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Lions, Vikings make NFC North best division in football: 'You don't want it any other way'
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- Lions, Vikings make NFC North best division in football: 'You don't want it any other way'
It's the best division in football, and Dan Campbell isn't surprised one bit.
Five weeks into the season, the NFC North is the only division with all four teams above .500. The Minnesota Vikings (5-0) are one of two remaining unbeatens in the NFL, along with the Kansas City Chiefs . The Detroit Lions (3-1) are one of the three teams with one loss. And the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are both 3-2.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson celebrates his touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
If the playoffs started today, the Vikings would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Lions would be the No. 5 seed and the Packers and Bears would miss out on wild-card spots due to the tiebreaker with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys .
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The Bucs (3-2) handed the Lions their only loss of the season , and the Lions visit the Cowboys (3-2) on Sunday.
"I expected this," Campbell said Monday. "I mean, I expect us sitting here in another month and it's going to look very similar. We're all in there together. I think it's going to be one of the toughest divisions. I felt that way going in this year, and so I'm not shocked one bit."
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Both the Lions and Vikings look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders just past the quarter pole of the season.
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Minnesota ranks second in the NFL in rushing and scoring defense and already has survived arguably the toughest five-game stretch on its schedule. The Lions beat the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks before the bye and, like the Vikings, rank top-10 in both scoring offense and defense.
While the Lions' strength is no surprise – they were a popular Super Bowl pick entering the season – the Vikings are one of the NFL's biggest revelations and the Packers and Bears have kept their heads above water despite early-season adversity.
Green Bay lost starting quarterback Jordan Love for two games to a knee injury and won both games while the Bears have won two straight after starting 1-2 with rookie Caleb Williams at quarterback.
"We knew it's going to be a competitive division, but it's like, man, you don't want it any other way, really," Campbell said. "Like I think that's awesome. I think it's a good thing, and you get to duke it out with some teams that are playing really good football. Man, they got players over there, too, and they're getting coached well, so it's kind of exciting, honestly."
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While anything can happen in the season's final 12 weeks, the NFC North should have staying power.
The division's surge has been fueled by good, young talent and some of the league's best coaches. The Packers had the youngest Week 1 roster in the NFL this season – the Lions were third. Williams played his best game of the season in Chicago's win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. And Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores are considered two of the league's top assistants.
All four NFC North teams have scoring differentials of plus-20 or more, and every opponent the Lions have played has lost the following week.
Campbell said he was aware of the hangover teams have suffered after playing his team this season, but said he's not sure "if there's anything to that." The Los Angeles Rams, Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks are 0-4 with losses by a combined 87 points in games the week after they played the Lions. The Seahawks, 29-20 losers to the New York Giants on Sunday, are the only team not to lose their next game by double digits.
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"Look, we play a certain style and it's what we do," Campbell said. "And no matter whether we win or lose we always say no matter what it is you're going to know you were in a dogfight and so we're trying to play that way. I don't know what to say other than that."
Briefly
Campbell declined to say what learned about his team during his bye week self-scout, but said he needs to do a better job individually of communicating. "Particularly with the staff is where I can be much better," he said.
Dave Birkett will sign copies of his new book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline" at 7 p.m. Saturday at J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill in Arlington, Tx. Order your copy here.
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Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFC North is NFL's best division: Lions' Dan Campbell loves it
