Around the NFC North: Week 2
You can't be right all the time.
By Mike Price
The NFL is all about small sample sizes. Hell, there's only 16 games in a season. If you looked at the Brewers' last 16 games, you'd think they were just OK as a baseball team. So, last week, when I said we had maybe witnessed the closing of the Lions' window as they got stomped by Packers and Jared Goff turned into Jared Off I may have fallen victim to a small sample size. But, guess what, playing well against the Bears is also a small sample and we all know the Bears sucking is not a small sample.
Lions & Bears
The Lions took care of the Bears, 52-21.
Game Notes
- Goff played like has has the past few years, completing 23/28 passes for 334 yards and five TDs. You won't be shocked to hear that the Bears struggled to pressure him, ending the game with just four, nine fewer than the Packers had last week. The rest of the defense is bad too, Jaylon Johnson is hurt (now announced out for the season) and Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo, despite not getting much pressure on Goff, are far and away the two highest graded players on the defense this season.
- Caleb Williams didn't play as well as Goff, but he wasn't a disaster with a 91.9 QB rating. The doorknobs who ranked Jordan Love as the third-best QB in the North this off-season probably need to be checked for brain trauma but there's still a shot that Williams will be the best QB the Bears have had since Jim McMahon. That would still be worse than Jordan Love, to be clear.
- The Sun God led the way for the Lions' skill players, catching nine balls for 155 yards and three tuds. Jamo Williams had a 108 yards and a TD on three catches. Rome Odunze was the breakout star for the Bears, coming down with two TDs and 128 yards on seven catches. You can say the Lions' offense is still good against teams that haven't played well in decades but the defense probably isn't great.
- Gibbs and Montgomery were both rolling on the ground and even DeAndre Swift earned his name this week with a 5.2 YPC average.
Vikings
The Falcons took care of the Vikings, 22-6.
Game Notes
- Ever watch a game and you just feel dirty after? Like you shouldn't have witnessed it. That was this gross game. JJ McCarhy was 11/21 for 158 yards and two picks and now will miss next week's game, probably for Carson Wentz, because of an "ankle" "injury". Full-blown yikes status for the Vikings.
- Justin Jefferson finally broke through for a 50-yard catch but no other skill players did anything of note. Aaron Jones only had five carries.
- Possibly the best play of the game for the Vikings was when former Packer Eric Wilson chased down a ball carrier on defense and punched the ball out for what may have been a pivotal fumble (if the Vikings were any good).
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Mike Price is a lifelong Packers fan who recently moved from Utah to Stoughton (a Madison suberb). You can follow him on twitter at @themikeprice.
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Comments (41)
splitpea1
September 16, 2025 at 10:05 am
Lions-Bears: Damn, I knew I should have bet on this game. Unfortunately I don't bet anymore, but the Lions (-6.5) just jumped right out at you (that's the kind you want)....Haven't checked out the Bears blog lately, but I'm pretty sure the honeymoon with Ben is over.
Falcons-Vikings: Excellent description! A ground slugfest with little passing or red zone proficiency. But I can't remember the last time Atlanta had a defense, so maybe they're on to something. Also nice to see Wilson playing so well; I always liked him, but there was no room with our set of young LBs.
Leatherhead
September 16, 2025 at 10:47 am
There isn't a lot to look forward to in the Lions/Bears game. I mean, Detroit will run up the score so they look scarier than they are.
Yes, the denizens of Chicago are wild with outrage. They want Caleb Williams to be cut and Ben Johnson is probably the biggest mistake ever, which means that the people who charted this course are responsible, and that's not going to change. I thought they'd be good this year. But they aren't.
The Bears are expecting Caleb Williams to go out there and win games in his second year. Love hadn't even taken a snap in his 2nd year. Caleb Williams is expected to make big plays, whereas Jordan Love is expected to run the offense and protect the ball.
The players around Love have been practicing and playing with each other for quite a while, whereas the players around Williams have been more fluid.
I really don't get how they can be this stupid. After Trubisky and Fields especially. That's next level stupid, and yet, in a few years, if Williams isn't a cripple he'll be playing somewhere else. He's a good QB, but nobody could survive that Chicago system. If Tom Brady had been drafted by Chicago he'd have been ruined after a few years.
barutanseijin
September 16, 2025 at 11:04 am
We should accept nothing less than failure from the Bears: comically poor play, coaching failures, GMs picking the wrong guys, doinks and double doinks, a panoply of error.
dblbogey
September 16, 2025 at 07:09 pm
Knowing that the Bears still suck gives meaning to my life.
Oppy
September 16, 2025 at 09:19 pm
" Caleb Williams is expected to make big plays, whereas Jordan Love is expected to run the offense and protect the ball."
The Packers take more deep shots than any other team in the league with Jordan Love under center. I'd hardly characterize that as not expecting Love to make big plays, but rather, just protect the ball.
