As the Minnesota Vikings enjoy their Week 7 bye, Taylor Heinicke led the Washington Commanders to an upset win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Despite not even having a game in Week 7, the Minnesota Vikings saw their lead in the NFC North increase thanks to Taylor Heinicke and the Washington Commanders handing the Green Bay Packers their third-straight loss on Sunday.
The Packers entered the matchup against the Commanders as four-point favorites, but Heinicke and the rest of his teammates didn’t care about that.
Green Bay had a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter on Sunday, but then Washington outscored the Packers 20-7 during the remainder of the contest on their way to a 23-21 victory.
Lead in NFC North grows for Minnesota Vikings after Washington Commanders defeat Green Bay Packers
Heinicke didn’t put up monster numbers against Green Bay, as he finished with 201 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. But the former Vikings quarterback made some key plays when the Commanders need them the most, including a beautiful 37-yard touchdown toss in the third quarter to wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Washington’s defense held Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to just 194 passing yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. Green Bay also couldn’t get their running game going either, as the Commanders held them to just 38 yards on the ground.
With the Packers’ loss to Washington on Sunday, Minnesota now has a 2.5-game lead in the NFC North heading into their Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
In addition to Green Bay losing to the Commanders, the Detroit Lions also added another loss to their record on Sunday when they were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys by the final score of 24-6.
There are still plenty of games to be played, but it currently seems safe to say that the Vikings don’t have to worry about the Lions sneaking away with the NFC North title this season.