Week 8 NFC North Power Rankings and Previews

Here are the latest NFC North power rankings and a look at this week’s matchups, including Vikings-Rams on Thursday and Packers-Jaguars on Sunday.

Josh Jacobs is introduced before last week's Packers-Texans game. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. – If the season were to end today, the NFC North would dominate the playoff bracket. The Detroit Lions control the No. 1 seed, and the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears would sweep the wild-card spots.

There are no signs of slowing down. All four teams are favorites this week.

Here are this week’s NFC North power rankings and looks at those games.

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: The surging Lions, who have won four in a row, swept the four first-place votes after winning at Minnesota. Their strength of schedule is .538.

2. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings, who received all four second-place votes, were the last undefeated team in NFC until losing at Detroit. Their strength of schedule is .537.

3. Green Bay Packers: The Packers, who took all four third-place votes, have won three in a row. Their strength of schedule is .533.

4. Chicago Bears: The Bears’ four wins have come against teams with a combined six wins.  Why have we been doing strength of schedule here? Because the Bears’ is only .375.

Bill Huber’s NFC North Rankings

1. Detroit Lions: With quarterback Jared Goff, with a 153.1 passer rating the last three weeks, playing at an MVP level, the Lions are No. 1 in the NFL in scoring differential.

2. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are No. 2 in the NFL in scoring differential. Their next four games are against the Rams, Colts, Jaguars and Texans.

3. Green Bay Packers: The Packers have to beat the Jaguars, because the schedule gets much more difficult: Detroit, at Chicago, home vs. San Francisco and Miami, at Detroit and Seattle.

4. Chicago Bears: The Bears are fourth in points allowed and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams seems to be hitting his stride.

Best team in the NFL: Kansas City Chiefs. All the Chiefs do is win. I’m not sure how much DeAndre Hopkins will help the offense but any little bit will help Patrick Mahomes.

Worst team in the NFL: Carolina Panthers. Carolina has been outscored by 19.0 points per game, which is almost as much as the next two teams (New England, 10.9; Miami, 9.8) combined.

NFC North Week 8 Games

As written by our NFC North team publishers.

Green Bay Packers

Packers at Jaguars, noon Sunday

State your team’s case for the Super Bowl: It’d be easy to look at last week’s victory over Houston as good fortune. The Texans were down four starters on defense and their elite receiver, Nico Collins, yet forced the Packers to kick a last-play field goal. However, the Packers have multiple ways to win games. Of course, Jordan Love can throw it and Josh Jacobs can run it. But the defense, a barrier to so many potential Super Bowl runs since their last championship in 2010, is why Green Bay won last week. The C.J. Stroud-led Texans finished with 55 net passing yards.

The biggest key to victory in Week 8: Protecting Jordan Love. Jacksonville has a good one-two punch of edge rushers with Travon Walker (six sacks this year) and Josh Hines-Allen (17.5 sacks last year). The secondary, however, has been a train wreck. Jacksonville has allowed a league-worst passer rating with 16 touchdown passes and one interception. With Green Bay’s multitude of receiving threats, there should be plenty of options – so long as Love has time to find them.

Minnesota Vikings

Vikings at Rams (7:15 p.m. Thursday)

State your team’s case for the Super Bowl: The Vikings have a high-end defense, strong offense and a kicker who doesn’t miss. Those ingredients have fueled wins over three contenders in the 49ers, Texans and Packers, and they nearly took down the juggernaut Lions. The upcoming schedule isn’t difficult, and it won’t be a shock if the Vikings are 12-2 or 13-1 with three weeks left in the regular season. That could yield home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If Sam Darnold doesn’t fall flat on his face, the Vikings could go the distance. 

The biggest key to victory in Week 8: Don’t let Cooper Kupp eat them alive over the middle of the field. Detroit handled Minnesota’s blitz and Jared Goff picked the Vikings apart, often finding open receivers over the middle of the field. The Vikings won’t have inside linebacker Blake Cashman on Thursday, so that could be a problem area again, and Kupp is the master of finding holes in the coverage. Another key will be scoring touchdowns. Minnesota’s offense has found the end zone just three times in the past 10 quarters. 

Detroit Lions

Titans at Lions (noon Sunday)

State your team’s case for the Super Bowl: When the Lions are humming on offense, they are one of the toughest units to stop in the NFL. Jared Goff has been playing at an MVP level, and the players around him are emerging as among the best in the league at their positions. He’s comfortable behind a strong offensive line and has the ability to dice up defenses. 

The biggest key to victory in Week 8: Not letting up. The Lions are on some kind of roll heading into this game against the struggling Titans. Against a team that has begun to sell ahead of the trade deadline, not having an emotional letdown after two big wins is paramount. Games against Green Bay and Houston loom on the horizon, but they cannot afford to look past a Tennessee team that is struggling. 

Chicago Bears

Bears at Commanders, 3:25 p.m. Sunday

State your team’s case for the Super Bowl: The Bears have been playing close to Super Bowl-level defense since last season and it continues with 12 consecutive opponents failing to score more than 21 points. Their cornerback-linebacker-edge rusher combination is the key with cornerback Jaylon Johnson, linebackers T.J. Edwards or Tremaine Edmunds, and edge Montez Sweat. A Super Bowl run would require Caleb Williams to stay on his upward path and the offensive line to solidify blocking the run and pass for divisional play and the playoffs.

The biggest key to victory in Week 8: Containment. If their defense is facing Jayden Daniels, they need him kept in the pocket. Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter can’t let Daniels step up and take off with the ball. If it’s Marcus Mariota, the same is true as Mariota runs just as much, just not as successfully. He had 11 runs last week in relief of Daniels. Playing plenty of zone is a way to combat a running QB and the Bears are among the best in the NFL in playing that scheme.

More Green Bay Packers News

On Sunday, Xavier McKinney will play a starring role for the #Packers at Jacksonville, where Darnell Savage will make his fifth start for the Jaguars.

Words can't describe how much better the Packers are at safety, though I tried here.https://t.co/oaYCbupEEZ

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 23, 2024

Packers have long snapper again | Packers-Jaguars means Xavier McKinney, Darnell Savage | John FitzPatrick’s big chance | What channel for Packers-Jaguars | Packers-Jaguars matchups | On SI NFL Power Rankings | Consensus NFL Power Rankings | Latest playoff standings | Jeff Hafley brought the heat on C.J. Stroud | The unsung hero from Sunday | Three Overreactions from Packers-Texans | Josh Jacobs out of the record book