Week 1 of the NFL just wrapped up, and it’s time to review how each NFC North team performed.
First, the Green Bay Packers played the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo, Brazil. It was a thrilling game. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley had one of the best games of his career, with 24 carries, 109 rushing yards, and 2 touchdowns. The Packers’ defense struggled to stop him all night. However, they did manage to intercept Jalen Hurts twice, with picks by Jaire Alexander and Xavier McKinney. On the offensive side, second-year wide receiver Jayden Reed performed outstandingly and appeared to be Jordan Love’s clear number-one target. Running back Josh Jacobs started slowly but gained momentum as the game progressed, finishing with 84 yards on 16 carries, though he did not score a touchdown. Unfortunately, quarterback Jordan Love exited the game in the fourth quarter with what is being called an MCL tear. The Packers lost the game 29-34 and then headed back to Lambeau Field to face the Colts.
Next, the Chicago Bears faced the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field. The Bears’ offense didn’t meet expectations in this first game, as their high-powered receiving corps underperformed. D.J. Moore had 5 catches for 36 yards, and Keenan Allen had 4 catches for 29 yards. Rookie Rome Odunze had 1 catch for 11 yards. Caleb Williams only threw for 93 yards. On the defensive side, the Bears played excellently, forcing Will Levis to throw 2 interceptions, picked off by Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson. One of those interceptions sealed the game for the Bears. Once the Bears’ offense gets going, this team should perform better.
The Detroit Lions faced the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of last year’s wildcard game. Detroit’s offense started slowly but improved as the game progressed. Wide receiver Jameson Williams looked impressive, just as the coaches had predicted. All offseason, coaches talked about Williams as a breakout candidate, and so far, it seems they were right. On defense, rookie Terrion Arnold played well despite two pass interference calls. Lions fans need not worry about him replicating Jeff Okudah; Arnold is just a rookie and will need to adjust to the stricter NFL pass interference rules compared to the NCAA. Arnold will need to be less physical with receivers in the future. Although Jameson Williams played well, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta were less involved in the offense than expected. Even though Williams performed well, the team needs to get Amon-Ra and LaPorta more involved. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery played great, with Montgomery looking particularly impressive during the Lions’ game-winning drive in overtime.
Lastly, the Minnesota Vikings faced the New York Giants. The Vikings exceeded expectations with their first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy, out for the season due to a meniscus injury suffered during the preseason. Sam Darnold stepped into the starting quarterback role and played well, completing 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Running back Aaron Jones had a strong debut with the Vikings, recording 94 yards on 14 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, and scoring 1 rushing touchdown. On defense, the Vikings forced Daniel Jones to throw 2 interceptions and sacked him 4 times. They allowed no touchdowns and just 240 yards of total offense in the game.
The NFC North went 3-1 in Week 1. Overall, all the teams showed improvement from last year or are on track for significant progress. This should be an exciting division to watch throughout the season to see who comes out on top.
