Headed into Week 6, the Detroit Lions have a very needed bye week. At the start of the year, it seemed like that bye week would be way too early for them to take, but right now it seems like it's coming at a perfect time. The team is going to get back Cade Mays and Brian Branch (most likely) in Week 7.
The Lions are, still, floating a bit in the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings are undefeated, the Chicago Bears are just one non-Tyson Bagent away from being hot again, and the Green Bay Packers just came back to life against the Bears. All scary prospects for the Lions, which is why a bye week is so needed.
Looking ahead to the bye week, the Lions are up a spot in the NFC North, but still not where they need to be.
NFC North power rankings through Week 5
4. Chicago Bears (3-2)
The Bears were totally embarrassed by the Packers in Week 5, with head coach Ben Johnson naming Bagent as their starting quarterback in a must-win divisional game. It felt like Johnson wanted to prove that he could win with anyone, not expecting Green Bay to be hungry for a win against a rival. And now, here we are.
Obviously, being above .500 and only being one starting quarterback away from being a great offense again bodes well for Chicago in the division, but this was a big loss with divisional picture implications. A bit of a big-brained idea gone wrong for them.
3. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
The Packers took down the Bears behind an excellent day from Jordan Love (367 passing yards, two touchdowns), and looked kind of like the team we expected them to be with Love projected to only improve this year. But, a poor offensive line and highly-injured defense has led to Green Bay's struggles.
Good for Love for finally sparking against a bad defense in Chicago, but there's still little hope for the Packers amid even more injuries in this game and an O-line primed to remain weak.
READ MORE: 6 takeaways from an all-around Lions victory vs. Cardinals
2. Detroit Lions (3-2)
The Lions' offense posted 45 points, but more importantly, their defense looked AVERAGE. That's a big step forward for the Kelvin Sheppard-led defense in need of a big win against multiple talented receivers in Arizona. The defensive line, specifically their pass rush, is looking elite with the inclusion of Alim McNeill back in the fold.
They need to do what they did against the Cardinals, against a good team. And, they likely won't get that challenge until Week 8 against my top-ranked team here. But, they showed that they know how to utilize their otherworldly talent on offense in Week 5, and that their pass rush can be impactful.
1. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
Minnesota is still undefeated, and Kyler Murray just keeps improving. The quarterback had 229 passing yards along with one passing touchdown, and more importantly, no turnovers. He also rushed for 51 yards.
And, of course, Brian Flores' offense remains smoking hot. They held a potent New Orleans Saints offense to 13 points and Tyler Shough to just 96 passing yards and two interceptions. He's a mastermind, and one for the Lions to fear in Week 8 with an offensive line that'll be getting a new face in Mays injected there soon.
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