NFC North roundtable Week 7: One thing that gives pause to strong starts

The Vikings face the Lions, the Bears on off and the Packers host the Texans.

Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) runs the ball as Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) defends during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

It's Week 7 in the NFL and three of the four teams from the best division in football are in action, with the lone exception being the Bears, who are on a bye. We're again going around the NFC North with our On SI colleagues to answer two big questions.

First, what's one thing that gives pause after a strong start to the season? And second, what is the biggest key to victory in Week 7? Let's dive into the answers, starting with the opposing view from Detroit.

Detroit Lions

Week 7: Lions at Vikings (12 p.m. Sunday, U.S. Bank Stadium)

Rankings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

One thing that gives pause after a strong start: The injury to Aidan Hutchinson is a major blow. At 4-1, the Lions have looked borderline unstoppable the last two weeks, but losing an elite pass rusher has the potential to cause a major issue for the defense. With no big moves imminent, how Detroit's reserves perform in their effort to pressure Sam Darnold will be under heavy scrutiny. 

The biggest key to victory in Week 7: The Lions are at their best when they’re able to establish the run early. Minnesota ranks second in the league in run defense, and coordinator Brian Flores is one of the best in the game. There’s an avenue for the Lions to take advantage of Minnesota’s 30th ranked pass defense, but Detroit’s offensive success tends to tail off when they are one dimensional. Getting going on the ground, and doing so early, would create a major advantage for the Lions in Sunday’s pivotal matchup. — John Maakaron, Lions On SI.

Minnesota Vikings

Week 7: Vikings vs Lions (12 p.m. Sunday, U.S. Bank Stadium)

One thing that gives pause after a strong start: The health of Aaron Jones. It wasn't a coincidence that Minnesota's offense wasn't effective after Jones left the game in London against the Jets with a hip injury. He's now considered week-to-week with what the team now describes as an upper-hamstring injury. When healthy, he's the straw that stirs the offensive drink for Minnesota. If not healthy, Ty Chandler and Cam Akers, whom Minnesota traded for earlier this week, have giant shoes to fill. 

The biggest key to victory in Week 7: Giving Sam Darnold time to throw. We all know that there's a chess match about to unfold between Ben Johnson's scheme on offense against Brian Flores's plan on defense, but Darnold having time to throw will be critical. The thought here is that he'll have plenty of time to pass since Aidan Hutchinson won't be on the field. Hutchinson owns 38% of Detroit's QB pressures and without him there isn't a true threat off the edge to punish Darnold. If the Vikings can handle Detroit's interior, Darnold could have a big day. — Joe Nelson, Vikings On SI.

Chicago Bears

Week 7: Bye

One thing that gives pause after a strong start to the season:  Naturally it's the soft schedule. Not only have the four teams they beat compiled a 4-18 record, but they lost to the only teams they played .500 or above and Caleb Williams' passing improvement came against three straight weak defenses. Then again, they won those three games in impressive fashion.

The biggest key to victory in Week 7: Even though they don't play, they've already achieved the key to winning the bye week. If you're going to have injuries do it prior to the bye so you have time to heal up. Their injured secondary players have a chance to rest before facing the Commanders Oct. 27. Jaquan Brisker (concussion), Kyler Gordon (hamstring) and Tyrique Stevenson (calf) all need time to heal. Also backup cornerback Terell Smith (hip), Stevenson's replacement, still is recovering. — Gene Chamberlain, Bears On SI.

Green Bay Packers

Week 7: Packers vs. Texans (12 p.m. Sunday, Lambeau Field)

One thing that gives you pause after a strong start to the season: The Packers’ four wins have come against teams with a combined seven wins. So, are the Packers an apex predator or just a paper tiger? Obviously, the Packers will get a gauge of that against the Houston Texans, who are 5-1. Green Bay’s record has been fueled by a league-best 2.8 takeaways per game. The Texans are ninth with 1.2 giveaways per game. Are the Packers good enough to beat a good team that doesn’t hand them the ball two or three times? Because that’s what it’s going to take to have success in the playoffs.

The biggest key to victory in Week 7: It’s cliché but the Packers have to stop the run. It’s been their Achilles heel forever, it seems, but they did a tremendous job in bottling up the Cardinals’ thunder-and-lightning duo of running back James Conner and quarterback Kyler Murray last week. Houston’s top running backs, Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce, returned to the lineup last week and both had runs of 50-plus yards. If the Packers can’t stop Mixon, it might be Mission Impossible against quarterback C.J. Stroud, whose play-action passer rating of 121.5 ranks seventh in the league. — Bill Huber, Packers On SI.