The NFL season is 8 weeks in and the push for the playoffs is heating up. The NFC North is filled with good football teams right now, underdog teams are overachieving big time and elite teams trying to battle through many injuries as they try to keep their hopes of a playoff berth alive. But, the Detroit Lions are either a contender or pretender as they sit one game below .500 and are in third place in their division.

The Detroit Lions have have gotten off to hot start this season especially on defense as they are third in the league with 16 takeaways. But the team has slowed down a little bit due to the lions lack of touchdowns on offense that’s been hindered by many injuries to the offensive line and WR Golden Tate (shoulder). Along with QB Matthew Stafford with a sprained ankle and hamstring.

The NFC North has the Minnesota Vikings sitting atop the division with a 6-2 record. Proving their 5-0 start last year was no fluke as they have their defense is healthy and backup QB Case Keenum is playing really good.

Along with the Green bay Packers in second place who are in real trouble on offense. They lost their starting QB in Aaron Rodgers for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone and their starting RB Ty Montgomery is battling many injuries as well. In last place the Chicago Bears who have shown signs of being a good football team lately beating the Ravens and Panthers with rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky under center.

On both sides of the ball each team has its own strength. But, in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions have the best offense because of playmakers like Golden Tate who averages the most yards after contact in the league for a receiver. Lions fan Nic Ross says,“The Lions have the best offense because Bears just suck and Vikings are decent and Packers lost Aaron Rodgers”.

On the defense side of the ball the Vikings have the advantage here over the Lions even though the lions are third in the league in takeaways. They have the top safety in the league in Harrison Smith who already has 3 picks this year and just an all around great defense. The Vikings have the best defense in the NFC North according to Ross. “They have one of the best CB and SS plus they allow the least amount of points scored per game this year, which is less than the Lions, Packers, or Bears.

The Vikings though aren’t gonna win the division , according to Lions fan Luke Richert the favorite to win the division are the Lions. “The Detroit Lions are the favorite because they have already beat the Vikings once and they can do it again! The packers don’t have a QB. Also the Bears are the Lions only threat but they can pull it out over them,” Richert said.

Despite being 2.5 games out of first place in the NFC North, the Lions have the most complete team as their offence is still good and putting tons of yardage in games and their defence is very opportunistic is taking the ball aways from its opponent. In the coming weeks we’ll see who really wants the division and will take the NFC North over last years division the Packers.