The NFC North is undoubtedly the strongest division in the NFL and there are a few stats that can help back that up.
Through six weeks, all four teams have at least four wins. This is the only time in NFL history that a division has started this well.
In games against opponents outside of their divisions, the NFC North is a combined 16-4.
And to top it off, the top four teams in the NFL point differential tables all come from the NFC North.
If you were a team in the NFC North, you’d be feeling pretty good about yourself, until you look around and see the rest of the division.
If you’re the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, you’re only one game up in your division. If you’re the Detroit Lions and you’re finally a Superbowl squad, so is everyone else.
When you look through their 52-man rosters, all four teams have exceptionally strong squads. Each of them is an example of good team building, which explains their stellar records considering none of them have what you would call, elite quarterbacks.
This early in the season it’s tough to tell which team will prevail in the race for the division crown. The Vikings are one of two undefeated teams left in the NFL, but Sam Darnold may not be able to sustain his great start to the year. As a quarterback, he’s played a lot more bad games than good games, and his recent performance against the New York Jets should have Vikings fans worried.
The Detroit Lions have looked a lot more like last year's teams in the past two weeks that they had to start the year. Their offense looks capable of scoring at will and their secondary has had a massive upswing in performance. Their main concern will be finding out where their pass rush will come from following the season-ending injury to Aidan Hutchinson.
The Green Bay Packers' strong defense and competent coaching staff saw them get through Jordan Love’s injury scare unscathed, winning both games that featured backup QB Malik Willis. In Jordan Love, they have the highest-ceiling quarterback in this division, a signal caller capable of taking over a game with this talent. What could send them over the edge this year is their defense, which is led by arguably the league's best safety tandem in Xavier McKinney and rookie Evan Williams.
The Chicago Bears may have the weakest claim to the division, with all four wins coming against one-win opponents, but what they do have is a rapidly improving QB. After a slow start, Caleb Williams is starting to show his potential with his last three performances resulting in consecutive 100+ QB ratings. His improvement has seen an uptick in the Bears' offensive performance, which is close to matching their defense which has been strong for the entire year.
Unfortunately, divisional NFC North games are on the horizon and we can’t just keep enjoying the dominance that these teams are offering. It has been over a decade since an NFC North team was in a Superbowl let alone won it, with the Packers last lifting the Lombardi following the 2010 season. The Lions have gotten the closest, bowing out at the NFC Championship game last season, but with how this division has started, this could be the year.
New Year, Same Sirianni
Following a narrow home victory over the Cleveland Browns Nick Sirianni reclaimed the headlines by getting into a heated confrontation with a Philadelphia Eagles fan.
Sirianni was criticized last season for his brash actions that included taunting fellow head coaches, cursing at officials, or taunting opposing fans from the safety of the tunnel. These antics were barely tolerated when they were winning but the criticism was magnified once they couldn’t escape a losing streak to end the season.
Sirianni was considered lucky to remain in his job in the offseason, going into this year with his influence over the team heavily reduced. Through the early portion of the season, Sirianni has kept under the radar as the Eagles have had a solid, if not a spectacular start to the season. His outburst against a fan of his team however shows that the same Sirianni is bubbling under the surface.
Sirianni was quick to apologize in the post-game press conference, implying that he understands the short leash he is under. He claimed that the outburst was a result of hearing his fans chanting for him to be sacked, which shows that he struggles to keep his emotions in check.
Maturity and composure is a key component in being a head coach in the NFL. Regardless of a win or loss, you have to keep a level head and show respect for those around you and Sirianni struggles with both.
The Eagles head coach is one of only two hirings from the 2021 coaching cycle to remain in his position, the other being Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell. These two coaches' respective personalities couldn’t be more opposed.
Like Sirianni, Campbell wears his heart on his sleeve, but unlike the Eagles coach, he doesn’t let his emotions turn into a negative outburst. Even in a loss, Campbell remains respectful of opponents and positive about his team.
Sirianni benefitted from inheriting a team that was ready to compete and the early success masked his behaviour. Had he been hired by a team such as the Lions it’s unlikely that he would have remained a head coach going into the 2024 season.
