NFC North Week 16 Report: Vikings and Bears win, Packers and Lions lose
By Adam Carlson
The Minnesota Vikings are on top of the NFC North but the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions are eliminated from the playoffs after Week 16.
Heading into Week 16 of the 2017 NFL season, the NFC North was one of the most polarizing divisions in the league. The Minnesota Vikings had already locked down the division title and the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers were eliminated from the playoffs.
Now, it is confirmed that only one team from the division will represent the NFC North, but there is still the question as to whether or not the Minnesota Vikings will get that first round bye or even home field through to the Super Bowl.
Sadly, the road to the Super Bowl for Minnesota still goes through Philly, but the Vikings are still hoping to grab that bye and get as much home field advantage at U.S. Bank Stadium as possible. Let’s take a look at what happened in Week 16 to get to this point:
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Saturday Night Football was the stage for a division matchup between two teams on the opposite spectrum on the NFL. Minnesota got a big prime-time win to keep their hopes of the top spot in the NFC alive while Green Bay is just looking to finish their season and maybe play spoiler to an NFC North foe. The cold weather had both teams feeling off, with only one touchdown scored during the game and Green Bay being shut out.
- FINAL SCORE: Vikings win 16-0
- KEY STAT: Stefon Diggs – 5 catches for 60 yards and 1 TD
- VIKINGS RECORD: 12-3
- PACKERS RECORD: 7-8
Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals
With so many teams being eliminated from playoff contention, the Detroit Lions could stay alive in the hunt if they could defeat the struggling Bengals. However, that wasn’t the case. Detroit found themselves overwhelmed by the Cincinnati offense who used a great combination of running and passing the ball to keep the Lions on their toes.
- FINAL SCORE: Lions lose 17-26
- KEY STAT: Giovanni Bernard – 23 carries for 116 yards and 1 TD
- LIONS RECORD: 8-7
Chicago Bears vs Cleveland Browns
What is the best way for a struggling team to feel better about themselves? Well, beating up on an even worse team can help. The Browns remained
- FINAL SCORE: Bears win 20-3
- KEY STAT: Jordan Howard – 22 carries for 44 yards and 2 TDs
- BEARS RECORD: 5-10
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- Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022
Week 17 matchups
- Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears (Sunday noon CT)
- Detroit Lions at Detroit Lions (Sunday at noon CT)
NFC North Standings
- Minnesota Vikings (12-3)
- Detroit Lions (8-7)
- Green Bay Packers (7-8)
- Chicago Bears (5-10)
Next: Ups and Downs from Week 16 at Packers
The NFC North appears to be all set with only the Minnesota Vikings heading to the postseason. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears will all be looking ahead to the NFL Draft and free agency to try to improve upon their 2017 campaigns.