Week 11 NFC North Power Rankings and Previews

Here are the latest NFC North power rankings and a look at this week’s matchups, including the latest rivalry matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

For the second time in his career, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will start at the Chicago Bears on Sunday. / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On paper, anyway, the NFC North’s lead dogs should add another notch to their win columns on Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers? They’re coming off their bye and facing the slumping Chicago Bears, who they’ve beaten 10 consecutive times.

The Detroit Lions? They’ve won seven in a row and will host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will play without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The Minnesota Vikings? They’ll be on the road against the Tennessee Titans, who have lost four of their last five and haven’t scored more than 20 points at home.

Here are this week’s NFC North power rankings and looks at those games, including the Packers trying to win for a sixth consecutive time at Soldier Field.

On SI NFC North Rankings

As selected by the On SI team publishers: Bill Huber from Green Bay, John Maakaron from Detroit, Gene Chamberlain from Chicago and Joe Nelson from Minnesota.

1. Detroit Lions: Detroit has won seven in a row, including winning at Minnesota, Green Bay and Houston the past four weeks. They are No. 2 in the Packers On SI Consensus Power Rankings and earned all four first-place votes in these rankings.

2. Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota earned all four of the second-place votes. The Vikings are fourth in the On SI NFL Power Rankings, which are selected by team beat writers.

3. Green Bay Packers: The Packers, who looked like a fish out of water in the rain in an ugly loss to the Lions before the bye, were No. 3 on all four ballots. They are ninth in the Consensus Power Rankings.

4. Chicago Bears: The Bears swept the fourth-place votes after losing at home 19-3 to the woeful Patriots. Chicago gained just 142 yards and was 1-of-14 on third down in perhaps the worst offensive performance for any team this season. Their average spot in the Consensus Power Rankings is 20.75.

Bill Huber’s NFC North Rankings

1. Detroit Lions: Detroit is the best team in the NFL. The Packers couldn’t overcome one brutal interception by Jordan Love at home against the Lions. Detroit overcame five interceptions by Jared Goff to rally at Houston.

2. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are struggling a bit. Quite a bit, actually. After losing two in a row, they beat the Colts by eight and the Jaguars – without Trevor Lawrence – by five.

3. Green Bay Packers: If Green Bay can’t fix its flaws on offense, it will be fortunate to reach the postseason. If it can eliminate the interceptions, drops and penalties, it could win the Super Bowl.

4. Chicago Bears: The Bears have lost three in a row because the Greatest Quarterback Prospect of All-Time can’t get the team into the end zone. With a new offensive coordinator, can Caleb Williams return to the form he showed during Chicago’s sweep of the Rams, Panthers and Jaguars?

Best team in the NFL: There is no reason why the Detroit Lions should not win this year’s Super Bowl. Credit to GM Brad Holmes for making a trade at the deadline.

Worst team in the NFL: Imagine being the New York Giants, losers of five consecutive games and having your $40 million per season quarterback ranked 31st in passer rating.

NFC North Week 11 Games

As written by our NFC North team publishers.

Green Bay Packers

at Chicago Bears (noon Sunday)

Player to Watch: Jordan Love threw five touchdown passes and zero interceptions in his two games against Chicago last year, picking up where Aaron Rodgers left off in his ownership of the longtime rivals. Love is the key to everything. He threw 15 touchdown passes but 10 interceptions during the first half of the season.

Can he get back to how he played down the stretch last year, when he threw 18 touchdowns vs. just one interception during the final eight games? If so, this team has no ceiling. If not, that ceiling is going to clock them upside their head.

Keys to Victory: Chicago gave up nine sacks in last week’s loss to New England. Green Bay’s defense has one sack in each of its last two games and traded Preston Smith at the deadline. This is the ultimate weakness-vs.-weakness matchup, with the asterisk of Chicago might have its starting offensive tackles back in the lineup and Green Bay traded Preston Smith.

Green Bay had better win this matchup because the Bears, while they’ve struggled on offense during their three-game winning streak, have some premier playmakers at receiver with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rom Odunze.

Chicago Bears

vs. Green Bay Packers (noon Sunday)

Player to Watch: RB D’Andre Swift. He hasn’t had less than 51 rushing yards and has averaged 82 over the last six games and has 20 receptions, yet every game it seemed former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron hadn’t relied on him enough to take pressure off quarterback Caleb Williams and to set up the play-action game. Maybe that will change under the new OC, Thomas Brown.

Key to Victory: Giving Caleb Williams options in the passing game. The Waldron attack went with two and three receivers much of the time, all running down the field somewhere. He wasn’t about the short middle of the field or crossing routes in the middle of the field. A rookie QB needs those routes, the kind Keenan Allen can benefit from, as well. It’s going to be up to Brown to make changes within the passing attack to scheme players open or have safety valves available.

Detroit Lions

vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (noon Sunday)

Player to Watch: Za’Darius Smith is set to make his Lions debut, which will add intrigue to the matchup with the Jaguars. While expectations have been tempered by the coaching staff, Smith is expected to quickly become a valuable contributor on Detroit’s defensive line. This will be the first chance for the home crowd to see what the team has in the 32-year-old, who was a Pro Bowler with the Packers in 2019 and 2020, when he had a total of 26 sacks.

Key to Victory: The Lions cannot allow the Jaguars to hang around. With Mac Jones set to start under center, there is a path for the Lions to win in decisive fashion. Still, the Lions cannot let the Jags’ talented weapons, such as Travis Etienne and Brian Thomas, to get going. If the Lions can stack up early scores and pair them with stops defensively, they have what it takes to win handily.

Minnesota Vikings

at Tennessee Titans (noon Sunday)

Player to Watch: Justin Jefferson. The Titans have one of the better defenses in the NFL and it won’t be a shock if they steal from the game plan Jacksonville employed to bracket and double Jefferson and Jordan Addison for all 42 minutes the Vikings had the ball last week. Jefferson was targeted nine times but finished with a season-low five receptions for 48 yards. We’ll see if the Vikings can scheme him open for more action against Tennessee. 

Key to Victory: Stop turning over the ball. Sam Darnold has been really accurate and efficient until he gets in the red zone. He’s been intercepted five times in the last two weeks, with three of those coming in the end zone. If Darnold hadn’t made critical mistakes in the red area, the Vikings likely would’ve blown out both Indy and Jacksonville and resembled the dominant team that started the season 5-0. 

Latest Green Bay Packers News 

As promised a day after the #Packers lost to the Lions, coach Matt LaFleur has shaken up his practices.

Probably not a coincidence that the players have "gotten after it these last two days." ⬇️https://t.co/5cKPzuwk3M

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 15, 2024

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