With just three games remaining in the regular season, it's crunch time for the four teams in the NFC North. Minnesota's loss at Carolina last week keeps the division title up for grabs, though the Vikings still have a stranglehold on it, needing just one win in their last three games to secure their second division title in the last three years.
Detroit and Green Bay kept their playoff hopes alive last week with wins against Tampa Bay and Cleveland, respectively. Chicago continues to be a dangerous team for Detroit and Minnesota down the stretch after they had a terrific game in Cincinnati last week with a big, 33-7, win.
Here's where the four teams in the North stand with just three weeks left in the regular season:
MINNESOTA
Record: 10-3
Division record: 3-1
Conference record: 8-2
Remaining schedule: vs. Cincinnati (5-8), at Green Bay (7-6), vs. Chicago (4-9)
Win-loss record of remaining opponents: 16-23
Twentyman: The Vikings lost for the first time since Week 4 (to Detroit) last week in Carolina. The Vikings allowed 216 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, which is rather uncharacteristic of the Vikings' defense.
Quarterback Case Keenum was also uncharacteristically careless with the football, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble.
Those things happen over the course of an NFL season, but everything can be right in the world in Minneapolis this upcoming Sunday with a win over a Bengals team coming off a terrible loss at home to the Bears -- A game in which they allowed 232 yards and three scores on the ground and turned it over twice.
The Vikings should be big favorites at home, and will be looking to bounce back, win the division and keep their chances of a first-round bye in the playoffs intact. The ACL injury that ended Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz's season has changed the dynamics in the NFC. The Vikings have to be viewed as the favorites now.
DETROIT
Record: 7-6
Division record: 3-1
Conference record: 6-4
Remaining schedule: vs. Chicago (4-9), at Cincinnati (5-8), vs. Green Bay (7-6)
Win-loss record of remaining opponents: 16-23
Twentyman: It wasn't pretty Sunday in Tampa Bay, but the Lions aren't going to apologize for any victory they get in December. They kept their playoff hopes alive with a 24-21 victory.
Carolina and Atlanta also won this weekend – two teams the Lions are chasing in the playoff standings – but Seattle lost, which helps some.
The Lions have to continue to just focus on what they can control, which is going 2-0 to begin the final quarter of the season with a win at Ford Field Saturday vs. Chicago.
This is a Chicago team coming off its best performance of the season, and they have a rookie quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky who's gaining a ton of confidence. Among Chicago's four wins this season are victories over Pittsburgh, Carolina and Baltimore. This is a Bears team that can't be taken lightly.
GREEN BAY
Record: 7-6
Division record: 2-2
Conference record: 5-4
Remaining schedule: at Carolina (9-4), vs. Minnesota (10-3), at Detroit (7-6)
Win-loss record of remaining opponents: 26-13
Twentyman: With all the news surrounding Aaron Rodgers and his return from a broken right collarbone, let's take a moment to tip our cap to Brett Hundley, who stepped in and kept the ship afloat in Green Bay while Rodgers worked his way back. That thing could have really gone south in Green Bay, and Hundley and his teammates made sure it didn't.
Now, it appears the Packers could get their two-time MVP QB back for the stretch run. Rodgers announced on Instagram Tuesday night he's been cleared to return to football operations. Rodgers had a bone density test Monday, and that's obviously come back very positive. His return to action would certainly make things more interesting these last three weeks.
Lions fans are also Packers fans this week, hoping Rodgers can return and go on the road and keep Carolina from getting their 10th win of the season.
If Rodgers returns this week, he'll be coming back to Carolina on the road, Minnesota at home and Detroit on the road the next three weeks. That's a tough stretch of games. Welcome back!
CHICAGO
Record: 4-9
Division record: 0-4
Conference record: 1-9
View photos of the starters for the Chicago Bears.
Backed up by 12 Markus Wheaton
Backed up by 87 Adam Shaheen, 85 Daniel Brown and 84 Ben Braunecker
Backed up by 76 Tom Compton
Backed up by 65 Cody Whitehair
Backed up by 55 Hroniss Grasu
Backed up by 63 Cameron Lee
Backed up by 79 Bradley Sowell
Backed up by 8 Mike Glennon and 6 Mark Sanchez
Backed up by 29 Tarik Cohen, 30 Benny Cunningham and 33 Taquan Mizzell
Backed up by 17 Dontrelle Inman
Backed up by 95 Roy Robertson-Harris
Backed up by 73 John Jenkins
Backed up by 57 Howard Jones
Backed up by 52 Christian Jones
Backed up by 53 John Timu
Backed up by 99 Lamarr Houston
Backed up by 37 Bryce Callahan and 22 Cre'Von LeBlanc
Backed up by 26 Deon Bush and 31 Chris Prosinski
Backed up by 36 DeAndre Houston-Carson and 32 Deiondre' Hall
Backed up by 23 Kyle Fuller and 27 Sherrick McManis
Backed up by 29 Tarik Cohen 39 Eddie Jackson
Backed up by 39 Eddie Jackson, 37 Bryce Callahan and 22 Cre'Von LeBlanc
Remaining schedule: at Detroit (7-6), vs. Cleveland (0-13), at Minnesota (10-3)
Win-loss record of remaining opponents: 17-22
Twentyman: With games still remaining against Detroit and Minnesota, Chicago still factors into the playoff picture in the NFC. Heck, if Cincinnati can somehow pull off an upset this week in Minnesota, Chicago could still factor into the division race.
The Bears can run the football, and they still play pretty good defense, despite all their injuries on that side of the ball. If they get either of those parts of their game clicking Saturday in Detroit, the Lions could be in for another close contest like the one we saw in Chicago Week 11.
The Lions fell behind 10-0 in that game, and needed a Matt Prater field goal with 1:35 left to take the lead. Detroit escaped with a victory when Connor Barth missed a game-tying 46-yard field goal with just eight seconds left in the game.
