NFC North Week 8 Takeaways: Worry about the Vikings, trust the Lions & Bears

It's hard to know who you can trust this year in the NFL.

The Minnesota Vikings are proof of that. But, the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears made statements that make it easier to think they can win big games.

Here's what we learned about the NFC North after Week 8, where one team legitimized itself as a contender, and we're officially starting to worry about another.

Vikings: Now, we can start worrying about the offense

It was easy to overlook the Vikings’ offense. So much is easier when you’re coming off a win, right?

That was the case for the first six weeks of the season. Minnesota’s offense under Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray was not aesthetically pleasing by any means, but it was winning games.

After a 19-15 loss to the Lions, the first of the season for Minnesota, now we can start having a rousing discussion. 

How worrying is the offense? It’s not great.

The Vikings currently rank 28th in yards per play in the league. They haven’t scored a touchdown in the first quarter this season. Sunday was the fourth time in seven games this season the Vikings didn’t score 20 points or more.

Is there a quarterback decision? Does benching Murray make sense, considering the inaccuracies and disconnect? Trading for an offensive catalyst doesn’t help if there’s no true vision of how to improve an offense that’s struggled this season.

Whatever the answer is has to come from coach Kevin O’Connell.

What they're saying:

"We’re in November now," Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. "And we’ve got to start working with the same urgency we’ve had. The preparation has been really good, but it’s just continuing to wait for that consistent four quarters of good football and see what that looks like."

Bears: They’re contenders, if they solve this little issue

The Bears won big. A 17-point win over Seattle was the biggest win over the Seahawks by any team since Week 15 in 2024. That was a 17-point loss to the Packers.

This means the Bears are contenders in the NFC. They have a team playing confident football, an offense that’s clicking and a defense that’s added Jeffery Simmons.

The only issue is the defense has two cornerbacks in Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson who are struggling at the moment. Both are talented, but they’re struggling right now.

Adding Simmons helps. Johnson talked about it after the win over Seattle.

"It’s a lot easier to cover for two than four seconds," Johnson said. "Naturally, as a defender, you can be a little more aggressive. You can take some more chances because you know he can’t go through his reads or take a lot of time to get the ball out. For us, it’s just being aggressive."

That might help. But, it’s glaring how some teams are able to pick on those two.

The Bears need to decide if these corners are players who can find a way to turn it around, or if they need to make an addition before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

What they're saying:

"It looked like a double move and just got us on the outside," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said of Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 43-yard touchdown. "We tried something similar when we got the ball back and that's why Rome was able to get down the sideline and we weren't able to connect."

Packers: A confident defense awaits Micah Parsons’ return

The Packers’ shook off a loss to Detroit and beat the offensive-minded Carolina Panthers 27-19.

The story of the evening was how the Packers’ defense thrived. They sacked Carolina quarterback six times Thursday and pressured consistently.

The Panthers have a top-five offense in the NFL. The Packers were able to make them look like anything but that.

This defense is confident. It has an offense that’s complimentary with quarterback Jordan Love and receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. The run game is finishing drives.

But, that defense is claiming the headlines.

Oh, and star pass rusher Micah Parsons is starting to practice again. Imagine what it will look like when he’s back in the fold.

What they're saying:

"I thought our guys did a great job up front," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said. "I think some of the looks that we’re giving them, the opposition, Carolina, are very difficult. We do a lot of different things off of it, so I think that’s a big-time credit to our defensive staff."

Lions: An inspired team is taking hold in Detroit

The Lions watched their captain linebacker Jack Campbell get carted off, motionless, after a scary injury.

It was a terrifying moment. The Lions would still need to rally.

They did. They claimed their second division win in as many weeks with a 19-15 win over the Vikings. It was a bit sloppy, and it wasn’t pretty.

But, it was a win. And it was a critical division win, to boot.

The Lions’ defense is taking hold. Without its leader, they found a way to hold together against a Vikings’ team that has Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. When Detroit plays inspired, it plays well.

That’s a reflection of its head coach in Dan Campbell, who wears his heart on his sleeve. That’s a good thing for these Lions.

Harnessing that inspiration has to be what drives the team forward as it aims to fill Campbell’s shoes.

What they're saying:

"Stuff like that happens, and then they blow the whistle, and we’re off again," Lions quarterback Jared Goff told reporters after the game. "It’s hard. It’s really hard. I think you’ve got to remember these guys are humans and deal with stuff, and we are humans as his teammates and deal with that emotion."

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