This offense relies on Love being a playmaker on play action passing. Love also creates when the pocket collapses.
Leatherhead
September 16, 2025 at 09:45 pm
He's throwing deep, but he's not being stupid about it. That's why he's not turning it over. He has to make a good throw from a secure pocket. He doesn't have to "make a play". All he needs to do is protect the ball and run the offense.
He is deceptive with the ball. I was watching Dak Prescott Sunday and he's just so ....artless... in his fake handoffs, etc.
Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jackson....these guys have to make plays for their teams to be successful. I think the Packers can be successful if Love just protects the ball and makes good throws.
dobber
September 16, 2025 at 11:01 am
I'm patting myself on the back for calling both these games exactly how they turned out. I expected the Vikings to score a little bit more, but you could see these two results coming a mile away.
The Vikings might finally be seeing the writing on the wall--maybe they'll finally tear this thing down and take their chances on a rebuild. I'm hoping they hang around .500 just long enough that Kwesi throws more of his draft capital at washed up vets at the trade deadline like he usually does. Others here have said that the Falcons might actually be good this year...and I'm starting to think they might be right.
How do you piss off Vikings fans? Until now, it's calling McCarthy "Christian Ponder 2.0". They don't like that. Even now, when he's looking more that way, they still don't like it.
I didn't think there was any way that Campbell would let the Johnson-coached Bears hang around in this game. His machismo couldn't handle that...so he ran up the score to grind it in that Johnson's not part of the family anymore.
Bears fans are such a boorish group that you can never make them happy....but, yeah, this honeymoon is probably long done, and--like the Vikings--they could easily be 2-7 at the midway point.
Cheezehead72
September 16, 2025 at 11:36 am
What does Minnesota have in common with Iowa?
They both do not have a professional football team.
Oppy
September 16, 2025 at 09:20 pm
What do you call a Minnesota Vikings player wearing a Superbowl ring? An ex-Packer.
EricTorkelson
September 16, 2025 at 10:17 am
For comedy, I listened to (The Score) 720 Chicago radio after the Bears loss on Sunday... Dan Hampton has already lost his voice and fellow commentator Ed Obradovich nearly had a heart attack yelling how the coaching needs to be changed (Go Figure)
And some posters think we have trouble up here with our GM .... Really
Dooniebrewers
September 16, 2025 at 10:20 am
“The Score” is 670 on your AM dial.
barutanseijin
September 16, 2025 at 11:06 am
Bears fans screaming on sports radio supports the Bears ecosystem of incompetence. It’s great!, and one of the things i miss most about living in the midwest.
EricTorkelson
September 16, 2025 at 04:14 pm
yes 670
egbertsouse
September 16, 2025 at 10:29 am
FYI-There are 17 games in a season these days.
egbertsouse
September 17, 2025 at 07:46 am
Somebody downvotes that I said there are 17 games in a season? Don’t get me wrong, I love downvotes but I never thought I would get three for that comment!
You’d get downvoted here for saying the sky is blue.
NFLfan
September 16, 2025 at 10:34 am
I wouldn't take my eye off the Lions.
Leatherhead
September 16, 2025 at 10:49 am
Well, unless you have eyes in the back of your head, you're going to have to. We're ahead, and we're going to stay ahead.
NFLfan
September 16, 2025 at 10:53 am
Relax, dude.
Bitternotsour
September 16, 2025 at 06:22 pm
it's ok little buddy. the lions are still sorta good, they just aren't GB good. goff can still spin it, but he needs time, not sure he's going to get it with Baltimore.
Starrbrite
September 16, 2025 at 01:29 pm
Right— we thumped the Lions and then they thumped the Bears, who are as bad as the Saints.
The lions play the Ravens next—I see a ravens victory.
Coldworld
September 16, 2025 at 10:59 am
The Lions are a team we know can take apart any team that allows Goff time. Chicago did and eventually that combined with Chicago not looking good on D (or even particularly up for it generally in the second half) led to a predictable outcome. The Bears were not bad, they were awful almost throughout.
Yes, they are still settling in to a new system, but, from what I’ve seen, they are not good enough as a 53 on either side of the bll for that to matter and morale may collapse before it materializes anyway. So on Sunday the Lions simply did what they do, but without any real challenge to their weaknesses. So what does that tell us? Not much about Detroit, but one wonders when and if Chicago will win, especially having watched their first opponent collapse.
dobber
September 16, 2025 at 11:04 am
They're going to win plenty of games. I think they'll be right there at the end of the season competing for the division. Packers need to keep winning and play from ahead.
Bearmeat
September 16, 2025 at 02:04 pm
I suspect that the Lions will be 7-4 and we will be 10-1 going into our rematch. Unless we blow it losing games we should win, the division is going to be won by us.
