Week 14 NFC North Power Rankings and Previews

Here are the latest NFC North power rankings and a look at this week’s matchups, which includes the Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions showdown.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) makes a reception along the sideline against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 3. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Can the Green Bay Packers make a late push to win the NFC North? To do it, they’ll have to upset the one-loss but injury-plagued Detroit Lions on Thursday night at Ford Field.

With the NFC North becoming the first division since the AFC East in 1985 to have three teams with nine-plus wins entering Week 15, here are this week’s division power rankings and game previews.

On SI NFC North Power 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 (11-1): The Lions are the unanimous No. 1 team in the division in our rankings and the No. 1 team in the NFL in our Consensus NFL Power Rankings.

2. Minnesota Vikings (10-2): The Vikings, who are No. 5 in our Consensus NFL Power Rankings, received three of the four second-place votes. They’ve played the easiest schedule in the NFC North and third-easiest schedule in the NFC.

3. Green Bay Packers (9-3): The Packers, who are No. 6 in our Consensus NFL Power Rankings, received the other second-place vote. They’d be at least tied for first place in four of the eight divisions and have played the toughest schedule in the NFC North.

4. Chicago Bears (4-8): Remember when the Bears won three in a row and looked like a trendy pick to win the Super Bowl? Obviously, they swept the last-place votes in the division rankings.

Bill Huber’s NFC North Rankings

1. Detroit Lions: The Lions have won 10 in a row, looking invincible for most of the season. Due in part to injuries, they’ve shown some signs of vulnerability ahead of home games against the Packers and Bills.

2. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings have been anything but dominant, but they’ve won five in a row with home games against the slumping Falcons and Bears coming up to potentially make it seven before a game at Seattle.

3. Green Bay Packers: Imagine being 9-3 and in third place in the division. The Packers have won seven of their last eight, with the exception being the home loss against the Lions. The rematch is set for Thursday.

4. Chicago Bears: Once upon a time, the Bears entered their bye week with a 4-2. After six consecutive losses, they’ve fired their general manager and head coach.

Best team in the NFL: The Lions have won 10 in a row, their longest winning streak since 1934. They have scored 27 more touchdowns than their opponents, nine more than any other team.

Worst team in the NFL: The Giants have won seven in a row. The good news is they host the Saints and Falcons the next two weeks. The bad news is they’re 0-6 at home.

NFC North Week 14 Games

As written by our NFC North team publishers.

Green Bay Packers

at Detroit Lions (7:15 p.m. Thursday)

Most impactful player on offense: Josh Jacobs has changed the offense. The Packers are running the football 50.7 percent of the time, the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. Last year, the first season with Jordan Love as the starting quarterback and Aaron Jones leading the backfield, the Packers ran the ball 43.0 percent of the time. In 2022, the final year with Aaron Rodgers, they ran the ball on 43.4 percent of their offensive snaps. Jacobs is an old-school workhorse. The more carries, the better. That run-first mentality seemingly has made the entire roster more physical, which is just what you need in December and January.

Keys to victory: The Packers have to take care of the football. It’s the most cliché thing on earth, obviously, but Green Bay seems to have hit its stride with a three-game winning streak and Detroit has been beaten to a pulp by injuries. The Lions’ offense remains a powerhouse, though, and a shootout could be on deck. The worst thing the Packers can do is hand the Lions some freebies, like they did with Jordan Love’s pick-six before halftime of the first game. Keeping defensive tackle Alim McNeill away from Jordan Love would be helpful, too.

Detroit Lions

vs. Green Bay Packers (7:15 p.m. Thursday)

Most impactful player on offense: The Lions have a lot of weapons that give them flexibility on offense. They’ve won games despite quiet games from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams at different points this season. As a result, the most impactful player is the guy getting all of them the ball, quarterback Jared Goff. The Lions are at their best when he’s in a groove, and while he doesn’t have to play at the level he did in October all the time, Goff is the player the Lions can most ill afford to lose. 

Keys to victory: The Lions have to generate takeaways. They’ve gone two consecutive games without forcing a turnover and have been able to win regardless. However, the one takeaway they got against Green Bay turned the tide of their November matchup completely. With all the injuries on defense, including three defensive linemen on this week’s injury report who might not be available, the Lions could be in danger of getting gashed. As a result, getting takeaways will make life easier defensively as well as generate momentum for the offense.

Minnesota Vikings

vs. Atlanta Falcons (noon Sunday)

Most impactful player on offense: Justin Jefferson is the easy answer, but it's high time we give credit to Sam Darnold. The Vikings are 12 games into this campaign and Darnold has posted a passer rating of 103.5 or higher 10 times. He had nine such games in his career before signing with the Vikings. It's impossible to ignore the boneheaded plays that pop up in the red zone from time to time, but he's been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and he's making himself a boatload of money ahead of his expected free agency after the season. 

Keys to victory: Pressure Kirk Cousins. There's no doubt that Cousins is feeling intense pressure upon his return to Minnesota, but the heat is turned up after he threw four interceptions last week. The Falcons are a middling team in a bad division while Sam Darnold is playing at a higher level for the contending Vikings. Cousins is more than capable of shredding a defense, but Vikings fans know all too well that Cousins can fall apart when he's dealing with consistent pressure. That has to be the game plan Sunday in Minneapolis

Chicago Bears

at 49ers (3:25 p.m. Sunday)

Most impactful player on offense: Easily Caleb Williams. The offense malfunctioned throughout the first nine games while offensive coordinator Shane Waldon called plays. As soon as Williams had interim head coach Thomas Brown working with him, the offense became more potent and this resulted from Williams’ improved passing. Williams’ 99.2 passer rating in those three games is 18 points higher than under Waldron. They’ve averaged 22 points in those games, 2 1/2 points more than under Waldron. Suddenly, veteran receivers D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen are factors after they were invisible at times before Williams caught fire.

Keys to victory: Physical play on both sides of the ball. It’s the only thing the 49ers respect. A team that stands up to the 49ers along the defensive front and in the running game and in pass protection has a shot, especially with key players like Nick Bosa and Trent Williams out. It seems unlikely the Bears can do this with the running game, as their ball-carriers break the fewest tackles in the league, according to Stathead/Pro Football Reference. But Cole Kmet, Moore and Allen in the passing game can do it. The defensive line needs to defend the run all game like it did in the second half against Detroit.

Latest Green Bay Packers News 

The #Lions have a great homefield advantage. The #Packers under coach Matt LaFleur have been great on the road, though. https://t.co/oKc70vTvMH

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) December 4, 2024

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