And the Vikings are leading the way
The Minnesota Vikings took the week off in Week 6 as they were enjoying their bye week. Unfortunately for them, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Dallas Cowboys all decided to take Week 6 off, too.
Well, those three teams didn’t actually take the week off, although they could just as well have. You see, those three teams faced the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers, and the Detroit Lions, respectively, in Week 6. The three NFC North teams in those games were victorious by a combined score of 116 to 38.
In winning those games, the NFC North now has the distinction of being the first team since the new divisional format began in 2002 where all four teams have at least four victories through the first six weeks of the season. The Vikings, of course, sit atop the division with a 5-0 record, while Detroit is at 4-1, having taken their bye in Week 5. The Bears and the Packers now both sit at 4-2.
The four teams in the NFC North currently have a combined point differential of +211, with each team being at least +41 to this point. The next-best division is the AFC West, with a combined total of +20. The top four teams in the NFL, in terms of point differential, are the four NFC North squads, with the Vikings sporting an NFL-best +63 in that category (139 points scored, 76 points allowed).
For what it’s worth, however, the Vikings are still the only team in the division that’s beaten anyone with a winning record. Granted, they’ve only beaten one team with a winning record (the 5-1 Houston Texans, who they demolished), but that’s still one more than anyone else in the NFC North has beaten thus far.
Through the first six weeks of the season, the NFC North is the clear best division in the National Football League, and our favorite team is leading the charge. We’ll see how things shake out next week when the Vikings host the Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
