Only two teams from the NFC North played in Week 14 and they just so happened to be in the same game. The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions squared off in a high-scoring affair, while the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears had their bye weeks.
Even with just two teams playing, the result is one of the bigger shakeups of the year when it comes to the division power rankings. For the first time in months, the Vikings lost their top spot with the Lions jumping them after an impressive victory. Here are our power rankings heading into Week 15.
1
Detroit Lions (6-7)
- Last week’s ranking: No. 2
- Week 14 result: 34-23 win vs. Minnesota Vikings
This is what makes the power ranking system great. It’s not just about record, but who is playing the best at this point in time and right now, that would be the Detroit Lions.
Dan Campbell’s squad needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they didn’t waste any time. They scored first, dialing up a deep pass to rookie Jameson Williams for the first catch and touchdown of his career. Detroit’s offense continued its strong play as Jared Goff threw for three touchdowns on the day, totaling seven in his last three games with no interceptions. The defense bottled up the Vikings run game and didn’t allow them to lead at any point on Sunday.
The Lions may be below .500, but they’re winners of five of their last six games and are one of the hottest teams in football. They dethrone the Vikings from the top spot for the first time since late September. The Lions face a New York Jets team this weekend that is also hanging on to playoff hopes.
2
Minnesota Vikings (10-3)
- Last week’s ranking: No. 1
- Week 14 result: 34-23 loss at Detroit Lions
After weeks of narrow victories, the dam finally burst for the Vikings against their division rivals. Minnesota needed one win to secure the division title and while that will still probably happen given the cushion they have, they’re not playing their best football at the moment.
Kirk Cousins totaled 425 yards through the air, 223 of which went to Justin Jefferson. But their rushing offense was ineffective and they missed opportunities in the first half to capitalize, such as a costly red zone turnover.
The Vikings are going to the postseason but this should be a wake-up call to get their things in order. Otherwise it’s going to be an early exit come mid-January. They’ll have an opportunity to turn things around against the struggling Indianapolis Colts.
3
Green Bay Packers (5-8)
- Last week’s ranking: No. 3
- Week 14 result: Bye week
The Packers were idle this week and return to the field next Monday night to keep their slim playoff hopes alive against the Los Angeles Rams.
4
Chicago Bears (3-10)
- Last week’s ranking: No. 4
- Week 14 result: Bye week
The Bears enjoyed some rest this weekend as they were on bye as well. They’re already eliminated from playoff contention, but will still have tough matchups coming up, first against the NFC-best Philadelphia Eagles.
