but tight end Sam LaPorta has been held in check through the first two games.

Keys to Week 3 win: Detroit must run the ball more effectively. The Buccaneers made the Lions one-dimensional by stuffing the ground attack on early downs, forcing Jared Goff to throw the ball 55 times. That lack of diversity in play-calling is a recipe for disaster for Detroit, so they must get better production on the ground against the Cardinals. — John Maakaron, Lions On SI.

Minnesota Vikings

NFC North rankings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Week 3: Vikings vs. Texans (1 p.m. Sunday, U.S. Bank Stadium)

Surprises through Week 2: Well, this Sam Darnold guy is pretty good. Should we be surprised? The narrative on Darnold all along has been that he's blessed with tremendous arm talent but has never had a strong supporting cast to help him show off his talent. Minnesota's offensive line is protecting him and he's firing on all cylinders. That said, it certainly was a surprise when Darnold went 3-for-3 on critical third downs without his three best targets (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson) to help Minnesota secure a win with a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter. 

Keys to Week 3 win: Houston scored on six of nine possessions before running out the clock against Indy in Week 1 and then they scored on four of five drives in the first half against the Bears before falling apart in the second half. I think the first six quarters better represent who the Texans are than the last two, and that's precisely why it's going to be critical for Minnesota to find ways to get Houston off the field. Slowing down Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs will also be huge, but if the Vikings were able to limit Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, they're capable of doing the same to Houston's lethal receivers. — Joe Nelson, Vikings On SI.

Green Bay Packers

NFC North rankings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Week 3: Packers at Titans (1 p.m., Sunday, Nissan Stadium)

Surprises through Week 2: The Packers were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season in creating turnovers. Their seven interceptions were second-fewest in the league. After nuking the safety corps this offseason, Green Bay enters Week 3 ranked No. 1 with five interceptions and six takeaways. With the additions of Xavier McKinney (two interceptions) in free agency and Javon Bullard and Evan Williams (one interception) in the draft, maybe the turnover production isn’t a “surprise,” but it’s been a huge development.

Keys to Week 3 win: We’ll pull this one from Page 1 of The Book of NFL Cliches. The Packers have to stop the run. They were mostly decent against Philadelphia but were filleted and flambéed by the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor last week. The Titans feature Tony Pollard, who had a couple 1,000-yard seasons for the Cowboys. If the Packers can stop the run, the door will be open to pressuring Will Levis into sacks and turnovers. — Bill Huber, Packers On SI.

Chicago Bears

NFC North rankings: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bears

Week 3: Bears at Colts (1 p.m., Sunday, Lucas Oil Stadium)

Surprises through Week 2: How little they've tried to lean on running backs in the attack with a rookie playing QB.  They have 33 rushes by backs so far if you count Velus Jones Jr. as a running back, but most call him something else. They got rid of a running QB who led them in rushing and drafted a passer, and now Caleb Williams through Week 2 is their leading rusher. Go figure.  ... Also, how ineffective their offensive line has been. They talked constantly about wanting the same group together and they've essentially had it for the last two preseason games and through two weeks with a league-high nine sacks and 2.48 yards a rush by backs.

Keys to Week 3 win: Looking at game film and actually seeing how the Packers and Texans ran the ball down the Colts' throats, and then even doing the same thing or something very similar. Also, arriving to stop the run. They've leaked against the run in each of the first two games early before stiffening and finishing strong. They can't let Jonathan Taylor get going because at some point Shane Steichen will actually figure out his team is better off with Taylor carrying 25 times than with Anthony Richardson throwing interceptions. — Gene Chamberlain, Bears On SI.