NFC North – Week 11 Divisional Recap
The Vikings won their 6th straight, the Lions beat the Bears, and the Packers are lost without Rodgers.
Minnesota Vikings 8-2
Detroit Lions 6-4
Green Bay Packers 5-5
Chicago Bears 3-7
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings finished strong as they beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-7.
What they did well
Latavius Murray ran for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns and Adam Thielen had 6 catches for 123 yards and another touchdown. The Vikings scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to break a 7-7 tie. They held the Rams to just 3 of 11 on third downs, helping them hold on to the ball for better than 37 minutes.
Where they needed improvement
It took a while for the Vikings to get the lead. A pair of missed field goals by Kai Forbath had something to do with that. All in all, there is not much the Vikings did wrong in this clash of NFC division leaders.
What is Next
The Vikings travel to Detroit to face the Lions on Thanksgiving in Week 12.
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Detroit Lions
The Lions held off the Bears in Chicago for a 27-24 win.
What they did well
Matthew Stafford threw for 299 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Lions gained 352 yards of total offense. D.J. Hayden returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown to put the Lions on the board early in the second quarter. Matt Prater hit a pair of filed goals in the fourth quarter, including a 52 yarder that proved to be the game winner.
Where they needed improvement
The Lions were just 3 of 10 on third down conversions. They only gained 65 rushing yards with Theo Riddick leading the way with 35. The Lion defense gave up almost 400 yards of total offense to the Bears, including 222 yards on the ground.
What is Next
The Lions host the Minnesota Vikings on Thanksgiving in Week 12.
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Green Bay Packers
The Packers got shut out 23-0 at home by the Baltimore Ravens.
What they did well
Davante Adams caught 8 passes for 126 yards and Jamaal Williams added 95 yards from scrimmage. The Packer defense did what it could to limit the Ravens to just a 6-0 halftime lead. They finished with 3 sacks and an interception while giving up just 219 total net yards.
Where they needed improvement
The Packers had two problems this week: they could not hold on to the ball, and they could not find the end zone. Brett Hundley threw 3 interceptions and lost a fumble as the Packers turned the ball over 5 times. The Packers only converted on 4 of 13 third downs and 1 of 4 fourth downs.
What is next
The Packers travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 12.
Chicago Bears
The Bears fell just short in a 27-24 loss at home to the Detroit Lions.
What they did well
Jordan Howard ran for 125 yards and a touchdown and Tarik Cohen added another rushing touchdown to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Mitch Trubisky had a touchdown pass that put the Bears up 10-0 and no interceptions.
Where they needed improvement
Though Trubisky did not throw an interception, he did fumble the ball and that went the other way to put the Lions on the board. Connor Barth missed a 46 yard field goal with 8 seconds to go that would have sent the game into overtime.
What is Next
The Bears travel to Philadelphia to take on the red hot Eagles in Week 12.