Inside The Vikings

Vikings stay off the bottom of NFC North as Bears lose on a Hail Mary

The Vikings very nearly wound up in last place in the division, but then magic happened.

Will Ragatz

Oct 27, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball as Chicago Bears defensive end Darrell Taylor (52) chases during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium.
Oct 27, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball as Chicago Bears defensive end Darrell Taylor (52) chases during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Vikings were seconds away from being in last place in the NFC North. Then some Washington Commanders magic happened in Landover, Maryland.

Trailing by three, Jayden Daniels ran around for ten seconds, launched a Hail Mary from his own 35 yard-line, and watched as it deflected off of Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and into the waiting hands of Noah Brown for an unbelievable game-winning touchdown. The play gave Washington an 18-15 victory and dropped Chicago to 4-3 on the season.

Had the ball been batted down, the Vikings would've improbably fallen to fourth place in the division after being in first place at 5-0 just eight days ago. That's because earlier in the day, the Lions cruised over the Titans to reach 6-1 and the Packers survived a scare from the Jaguars to get to 6-2.

Detroit is making a serious case as the best team in the NFL right now. The Lions smoked the lowly Titans 52-14 at Ford Field on Sunday, scoring all of those points by the end of the third quarter. They only needed 85 passing yards from Jared Goff and 225 yards of total offense to do it, as they forced four turnovers and got a 90-yard punt return among their seven touchdowns. Another of those seven came on a pass from running back David Montgomery.

The Lions have averaged 43 points per game over their last four outings, with the 31 they scored against the Vikings being their lowest mark in that span. Dan Campbell's team looks like the class of the NFC and a Tier 1 Super Bowl contender as we approach the season's halfway point.

The Packers also won their sixth game of the season, but they didn't do it as convincingly. They needed a Brandon McManus field goal on the final play to beat the Jaguars 30-27 in Jacksonville. Josh Jacobs had a huge game for the Packers, who lost Jordan Love to a groin injury that puts his status into question for next week's massive showdown against the Lions. The winner of that game will lead the division. Green Bay has a Week 10 bye after that.

Here's how things look heading into Week 9 of the NFL season:

1. Detroit Lions: 6-1
2. Green Bay Packers: 6-2
3. Minnesota Vikings: 5-2
4. Chicago Bears: 4-3

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

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