Antonio Pierce, Sacked Man Walking
Antonio Pierce made the bold choice to bench starting quarterback Gardner Minshew following a stretch of poor performances. His replacement, second-year player Aidan O’Connell went onto flounder against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Pierce’s decision backfiring.
Pierce has always felt like a placeholder head coach with the Raiders firmly in a transitional period. Following a positive run as the interim head coach, Pierce was hired on a full-time basis following the backing of the locker room.
It was clear that this season was a write-off when they went into it with Minshew as their starting QB. But if the team performed well enough, then perhaps Pierce could oversee the rebuild. After six games that doesn’t seem likely, as outside of a miraculous comeback against the Ravens, the Raiders have been one of the worst teams in the league.
Pierce got the job on the promise that his team would play hard for him and give it their all, but even that has come under scrutiny. Following a loss to the Carolina Panthers, Pierce criticised some of his players, claiming that they made ‘business decisions’.
Along with the poor performances, there seems to be some locker room discontent as the Raiders' star player Maxx Crosby was seen pushing a member of the coaching staff.
The season was officially punted with the trading away of Davante Adams to the New York Jets. The trade has been rumoured for weeks but now that it’s been completed it all but confirms that the Raiders are settling for a top-five draft pick.
Outside of a miracle, Antonio Pierce will be replaced as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. He should serve as a warning to franchises to be wary of hiring ‘rah-rah’ coaches who offer little more than good vibes and nothing from a schematic standpoint. These coaches often serve to hold their teams back, with conservative decisions such as punting on fourth and 1 from the opponents 43-yard line in a one score game.
Drake Maye = Hope
We should never feel bad for the New England Patriots. They’ve had more success than most of the teams in the NFL combined and their 20-year dynasty made things miserable for almost everyone.
But almost every team can relate to the feeling of entering a season knowing its futility. This usually involves a lack of optimism about the Quarterback position, as most teams either have an established star or a promising young talent. For example, the last two Raiders seasons fall into this bracket, as they entered those seasons with Jimmy Garrapolo and Gardner Minshew.
Going into the 2023 season, the Patriots and their fans knew that Mac Jones wouldn’t be their future under center. On top of that, Bill Belichick felt the effects of his poor drafting and could not get his team to perform at their previous level.
Entering the 2024 season with Jacoby Brissett would do nothing to get the Patriots faithful excited. Brisset has performed admirably in spot starts but has never shown enough to nail down a permanent starting role.
After several weeks of standard Jacoby Brissett fare, the Patriots were sitting 1-4 and fans were clambering for rookie quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots selected Maye 3rd overall in this year's draft, but the general consensus was that he wasn’t ready immediately, so fans were left to ponder.
The modern take in regards to rookie QBs is to play them and find out early if they have it or if they don’t. That way you’ll know whether or not you have a franchise quarterback and can plan accordingly. While that form of thinking has waivered a little with the success of Jordan Love sitting for three years, it’s still the dominant team building strategy.
Out of the six first-round quarterbacks, three got to start in week one, while two have been made to sit (JJ McCarthy was injured before a decision could be made). Of those three teams that have started their Quarterbacks, both the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders understand that Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels are their future. The Denver Broncos will still be unconvinced on Bo Nix, but when compared to the likes of Michael Penix Jr they have more data to point them towards a consensus.
Out of all the teams that selected quarterbacks in the first round, the New England Patriots had the worst situation for a rookie. They were lacking in receiving talent and had a porous o-line, so throwing Maye to the wolves may have led to him developing bad habits.
But after five weeks the Patriots coaching staff decided to put the rookie, giving Patriots fans something they can cheer for. Outside of the coaching staff and the front office, teams have to consider the feelings of their fanbase.
Had Jacoby Brissett continued to start then the Patriots faithful would have nothing to get excited about. Now with Maye starting they get to cheer on and support the development of their young rookie quarterback, praying that he may be the future of the franchise.
What you saw from Drake Maye against the Houston Texans was promising. He didn’t have the cleanest of debuts, being guilty of two turnovers as well as some inaccuracy, but he also showcased his arm talent and athletic ability.
There is a platform to build off of for Maye and the Patriots coaching staff. And it’s better to find out whether he’s any good or not this year than have a rude awakening in 2025.
