NFC North standings halfway through the 2021 season

It seems impossible, but we’re officially halfway through the 2021 NFL season. With nine weeks down and nine weeks to go, the NFC North division has remained relatively the same for much of the season.

This week, however, none of the teams found themselves with a win, meaning the idle Detroit Lions were the only ones without a loss.

Here are the NFC North standings after Week 9.

Green Bay Packers (7-2)

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Packers 7, Chiefs 13

With reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers out on the reserve/COVID-19 list, it was Jordan Love’s time to show what he had after sitting on the bench for a season and a half in this AFC-NFC showdown. The second-year quarterback was under pressure all day, thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs defense, and could not get into a rhythm.

Points were hard to come by for both teams, but the Chiefs got on the board first and never gave up the lead. Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce for the first score, though their offense stalled quite a bit as well. A pair of missed field goals cost the Packers dearly and allowed Kansas City to extend their lead, leading 13-0 at halftime.

The Packers offense finally found a spark late in the game when Love threw his first touchdown pass of his career, but it was too late as the Chiefs held on to win 13-7. The Packers dropped their first game since Week 1 and, though they’ll likely have Rodgers back, they’re facing a Seattle Seahawks team that gets back their own star quarterback in Russell Wilson.

Minnesota Vikings (3-5)

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Vikings 31, Ravens 34

The Minnesota Vikings just cannot seem to play a complete game during the 2021 NFL season. That was apparent yet again when they faced the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Minnesota started out hot thanks to Kirk Cousins, who found the endzone with his arm and his legs to give the Vikings a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter. The Ravens responded with a touchdown catch from Devonta Freeman at the end of the second quarter, but the Vikings extended their lead right back as Kene Nwangwu took the second-half kickoff to the house. The Vikings led 24-10 and this one looked over early. But don’t tell that to the Ravens and Lamar Jackson.

The former MVP scored three touchdowns on consecutive drives to take a 31-24 lead late in the game. The Vikings had a crucial two-minute drive to tie the game and send it into overtime, their third of the season. But even after a stellar interception from Anthony Barr to potentially setup the game-winning kick, it was the Ravens who walked it off. Justin Tucker nailed a 36-yard field goal with just seconds left in the period to give the Ravens the 34-31 win. Minnesota lost another heartbreaker and now has another tough AFC matchup when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chicago Bears (3-6)

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Bears 27, Steelers 29

It was another AFC-NFC showdown within the division and like the other two, the AFC had the upper hand. The Chicago Bears faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in prime time on Monday night and it was all Pittsburgh for much of the first half. The Steelers jumped out to a 14-0 lead after Najee Harris and Pat Freirmuth scored touchdowns. The Bears offense couldn’t get anything going, and it looked like another long day for Chicago.

Then the second half got underway and the Bears made key adjustments to get back into the game. Justin Fields looked sharp and led the Bears and three consecutive scoring drives. Things only got better when DeAndre Houston-Carson recovered a fumble from the Steelers punt return, taking it in for a touchdown. A 14-3 game early on was suddenly 23-20 with the Bears having all the momentum.

Though the Steelers did extend their lead with a field goal, in part due to questionable officiating, it was no problem for Fields. The rookie showed he had ice in his veins, leading the Bears downfield for the go-ahead score, a touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney. It still wasn’t enough, however, as Ben Roethlisberger had just enough time to setup the game-winning field goal attempt. The Bears dropped their fourth game in a row, losing 29-27 as they head into their bye week.

Detroit Lions (0-8)

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Bye week – No game

The Detroit Lions were off this week on their bye. They return to action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

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