The great Chris Berman used to call it the black-and-blue division, but in Week 6, the NFC North teams did some serious scoring.
Sunday opened with Caleb Williams and the Bears hanging 35 points on the Jaguars in London to improve to 4-2. In the early window, the Packers thumped a penalty-addled Cardinals team 34-13 to also move to 4-2. The late window saw the Lions embarrass the Cowboys 47-9 -- we'll get to Dallas in a moment -- to improve to 4-1. And through it all, the 5-0 Vikings sat home and enjoyed their bye week.
Ever since the NFL expanded the postseason to include seven teams from each conference, it has been possible for one division to send all four of its teams to the playoffs. It has yet to happen. The AFC North's four teams all finished last season with winning records, but the 9-8 Bengals did not qualify for the playoffs. This year's NFC North looked loaded in the offseason. There was a lot of discussion about whether Williams could lead the Bears to the playoffs in his rookie year. Those who doubted would point out how good the Lions and Packers were on paper. But I don't know very many people who saw the Vikings coming.
Now here we are, six weeks in, and every team in the NFC North is at least two games over .500. And because this is Week 6 overreactions -- where we judge a few potential takeaways as legitimate or irrational -- no, it is absolutely not too early to ask whether we might get to see some history made.
Jump to:
Four NFC North teams in the playoffs?
Cowboys missed their Super Bowl window?
Texans first to clinch division?
Patriots should have started Maye sooner?
Biggest game of Jets' season on Monday?
