NFC North Week 13 Report: Bears and Lions fall, Packers and Vikings win

The NFC North picture is clearing up for the Vikings and Bears at the top and bottom after Week 13 while the Lions and Packers hopes are still alive.

This was an up and down week for the NFC North. Despite some tough matchups, the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers rose to the occasion while the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions suffered huge losses.

Following an exciting Week 13, the situation at the top and the bottom of the NFC North has become quite clear, with one team running away with the division and another solidifying their spot in the cellar.

Let’s take a look at how the teams in the NFC North fared in Week 13 along with their current standings and upcoming opponents! (All stats from ESPN)

Detroit Lions vs Baltimore Ravens

The Lions are still a part of the playoff picture but are on the outside looking in after a trouncing at the hands of the Ravens. Three turnovers were the key factor in the lopsided game which was otherwise very close on the stat sheet.

FINAL SCORE: Lions lose 20-44
KEY STAT: QB Matt Stafford – 2 fumbles, 1 lost. 1 interception
LIONS RECORD: 6-6

Chicago Bears vs San Francisco 49ers

The headline of this game was the first start of Jimmy Garopolo for the 49ers, but there were some other things going on during the San Francisco win. Mitchell Trubisky threw only 15 passes during the game and running backs only ran the ball 15 times for Chicago, a horrible number since the Bears only picked up 8 first downs all game long.

FINAL SCORE: Bears lose 14-15
KEY STAT: Time of possession – 49ers 38:47 vs Bears 21:13
BEARS RECORD: 3-9

Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta Falcons

This was a big game for both teams hoping to improve their positioning for a possible playoff run. The Vikings were trying to move up into first in the NFC North while Atlanta was clinging to a wild-card spot. The two teams played mistake-free football in a game that went to the final minutes.

FINAL SCORE: Vikings win 14-9
KEY STAT: Julio Jones – 2 catches for 24 yards
VIKINGS RECORD: 10-2

Green Bay Packers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Packers are fighting to stay alive in the playoff picture until they can get Aaron Rodgers back into their lineup and the Buccaneers stood in their way. It took overtime in an exciting game that resulted in a walk-off touchdown by Williams to keep their hopes alive.

FINAL SCORE: Packers win 26-20 (OT)
KEY STAT: Jamaal Williams – 21 carries for 113 yards and 1 TD
PACKERS RECORD: 6-6

Week 14 matchups

Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers
Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals

NFC North Standings

Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
Detroit Lions (6-6)
Green Bay Packers (6-6)
Chicago Bears (3-9)

Next: Week 13 Ups and Downs vs Falcons

The two big wins in the NFC North this week are enough to carry the division hopes for a big postseason run, but the two losses were somewhat crushing and humiliating for the other two franchises. Next week, the schedule doesn’t look much easier, so best of luck to the Black and Blue division.