13TimeChamps
September 16, 2025 at 03:31 pm
Suddenly, having to play the AFC North this year doesn't seem quite as daunting as it did when the schedule first came out and we're already 1-0 against the NFC East.
Two starting QBs in the division in their 40s. Baltimore has given up 58 points through 2 games, Rodgers is already taking a lot of sacks, Cincy has lost their QB and Cleveland is...well Cleveland.
I'm thinking 3-1 against that division is definitely doable.
Bitternotsour
September 16, 2025 at 06:13 pm
3-1 is a polluted mindset. get right and get back in the game.
13TimeChamps
September 16, 2025 at 07:03 pm
Sorry little buddy. I didn't get the memo that GB wasn't going to lose a game this year. What game is it that you think you are in?
13TimeChamps
September 16, 2025 at 07:03 pm
.
dblbogey
September 16, 2025 at 07:13 pm
Succinct comment, 13Time
LambeauPlain
September 16, 2025 at 11:11 am
What a difference 2 and 1/2 weeks can make at the Windy City website.
From a breathless prediction of winning the North and going to the playoffs...Parsons won't make the poor Packer Defense any better, Love is a QB failure and they don't have any WR threats.
Today the new HC Johnson is in way over his head, Williams is a bum, the GM is clueless, another disaster from the McCaskey family.
Schadenfreude.
Cheezehead72
September 16, 2025 at 11:39 am
I made a comment after last season the Bears should fire all the leadership from the President on down and rebuild.
T7Steve
September 16, 2025 at 12:13 pm
Why? They have what every team strives for. Consistency. They've been the most consistent franchise for decades.
dobber
September 16, 2025 at 12:23 pm
I actually thought Ryan Poles was making some progress, and then he fell into the Ryan Pace trap of buying old OL who don't look like they have much left.
WestCoastPackerBacker
September 16, 2025 at 03:51 pm
Who traded away Roquan Smith and David Montgomery? Seems like they could use those guys.
Starrbrite
September 16, 2025 at 01:20 pm
After last week, Viking fans were booking trips to Canton for McCarthy’s induction ceremony…and then… . McCarthy is what I believe he is—overrated. The best thing to happen to the Vikings is McC’s injury and seeing if wentz can still play—which I believe he can.
The Lions beat the Bears badly—big deal. They play a real team next week and will be 1-2.
I thought the Bears were trending up—-probably not.
Loved watching the Broncos lose—geez I hate that team.
Go Packers!!!
WestCoastPackerBacker
September 16, 2025 at 03:53 pm
Yeah happy to see mouthy Sean Payton get an L in the win loss column.
Starrbrite
September 16, 2025 at 06:46 pm
Thanks WestCoast—my loathe of the Broncos can’t be overstated.
NFLfan
September 16, 2025 at 02:15 pm
This was game #2. Anything can happen in the violent game of football. Unfortunately, there are always season-ending injuries. Some teams are able to 'right-the-boat' after difficult starts. We don't know what January will look like and a lot of it is out of our hands. I'd like to see less hubris.
LeotisHarris
September 16, 2025 at 08:22 pm
"This was game #2."
The second game of the regular season, yes, that's accurate.
"Anything can happen in the violent game of football."
Well, not anything. It's unlikely an elephant would give birth, or we'd see a barber providing free haircuts on the 35 yard line.
"Unfortunately, there are always season-ending injuries."
Yes, that is a fact and is unfortunate.
"Some teams are able to 'right-the-boat' after difficult starts."
Some right the ship, and some row the boat. I've never heard of a team righting the boat, but it could happen metaphorically.
"We don't know what January will look like..."
We do. Days will be shorter, and it will likely feel colder outside.
"and a lot of it is out of our hands."
Whatever "it" is, we likely don't have control over outcomes
"I'd like to see less hubris."
That's nice. Thanks for sharing!
Starrbrite
September 16, 2025 at 11:09 pm
Lol—another belly laugh for me Leotis—gracias!
EricTorkelson
September 17, 2025 at 06:18 am
It is violent NFLfan ... that's why you have to have fun while you can
joejetson
September 16, 2025 at 09:00 pm
I'm not ready to declare "Detroit is still a top tier team" after pummeling a hapless, rudderless Chicago outfit. We all saw the Lions shell shocked by the Pack in Week 1. Week #3 vs Baltimore will be a real acid test for them.
Minnesota looked impotent vs an Atlanta squad not known for it's defense. McCarthy inspires fear into no one. Now they move on to a warmed over, career underachiever- Carson Wentz. With their offensive line sieve, Wentz may not stay upright for more than a game or two. Hard times ahead for Vikings.
As for the Bears, whatever heart they had was ripped out against a mediocre Minnesota squad in the 4th quarter of Week 1.
And being the Bears, they sped through the five stages of Grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance) in the first two weeks of the season. They are "the Bears"- they suck, and they know it.