I used to be flawed.
I’ll begin very merely there. In August, we ran a degree/counterpoint on which division can be one of the best within the NFL in 2024. I made the case for the AFC North — which had all 4 groups with profitable data final season — and my colleague at FOX Sports, Carmen Vitali, selected the NFC North.
What is one of the best division within the NFL? Let’s talk about!
He was sooooo proper. In my protection, readers agree with me, with 38% selecting the AFC North within the ballot revealed within the article, in comparison with 31% for the NFC North. We had been all flawed.
How good is the NFC North in 2024? His groups are 16-4 in nondivision video games, with the Vikings 5-0, the Lions 4-1 and the Packers and Bears each 4-2. The craziest statistic I can provide is that this: All 4 groups within the NFC North are 40 or extra in level differential proper now, and no different staff within the NFL is 40 or extra in level differential.
We knew the Lions and Packers can be sturdy contenders, and Green Bay even went 2-0 with quarterback Jordan Love out with a knee damage. What has been stunning is how dominant the Vikings have been, each with Sam Darnold’s passing and the stellar protection underneath Brian Flores, and the way nicely the Bears have shortly gelled with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Tom Brady says the Lions are one of the best staff he is seen this 12 months
Meanwhile, the AFC North options two of the league’s most obvious disappointments, with the Bengals shedding solely to be 2-4 and the Browns one of many worst groups within the NFL at 1-5. My mistake was considering extra Deshaun Watson in 2024 can be good, however his 21.5 QBR is the worst within the league. And even Cleveland’s protection, arguably one of the best within the NFL a 12 months in the past, took a step again. The Ravens and Steelers are legit groups, however the division has nowhere close to the depth it had a 12 months in the past, though the Bengals are a staff that might rally and compete for a wild card spot.
The greatest story is for NFC North groups: Their 4 losses exterior of the division had been all by six factors or fewer, and towards groups that had profitable data final 12 months. There hasn’t been a nasty loss within the lotto, and there are convincing victories on the opposite facet. On Sunday, the Lions beat the Cowboys by 38 factors, the Packers beat the Cardinals by 21 and the Bears beat the Jaguars by 19.
It begins with the quarterback play: all 4 starters have no less than eight landing passes and Love has 12 regardless of lacking two video games. But it is extra than simply the QBs. Look on the turnover margin, the place all 4 NFC North groups rank within the high seven within the league. Green Bay is an NFL-best plus-12, Chicago and Detroit are plus-6 and Minnesota is plus-4. It’s much more pronounced on protection, with the Packers, Bears and Vikings rating 1-2-3 within the league. The Vikings lead the league with 11 interceptions and the Packers lead with eight fumble recoveries.
If there’s one caveat in all these sturdy begins, it is most likely Chicago, which is 4-2 with wins towards 4 of the league’s worst groups: the 1-4 Rams, the 1-4 Titans, the 1-5 Panthers and the ‘1 -5 Jaguars. Week 8 will carry a showdown in Washington and a battle between the league’s two finest rookie quarterbacks, Williams and Jayden Daniels. Beating the Commanders, on the street, will validate the Bears’ begin excess of any win up to now.
Another factor that can make the NFC North an thrilling division all season: Its division video games might be jam-packed within the remaining weeks. There has solely been one divisional sport to date (some divisions have performed 5), and whereas Lions-Vikings this Sunday might be a giant showdown, there is just one different divisional sport within the subsequent 4 weeks. So as a substitute of beating one another up, the NFC North will proceed to play exterior of the division, organising a vital run with seven division clashes within the remaining six weeks.
Why is racking up wins within the common season much more necessary for the NFC North? More wins equals higher playoff seeding, and better seeds yield extra dwelling playoff video games. And no division has been extra dominant at dwelling than the NFC North. The Vikings, Lions, Packers and Bears are 11-2 to date, with one of many losses coming within the division. AFC North, for comparability, is 3-7 at dwelling in 2024.
The NFC North has solely produced one wild card within the final three seasons, nevertheless it stands to purpose that the division may have two in 2024. And the postseason would be the final take a look at of how good the NFC North is that this 12 months.
Greg Auman is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He beforehand spent a decade overlaying the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and the Athletic. You can comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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