Week 6 NFC North Power Rankings and Previews

Here are the latest NFC North power rankings and a look at this week’s matchups, including the Packers’ Sunday home game against the Cardinals.

The leader of the Green Bay Packers' defensive pack: Xavier McKinney / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The NFC North is the best division in football. All four teams are over .500 through five games – a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in more than a decade – and the teams have a combined 14-5 record.

Here are this week’s NFC North power 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.

1. Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota, the lone undefeated team in the NFC, captured three of the first-place votes. The Vikings are second in the On SI NFL power rankings as well as the Packers On SI Consensus power rankings.

2. Detroit Lions: Detroit, the reigning division champion, got the other first-place vote. The Lions are third in the On SI NFL power rankings.

3. Green Bay Packers: Green Bay swept the third-place votes. The Packers are ninth in the On SI power rankings, meaning the NFC North has three in the top 10.

4. Chicago Bears: Chicago got all the last-place votes. As Bears beat writer Gene Chamberlain wrote in the On SI power rankings, the Bears’ three wins might have come against the worst teams (Titans, Rams, Panthers) in the NFL.

Bill Huber’s NFC North Rankings

1. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings haven’t just won four in a row, but the Packers suspended Romeo Doubs and the Jets fired Robert Saleh after losses to Minnesota.

2. Detroit Lions: After crushing Seattle and enjoying their bye, the Lions will play at the Cowboys, Vikings and Packers over the next four weeks.

3. Green Bay Packers: Good teams find ways to win games. With Jordan Love throwing a terrible pick-six, the offense operating running sporadically and the pass rush being barely a nuisance for most of the game, the Packers rallied to beat the injury-plagued Rams.

4. Chicago Bears: After beating the beat-up Rams and woeful Panthers, the Bears are wrapping up a three-game homestand against Jacksonville. So, are the Bears for real? Who knows.

Best team in the NFL: Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs dismantled a pretty-good Saints team on Monday night because Patrick Mahomes can make it work with whoever his supporting cast. It’s too bad Taylor Swift gets more hype than the defense. 

Worst team in the NFL: New England Patriots. I understand making the change and going to first-round quarterback Drake Maye. But against a Texans defense that is first in pressure percentage? That seems like organizational mismanagement.

NFC North Week 6 Games

As written by our NFC North team publishers.

Green Bay Packers

Cardinals at Packers (noon Sunday)

Key to this week’s game: The Packers have had to contend with the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts and the Colts’ Anthony Richardson, two of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL. But they haven’t had to face anyone like the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray. Murray ranks among the league leaders with a 99.1 passer rating and is averaging merely 10.7 yards per rushing attempt – highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown run in last week’s come-from-behind upset at San Francisco. The Packers have to keep him in the pocket, meaning the ends have to set edges and the linebackers better put on their track shoes.

Potential Achilles heel: The Packers are a good team but they aren’t so good that they can afford to leave points on the field. Rookie kicker Brayden Narveson – called “Nervous Narveson” by CBS’s Jim Nantz during Sunday’s broadcast – has missed four field goals. Bad special teams were destined to doom the Packers in 2021 and bad kicking was bound to bite them in the rear in 2023. And they did in playoff losses to the 49ers in both seasons. Narveson was perfect last week, but he’ll need a strong stretch to build some peace of mind.

Detroit Lions

Lions at Cowboys (3:25 p.m. Sunday)

Key to this week’s game: Start fast. The Cowboys are already down Demarcus Lawrence and are expected to be without Micah Parsons for the second consecutive week. As a result, there is a real opportunity for Detroit’s offensive line to establish the run early. When the Lions’ ground game is going, it opens the offense up for play-action passing. An early touchdown drive would go a long way toward setting the tone in an important road matchup. 

Potential Achilles heel: The Lions’ secondary had a struggle containing CeeDee Lamb a year ago when these two teams met. Detroit has upgraded personnel with Carlton Davis and Terrion Arnold, but the duo has been the target of several pass interference calls as the team plays a plethora of man coverage. If the Lions aren’t able to slow down Lamb, it could be a long day. Lamb will be a tough assignment, and it will be intriguing to see how Detroit approaches slowing him down. 

Chicago Bears

Bears vs. Jaguars in London (8:30 a.m. Sunday)

Key to this week’s game:  Stopping the running game cold. They did this last year often without a problem, but after each game this year the defense says they’re "leaking" against the run. Last week, it was a cave-in rather than a leak, as Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard broke a 38-yard TD. This always figured to be a concern because of Gervon Dexter’s lack of experience or polish as a run-stopping 3-technique. So, they’ve been middle of the pack in run defense and must halt backs Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby to render Trevor Lawrence’s offense one-dimensional.

Potential Achilles heel: Until Caleb Williams has a long string of successful games and beats contending teams with his arm, the rookie QB will always be a potential Achilles. At any time, he could take big risks for turnovers. The thing is, he can also be their salvation if he keeps producing games like last week. However, you can’t face Carolina’s defense every week. Fortunately for the Bears, there’s also Jacksonville’s defense. 

Minnesota Vikings

Bye (back in action Week 7 vs. Detroit)

Key to this week’s game: This one doesn’t apply since the Vikings are on the bye, but the key to Week 7 against Detroit will be identifying the reasons for the offensive struggles against the Jets. The Jets defensive might very well be really good and there’s nothing more to say. But it was obvious that Minnesota’s efficiency went in the tank after Aaron Jones left the game with a hip injury. Getting him back on the field for the showdown with the Lions will be big. 

Potential Achilles heel: Sam Darnold. Look, this is the same guy who is tied for second in the league with 11 touchdown passes and he’s commanded clutch drives when the Vikings needed points against the 49ers, Packers and even last week in London against the Jets. It wasn’t pretty in Week 5, but there is six years of history that says his 14-of-31 passing performance might not be a fluke. It’s up to Darnold to overcome and his supporting cast to elevate out of the pothole. 

More Green Bay Packers News

Assembling the #Packers' secondary is like putting together a piece of furniture and there are too many bolts and screws. The play of the rookie safeties, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams, has given Jeff Hafley a lot of options.https://t.co/ir12gkQXo3

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 11, 2024

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