DETROIT – We’re almost a quarter of the way through the NFL season, and not only do the Detroit Lions look like the clear favorite to win their division, they might be one of the best teams in the conference.
There weren’t a whole lot of surprises around the league on Sunday. The Vikings got off the schneid, all the top teams in the NFC survived, and the Bears lost again.
I’m not ready to completely write off the Vikings just yet, but it’s obvious the Lions are the early favorites to win the NFC North.
NFC North standings
Right now, Detroit owns just a one-game lead over Green Bay, but thanks to the head-to-head win, it’s actually more like a two-game lead.
Here’s the thing about the Packers: Their wins over the Bears and Saints look less and less impressive by the week. Chicago just lost to Denver to remain one of only two winless teams. Meanwhile, the Saints got blown out at home by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers -- the same Saints team that had a 17-point lead over the Packers before an injury to Derek Carr.
Those results, combined with how dominant the Lions were on Thursday night in the head-to-head matchup, suggest Detroit is the much better team.
If you need more proof, look at their only common opponent: Atlanta. One week after the Falcons took down the Packers, they went to Detroit and got dominated on both sides of the ball.
The Vikings weren’t exactly impressive in their first win, either. They traveled to Carolina to face the winless Panthers and trailed 13-7 more than midway through the third quarter. The Panthers were deep in Minnesota territory with a chance to go up by two scores when a Bryce Young fumble was scooped up and returned for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.
It was a win Minnesota desperately needed, but not necessarily one that inspired a lot of confidence.
Fine, we’ll include the Bears. They blew a 28-7 lead against the horrible Broncos in just over 15 minutes of game time. So there’s that.
It’s still early in the season, and a lot can change between now and January. But the Lions have never been in better position to win their first North title.
So... what about the bigger picture?
NFC outlook
We’re starting to see some clarity in the NFC pecking order. The hierarchy looks something like this:
- Elite tier: 49ers, Eagles.
- Contenders: Cowboys, Lions, Seahawks, Buccaneers.
- Might be good: Commanders, Rams, Saints.
- Not impressed: Giants, Packers, Vikings, Falcons.
- Gross: Bears, Panthers, Cardinals.
An argument could be made that the Lions are the third-best team in the conference behind the two undefeated teams. But they aren’t the only candidate for that honor.
Dallas has the best point differential in the NFC. That has a lot to do with beating three one-win teams, but still, it’s something. The Cowboys did inexplicably lose to the 1-3 Cardinals, though.
Assuming the Seahawks take care of business against the Giants on Monday Night Football, they also have a claim to the No. 3 spot, especially since they beat the Lions head-to-head.
It’s hard to fully buy into the Buccaneers because of Mayfield’s inconsistent history, but don’t discount that dominant defense.
Nobody, though, has a more impressive win than the Lions. Since Detroit went into Arrowhead Stadium and beat the Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champs have ripped off three straight wins by a combined 40 points.
The Lions also won at Lambeau Field in front of a national audience. This might be a down year for the Packers, but that’s still one of the toughest atmospheres in the league.
So far, that Seahawks performance looks like an outlier, and as poorly as the Lions played for the majority of the game, they still forced overtime and were a coin flip away from taking the ball first and potentially winning.
In a year when the NFC looks wide open beyond the 49ers and Eagles, the Lions have the inside track to a division title and possible No. 3 seed. They still have 13 games to play, but it’s one heck of a start.