Packer Central

Last in NFC North, Are Packers Battling in NFL’s Toughest Division Ever?

Six weeks into the NFL season, the Green Bay Packers’ 4-2 record still has them out of the NFC playoff picture.

Bill Huber

Green Bay Packers receiver Jayden Reed catches a touchdown pass against former Packers linebacker Krys Barnes of the Cardinals on Sunday.
Green Bay Packers receiver Jayden Reed catches a touchdown pass against former Packers linebacker Krys Barnes of the Cardinals on Sunday. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, a key outcome given the limited margin for error in the NFC North.

With the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) on their bye, the rest of the division cruised to blowout wins. With that, the NFC North became the first division since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger in which all four teams have at least four wins through Week 6.

NFC North Standings

Minnesota Vikings: 5-0

Detroit Lions: 4-1

Chicago Bears: 4-2

Green Bay Packers: 4-2

It’s early and there’s been only one division matchup, but the Packers are in last place despite their 4-2 record. They’d be no worse than tied for first in the NFC East, NFC South, NFC West, AFC East and AFC North.

Coach Matt LaFleur isn’t looking at the standings now. Nor will he later.

“I think it’s week to week,” he said on Monday. “You just focus on the task at hand and right now we’ve got a team that’s 5-1 coming into our place, so if we’re worried about anything other than the Houston Texans, then we’re worried about the wrong thing.”

Historic Point Differential

The Buffalo Bills, who will play at the New York Jets on Monday night, could throw a wrench into this, but the four NFC North teams hold the top four spots in point differential.

Vikings: Plus-63

Lions: Plus-60

Bears: Plus-47

Packers: Plus-41

Bills: Plus-36

There was a post on X from Tony Holzman-Escareno, a senior researcher for the NFL, stating the last time an entire division swept the top spots in point differential was the 1942 NFL West. That was incorrect; actually, it was 1943.

With an asterisk.

Reached via a direct message, he sait was Week 2 of that season. Thanks to scheduling quirks, three of the teams hadn’t played a game.

In 1935, the four-team NFC West of the Lions, Packers, Bears and Chicago Cardinals all finished with winning records and positive point differentials, but the NFC East-winning Giants won their Week 1 game by 35 and finished third in the league in differential.

In terms of point differential per game:

Vikings: Plus-12.6

Lions: Plus-12.0

Bears: Plus-7.8

Bills: Plus-7.2

Packers: Plus-6.8

Now, the Asterisk

The Vikings’ undefeated record is real. They swept the 49ers, Texans and Packers before beating the Jets in London. Their five wins have come against teams with a combined .552 winning percentage.

The Lions’ last two wins were blowouts of the Seahawks, who were 3-0 at the time, and Cowboys, who had won two in a row.

On the other hand, the Bears’ four wins have come against one-win teams. The Titans, Panthers, Rams and Jaguars are a combined 4-18.

The Packers’ four wins have come against teams with a combined record of 7-15, with their best win coming against the Colts, whose 3-3 record includes a win over Chicago.

Bigger Challenges Ahead

How good is the NFC North? Is it really the best division in NFL history, like the headline asks?

Next week, the Packers will host the Texans (5-1), the Vikings will host the Lions and the Bears are off.

In Week 8, the Bears will be tested by the surging Commanders (4-2) in Washington.

In Week 9, the Packers will host the Lions.

In Week 10, when the Packers are on their bye, the Lions will visit the Texans.

In Week 11, it’ll be Round 1 between the Packers and Bears in Chicago.

In Week 12 to close out November, it’ll be Lions at Colts, Vikings at Bears and 49ers at Packers.

NFC Playoff Standings

The Packers are in eighth place in the NFC, meaning they remain on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture. They are one of nine teams in the conference with a winning record; only five teams have a losing record.

1. Minnesota Vikings: 5-0

2. Atlanta Falcons: 4-2

3. Washington Commanders: 4-2

4. San Francisco 49ers: 3-3

5. Detroit Lions: 4-1

6. Chicago Bears: 4-2

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-2

- - -

8. Green Bay Packers: 4-2

9. Philadelphia Eagles: 3-2

10. Dallas Cowboys: 3-3

11. Seattle Seahawks: 3-3

12. Arizona Cardinals: 2-4

13. New Orleans Saints: 2-4

14. New York Giants: 2-4

15. Los Angeles Rams: 1-4

16. Carolina Panthers: 1-5

More Green Bay Packers News

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.