The NFC North At Week 7

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t play yesterday. They were sitting out Week 7 due to their scheduled bye week. Not all bye weeks are scheduled this year. Since the Vikings didn’t play yesterday there’s no real football to discuss today. So here’s a snapshot the NFC North after seven weeks of the 2020 NFL season. 

NFC North At Week 7

1. Green Bay Packers (5-1)

2. Chicago Bears (5-1)

3. Detroit Lions (3-3)

4. Minnesota Vikings (1-5)

The Chicago Bears play the Los Angeles Rams tonight so this isn’t so much a snapshot of the NFC North at Week 7 as it is an in-progress sort of thing. In my opinion, the Bears winning five of their first six games is the biggest surprise of the season. This isn’t about the Bears. It’s about the Minnesota Vikings and their fight to get the season right. 

The standings look upside down to me. The Vikings 1-5 start has been brutal to watch. Teams can’t hand gifts to opponents and expect to win more than they lose. The Vikings have been their toughest opponent. The bad is that they started 1-5. Big hole. The good is that they have 10 games to fix things. Big opportunity. The Vikings play the Packers, Lions, and Bears over the next three weeks. It’s a string of division games that can really change things. They have to win all three. They’d probably still be 2-3 games back of the division-leaders. Starting 1-5 creates a steep climb. Every game is a must-win game when you start 1-5 and fancy the playoffs. After the three division opponents, the Vikings get the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. All at home. Maybe there will be fans at those games. It’s the most winnable three-game stretch of the season. The Vikings must be 7-5 with the final quarter of the season to play. 

@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Chicago Bears

@ New Orleans Saints

@ Detroit Lions

Hopefully, the momentum gained through a six-game win streak can carry the Vikings through a difficult final four games.  

And there’s a look at the NFC North at Week 7 and the recipe for the Vikings turning a 1-5 start into an 11-5 playoff appearance. Playoffs!