Thus far, there is only one division in the NFL with all four teams making the playoffs if the season ended today: the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings lead the way with a 5-0 record, which would make them the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC bracket at the moment. Then, the rest of the division makes up the three wild card teams, seeds five through seven in the following order: the Green Bay Packers (4-2), the Chicago Bears (4-2) and the Detroit Lions (3-2).
Every inter-division game between those four squads holds high-stakes ramifications on the conference's playoff picture, with both division and conference tiebreakers up for grabs. That makes the Packers' Week 7 trip to Ford Field to face the Lions one of the league's most important matchups of the week. So, where could this showdown between two high-flying offenses, led by Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love and Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, be decided?
Let's take a closer look. Wide receiver Christian Watson and wide receiver Matthew Golden are the first duo in Packers history with 500-plus receiving yards each in the first six games of a season. Along with Love, they wouldn't seem to have too much of an issue with the Lions' leaky defense, which is allowing the third-most points per game (29.6) this season.
Detroit is also allowing the highest rate of opponent touchdowns per drive (37%), and its defensive passing expected points added (EPA) per game (-19.0) is the second worst by any team through the first five games of a season, ahead of only the 2005 San Francisco 49ers, who went 4-12. That's why the matchup between Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, wide receiver Jameson Williams and tight Sam LaPorta against the Packers defense will likely decide Sunday afternoon's game.
It's a battle that could tilt either way. Goff is off to a historically great start to the season as just the second quarterback in NFL history with 1,400-plus passing yards (1,485) and no turnovers through the first five games of a season, along with Drew Brees in 2018. However, Goff will be challenged by a Packers defense that is allowing the sixth-fewest passing yards per game (193.3) in the entire league and is playing its best ball right now.
Green Bay's offense, hitting its stride with a patched-up offensive line, has allowed its defense to play with more energy since it doesn't have to be on the field as often, and it's paying off. The Packers lead the NFL in scoring defense (11.3) and takeaways (9) during the team's three-game winning streak since Week 4. Where they will really pose a challenge to Goff is on tight-window throws (less than one yard of target separations).
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