NFC North Breakdown: Week Three

(Dan Zinski writes for The Viking Age, which is FSB’s Minnesota Vikings blog. Representing the rest of the NFC North are Bear Goggles On, Lombardi Ave. and SideLion Report.)

The NFC North tested itself outside the division this week, and only one team passed the exam. There was a predictable blowout, a hard-fought overtime grinder, a disheartening defeat for a team with big aspirations and a timely bounce-back win to validate a much-discussed quarterback switch.

Chicago Bears (1-2):

Looking Back: Early season euphoria has turned to frustration. They were up 10 on Tampa with 6 minutes left and saw Brian Griese (good idea letting him go) lead the charge to send it to overtime – an even worse meltdown than they suffered against Carolina. They got one last crack in OT but couldn’t score, and now they’ve lost two straight. Kyle Orton hasn’t been the problem and neither has the running game thanks to Matt Forte. The problem has been their inability to finish off opponents. QBs like Griese shouldn’t be getting 407 yards against this defense, even with 67 attempts.

Looking Forward: The Bears host the 2-1 Eagles next. The good news for Chicago is that Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook are both banged up. The bad news is that Devin Hester still has torn rib cartilage to contend with, and may not be 100% for awhile. The Bears can live without Hester if the Eagles’ two big offensive stars are sidelined. The defense needs to play better in crunch-time regardless of who they face.

Detroit Lions (0-3):

Looking Back: A 31-13 spanking at the hands of the ascending 49ers. This one may have stung worse for Detroit considering who was on the other side of the ball – ex-Lions QB J.T. O’Sullivan, who’s come to life in San Francisco, and ex-Lions OC Mike Martz who is re-establishing his reputation after a short Detroit stint left it in tatters. The faithful might re-assure themselves that the Lions have finally discovered a decent runner in Rudi Johnson – then get depressed again when they realize their defense is perhaps the most pitiful in the entire league (113 PA in 3 games, second-most in the NFL). The normally prolific (if not often victorious) Jon Kitna was even held in check by the 49ers’ defense.

Looking Forward: Was there ever a team that needed a bye worse than this one? Well, they’re getting it. Rod Marinelli and his coaches can put their heads together on their off-week and figure out how to fix this defense, which would have trouble stopping a good college team. It would also be wise for them to figure a way of getting Roy Williams more involved before he turns into Bad Randy Moss. But hey – at least Rudi Johnson looks good! And those bye week family trips are always a blast.

Green Bay Packers (2-1):

Looking Back: A crack at the big-time against Dallas ends in disappointing home defeat. It wasn’t Aaron Rodgers’ fault though – he played a good game against a Dallas D that looks vulnerable vs. the pass. Unfortunately, the Packers were able to score only a single late touchdown, that on a run by Rodgers himself (“Favre would’ve gotten more points,” we hear some Packer fans grumble). Ryan Grant mustered only 54 yards on the ground; meanwhile, Marion Barber rang up 142 against the Packers’ D. Being dominated this thoroughly surely disheartened a Green Bay squad that figured to take a big leap in the NFC pecking order if they won.

Looking Forward: A road game against Tampa will test the Packers’ bounce-back ability. Unfortunately, they will have to face this test without Al Harris, who ruptured his spleen against Dallas and may miss the season. The way Griese threw it around against the Bears should at least give Green Bay pause. And they need to get a running game going – even if Rodgers is good, they don’t want to put the onus all on him.  Two straight losses and the “Rodgers isn’t Favre” whispers will get that much louder.

Minnesota Vikings (1-2):

Looking Back: A must-win in Week 3? You bet it was. And they got the job done at home against a tough Carolina team. Gus Frerotte gave them the steady hand they needed after two weeks of the Tarvaris Jackson Follies. Adrian Peterson was able to contribute despite a bum hammy. And how about that defensive line, which now looks like the strongest in the league? It still wasn’t very pretty, but who cares about looks when you’re picking up a game on the whole division while silencing some of your doubters?

Looking Forward: A visit to the 3-0 Tennessee Titans, who also sport an older quarterback with mobility issues. Will Gus Frerotte be able to keep it going in a more hostile environment? How will the run defense hold up against the 1-2 punch of Chris Johnson and LenDale White? Will Peterson have his burst back? This could turn into Ryan Longwell vs. Rob Bironas. Another win, ugly or no, and the Vikes finish arguably their toughest stretch 2-2 – a record they would gladly take.