We’re on the cusp of the halfway point of the 2022 NFL season and the NFC North is still a one-team race.
The 5-1 Minnesota Vikings were off this week, but remain firmly in first place in the standings. Second place got a little murkier, however, as the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are each tied with a 3-4 record, though the Packers hold the tiebreaker at this point. The Detroit Lions, meanwhile, continue to bring up the rear at 1-7.
The standings say one thing, but will the power rankings say another? Here are our Week 8 power rankings for the NFC North division.
Minnesota Vikings (5-1)
- Last week’s ranking: No. 1
- Week 7 result: Bye week, no game
The Vikings were able to enjoy their bye week with no threat of losing their ranking. They return to the field in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Chicago Bears (3-4)
- Last week’s ranking: No. 3
- Week 7 result: 33-14 win at New England Patriots
The Bears shocked the world on Monday Night Football with an absolute beatdown of the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick’s 2022 squad isn’t the formidable foe of yesteryear, or even last year, but it’s still difficult to win in Gillette Stadium. The Bears did just that, however, dominating in all phases of the game and changing their offense to suit quarterback Justin Fields’ game better. This ranking could be fleeting as it’s still unlikely for the Bears to steal another road win against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, but for now, Chicago has the slight upper hand to come in at No. 2.
Green Bay Packers (3-4)
- Last week’s ranking: No. 2
- Week 7 result: 23-21 loss at Washington Commanders
A dismal season for the Packers continues to get worse as they drop their third straight game, this time to the 3-4 Washington Commanders. Green Bay’s offense once again looked out of sorts, with players unable to get on the same page. Their solid defense, however, was worked by quarterback Taylor Heinicke and went down in the third quarter, unable to recover. Aaron Rodgers is throwing teammates under the bus and coaches don’t seem to be on the same page as the players. Things could reach dangerous levels of dysfunction this weekend when the Packers play the Buffalo Bills on the road in primetime.
Detroit Lions (1-5)
- Last week’s ranking: No. 4
- Week 7 result: 24-6 loss at Dallas Cowboys
It doesn’t look like the bye week had much of an impact for the Lions. Their sluggish skid continues, this time with a two-score loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Lions were still banged up, missing running back D’Andre Swift and couldn’t get much going on offense. Detroit turned the ball over on every possession in the second half but one. They failed to reach the endzone for the second game in a row and things are beginning to look dire. Even if they weren’t projected to take a big step this year, starting 1-5 and seeing one of the top offenses in the league dry up isn’t encouraging. They will try to get back on track this week against the Miami Dolphins.
