It was a good Sunday for the Detroit Lions. With NFC North teams in action in all four time slots, not only did we get to see the Lions come out victorious against the Cleveland Browns, but we got a close look at the other three divisional foes—two of which had disappointing ends to their day.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some early playoff standings, even though it’s admittedly extremely premature to be looking at them.
NFC North standings:
- Detroit Lions: 3-1 (1-1 in division)
- Green Bay Packers: 2-1-1 (1-0)
- Minnesota Vikings: 2-2 (1-0)
- Chicago Bears: 2-2 (0-2)
The Lions take sole possession of first place, as they ride a three-game
winning streak. The Packers have now gone winless in their last two games after a surprising tie to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. After looking like the best team in football through two weeks, the Packers seem vulnerable now, and their top-tier defense got throttled by Dak Prescott.
The Vikings were handled pretty thoroughly by the Steelers, despite a furious comeback attempt. Particularly concerning for Minnesota was their run defense, which allowed 131 yards, two touchdowns, and 4.5 YPC vs. Pittsburgh.
As for the Bears, they eked out a gritty win over the Raiders in a back-and-forth game. Caleb Williams led them to a go-ahead drive with 1:34 left. And while it looked like Chicago was going to give the game away, a blocked 54-yard field goal sealed their second win. Their two victories have come against the 1-3 Raiders and 2-2 Cowboys, so pump the brakes on their breakout season—especially since they already have two division losses. Still, it’s a promising start for them.
NFC playoff standings after Week 4:
- Eagles: 4-0
- 49ers: 3-1
- Lions: 3-1
- Buccaneers: 3-1
Wild card race (top three advance):
- Seahawks: 3-1
- Rams: 3-1
- Packers: 2-1-1
- Vikings: 2-2
- Falcons: 2-2
- Cardinals: 2-2
- Bears: 2-2
- Commanders: 2-2
With six teams at 3-1 or better, the NFC is looking quite competitive this year. Detroit was helped out by the Jaguars, who handed the 49ers their first loss of the season. And it looked like the Colts were primed to take down the Rams, but Los Angeles overcame a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit to win in regulation. The Seahawks and Buccaneers both look strong, too, despite Tampa’s narrow loss to the Eagles.
And while the Commanders are 2-2, don’t sleep on them, either. They’ve been without Jayden Daniels for two weeks, but allowing 34 points to the Falcons after they went scoreless last week is undoubtedly a concern for Washington’s defense.
If the playoffs started today, the Lions would face off against the Rams in the Wild Card round… again.
