Week 5 NFC North Power Rankings and Previews

Here are the latest NFC North power rankings and a look at this week’s matchups, with the Packers headed to Los Angeles, the Vikings to London and the Lions to vacation.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) pressures Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love on Sunday. / William Glasheen/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Before diving into the On SI NFC North Power Rankings, let’s dive into the power of the NFC North.

By cumulative record, the North is an NFL-best 11-5 entering Week 5. It is the only division in which every team has a positive scoring differential. The NFC North and AFC West are the only divisions without a team with a losing record.

Given the power of the division, the Packers can’t afford to slip up this week at the Rams.

Here are this week’s rankings.

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.

Tie-1. Detroit Lions: Detroit got two first-place votes and two second-place votes. Coming off this week’s bye, the Lions will play at the Cowboys and Vikings, host the Titans, and visit the Packers and Texans. They are third in the Packers On SI Consensus NFL Power Rankings.

Tie-1. Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota also got two first-place votes and two second-place votes. In a bit of an oddity, the Vikings are fourth in points scored, fourth in points allowed and first in scoring differential but have been outgained. They are second in the Packers On SI Consensus NFL Power Rankings and On SI NFL Power Rankings.

3. Green Bay Packers: The Packers swept the third-place votes. They are 10th Consensus NFL Power Rankings, which shows the power of the NFC North. They’ve got winnable games against the Rams and Cardinals coming up.

4. Chicago Bears: The Bears got all four fourth-place votes and are 25th in the On SI NFL Power Rankings. With home games coming up against Carolina and Jacksonville, they’ve got a chance to get on a roll headed into their bye.

Bill Huber’s NFC North Rankings

1. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings beat the 49ers, Texans and Packers in consecutive weeks. Three victories over cream-of-the-crop opponents means the Vikings are legit Super Bowl contenders.

2. Detroit Lions: Jared Goff went 18-for-18 passing, including six completions of more than 20 yards in a dominant win over Seattle. They scored five touchdowns a span of six possessions.

3. Green Bay Packers: The Jordan Love-led offense will be just fine. The question is whether the defense and special teams will ever be fine. Last week’s defensive performance was anything but encouraging.

4. Chicago Bears: The Bears finally ran the ball effectively, but that was against the Rams, who can’t stop anybody. Speaking of the Rams, they’ll have to contend with Josh Jacobs on Sunday.

Best team in the NFL: Kansas City Chiefs, at least when they’re at full strength. Can the legendary Patrick Mahomes win games given their injury problems?

Worst team in the NFL: The Jacksonville Jaguars are the last winless team in the NFL so, therefore, they’re the worst team in the league. The Titans were our pick last week but they crushed the Dolphins 31-12.

NFC North Week 5 Games

As written by our NFC North team publishers.

Green Bay Packers

Packers at Rams (3:25 p.m. Sunday)

What have we learned from the first quarter of the season? You can never have enough good cornerbacks. Last year, it was Corey Ballentine to the rescue with injuries sidelining Eric Stokes and Jaire Alexander and the team trading Rasul Douglas. In the 31-29 loss to the Vikings that put the Packers two games back in the NFC North, Alexander and Carrington Valentine were out and the defense was filleted by Sam Darnold. The Packers need Alexander and Valentine back ASAP, and they might have to draft a cornerback in the first round in April.

Who is the first-quarter team MVP? Malik Willis. Sure, beating the Colts with Anthony Richardson and the Titans with Will Levis might not be a big ask, but backup quarterbacks – especially young backup quarterbacks – typically are in over their head. Just look at the Dolphins crumbling without Tua Tagovailoa. Willis made just enough plays against Indianapolis and made a bunch of plays against Tennessee to win both games. No doubt being 2-2 is a lot better than 1-3.

Minnesota Vikings

Vikings vs. Jets (8:30 a.m. Sunday in London)

What have we learned from the first quarter of the season? Coaching really, really matters. When you look at the best teams in the league, coaches are as noticeable as players. Kevin O'Connell and Brian Flores are among the best one-two punches in football, and they have the Vikings’ offense and defense humming. Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo in Kansas City have the Chiefs undefeated; Dan Campbell, Ben Johnson and Aaron Gleen have the Lions roaring; and Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury are spurring a surprising Commanders squad. Great coaches are like elevators, and Sam Darnold is going up in Minnesota.  

Who is the first-quarter team MVP? Sam Darnold. The guy leads the NFL in touchdown passes (11) and passer rating (118.9). It's easy to credit the supporting cast around him, but let's not forget that he has yet to play with tight end T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison missed two weeks with an ankle injury and Justin Jefferson was knocked out of the 49ers game and wasn't on the field when Darnold drove the Vikings down for a score in clutch time. Side note: a close runner-up in this one is Aaron Jones. He's on pace for 1,972 total yards. Christian McCaffrey totaled 2,023 total yards last season. So … pretty good. 

Chicago Bears

Panthers at Bears (noon Sunday)

What have we learned from first quarter of NFL season? The Bears’ offense is going to be a real work in progress and not only because of Caleb Williams being a rookie, although that's the major reason. Bringing in a new starting running back, new center, two new wide receivers, a new tight end and fighting through early offensive line injury issues in a new offensive system set them back at the beginning. Getting the running game going, as they appear to have done last week, will be a major step forward because it can give Williams extra time to throw downfield with play-action.

Who is the first-quarter team MVP? Cornerback Jaylon Johnson. That's why he got the $76 million contract. Johnson has a 27.8 passer rating against when targeted, according to Stathead. He has two interceptions, four pass breakups and has once again chased away opposing quarterbacks to begin targeting Tyrique Stevenson on the other side, Kyler Gordon inside or safety Jaquan Brisker. Those DBS are improving as a result. Johnson is the major reason why the Bears are second in opponent passer rating against (69.0). 

Detroit Lions

Bye

What have we learned from first quarter of NFL season? The Detroit defense can be special. Through four games, the run defense has been one of the league’s best. While issues have popped up in the secondary, Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch have proven to be a solid safety duo. Offensively, Detroit popped up out of a rut with a 42-point showing vs. Seattle in what fans hope will be indicative of the rest of the season. 

Who is the first-quarter team MVP? Aidan Hutchinson. The third-year pass rusher leads the league in sacks and pressures and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. He has taken the big step that defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn publicly said he hoped he would and has anchored the defense as a result. With the offense experiencing some inconsistencies through the first four weeks, Hutchinson has been a steady force.

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#Packers WR Jayden Reed has a chance to accomplish something that hasn't been done in almost 40 years.

Not that he cares.https://t.co/PQrhwqV5xs

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 4, 2024

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