NFC North

Bill Belichick believes the Chicago Bears took the wrong approach when building their team around rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

The former New England Patriots coach and new North Carolina coach said the Bears should have focused on the run game and pass protection to assist Williams before targeting receiving options.

"You go out, you draft a quarterback, you go out and acquire all these receivers and everything, but no running game, no pass protection, can't score," Belichick said on The Pat McAfee Show. "In a city where you know it's going to be tough to throw at the end of the season. Period. I just don't know if that's the way to put it together versus a team like Detriot, who went out and built the offensive line to go with a quarterback and then added the skill players."

"I don't know if the way that the Bears put their team together is the way to do it..

You go out and get all these weapons and you have no pass protection..

They play in a city that you know is gonna be tough to throw in at the end of the season"

Coach Belichick #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/IfBqoeVnxl

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 30, 2024

Ahead of Williams' rookie season, the Bears ensured that he would have plenty of talented receivers to throw for. They already had DJ Moore and they brought in Keenan Allen through a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers before drafting wide receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth pick.

The only issue is that Williams doesn't have enough time in the pocket. He's been sacked 67 times this year, the most of any quarterback in the league. The quarterback closest to him is CJ Stroud, who has been brought down 52 times.

Williams has managed to put together a decent year, throwing for 3,393 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions, but he'd likely be much more productive if he had better protection.

Amid their late-season surge, the Minnesota Vikings are emerging as the favorites to steal the No. 1 seed in the NFC from the Detroit Lions.

One NFL executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando that he favors the Vikings in their Week 18 matchup against the Lions, particularly highlighting the potential difficulty Detroit will face trying to stop Minnesota's star wide receiver duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

"I think Minnesota has the edge (over Detroit) because they are healthier and built a little better with the health issues facing Detroit," the exec said. "(Lions defensive coordinator) Aaron (Glenn) has to find solutions for (Justin) Jefferson and (Jordan) Addison, and I don't know if they are going to have those answers."

Jefferson is ranked second in the NFL with 1,479 receiving yards and tied for fifth with 10 touchdowns on 100 receptions. Addison has added 62 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.

This route by Addison 😮

📺: #GBvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/PrVvR4Wj4h

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024

Thanks in part to their talented receiver tandem, the Vikings (14-2) have won nine straight games and put themselves in a position to claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC in the final week of the season. They suffered a close 31-29 loss to the Lions (13-2) in their first meeting in Week 7, so they will be motivated to get revenge next Sunday.

The Sunday Night Football matchup between Minnesota and Detroit is sure to be one of the most exciting games of the year.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is savoring how much the team has defied its preseason expectations.

"Nobody really believed in us," he said to The MMQB's Albert Breer. "They were saying you're going to win six games and finish last in the division. Everything we did was done in the dark, but it was never dark in that facility. It was always fun to come to work. We always believed in each other. [Head coach Kevin O'Connell] told us we would be right where we are right now."

Jones joked he believes O'Connell "can see the future if you ask me."

While the Vikings didn't execute an outright rebuild in the offseason, it looked like they were content to pursue a one-year reset after losing Kirk Cousins in free agency. Surely a franchise that signed Sam Darnold to be the stopgap at quarterback didn't have serious playoff aspirations.

Peruse any power rankings from August on and you're likely to find Minnesota hovering near the middle of the pack or in the lower third of the NFL.

Instead, the Vikings have blown past their general projections. Should they beat the Detroit Lions in Week 18, they'll win the NFC North and clinch the top seed in the conference.

There are a lot of people that love everything about this football team.

And that's what makes this thing so special.#Skol pic.twitter.com/8c2Rp3EqUt

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 30, 2024

Maybe this is merely a repeat of 2022, when Minnesota's 13-4 record flattered a team with a negative point differential and an exit in the Wild Card Round followed. Of the seven playoff qualifiers in the NFC, only the Washington Commanders have a lower strength of victory percentage than the Vikings (.404).

But O'Connell and his players have more than earned the right to take a few moments and enjoy how much they've silenced their skeptics so far.

The Chicago Bears are set to search for a new head coach this offseason, but interim head coach Thomas Brown reportedly will get the chance to earn the permanent position.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Brown "will get a look" from the Bears during their coaching search.

"As tough as the past month has been, the brass has sympathy for the challenge he's faced, going from pass-game coordinator (where he wasn't even running a position group) to interim [offensive coordinator] to interim head coach in November," Breer stated.

Brown was tasked with providing stability to the Bears amid a tumultuous season that saw offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus get fired within the same month. Unfortunately, Brown has been unable to right the ship, and Chicago's losing streak has reached 10 straight games as the team enters Week 18 with a 4-12 record.

The Bears are an attractive landing spot for prospective head coaches because of their talented core led by 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. Still, Brown deserves the chance to be promoted after taking over a difficult situation.

Chicago will end the 2024 season on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

The Minnesota Vikings' defense celebrated a turnover in style once again, recreating a dance from the movie High School Musical after recovering a fumble in the first quarter of a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

The @Vikings simply never disappoint with their celebrations 👏👏

They broke out the "High School Musical" dance today 🕺 pic.twitter.com/bSBc89OvuY

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 29, 2024

The celebration caught the attention of the movie's stars, as actor Zac Efron and actress Vanessa Hudgens both posted the video on their Instagram stories (via TMZ Sports). Efron also wrote that Minnesota "nailed it."

Vikings safety Camryn Bynum released footage of the team preparing for the celebration prior to the game.

WE’RE ALLLLLL IN THIIIISSSS TOGETHERRRR 😂🎬🎬🎬 pic.twitter.com/tNGMgPetiS

— Camryn Bynum (@Cambeezy_) December 30, 2024

Minnesota's defense has played a large role in the team's 14-2 record this season, allowing a mere 18.8 points per game. The Vikings have also racked up 31 takeaways in 2024, tied for the highest mark in the NFL.

Their defense has paid tribute to multiple movies when celebrating after turnovers, replicating the handshake from 1998's remake of The Parent Trap during a 23-17 win over the New York Jets in London on Oct. 6.

The Vikings' defense also pulled out a dance from the movie White Chicks in the second quarter of a 42-21 victory against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14, which caught the attention of starring actor Marlon Wayans.

Incredible. 10/10, no notes @Vikings 👏#SKOL pic.twitter.com/MFtJE9MkdJ

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 8, 2024

Minnesota already clinched a playoff spot and could have another unique celebration prepared after forcing a turnover in a postseason environment.

Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers are viewed as a threat in a road playoff situation against fellow NFC contenders.

"I trust Green Bay's quarterback and coach on the road with nothing to lose more than I trust Minnesota with all the pressure," an NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic. "Green Bay is dangerous. I think Green Bay is capable of beating anybody in the NFC."

Green Bay suffered a narrow 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but the team still sits at 11-5 on the season. The Packers can't win the NFC North but they've already clinched a playoff spot, meaning that they're guaranteed to travel to face their first-round opponent.

Love has already shown that he can win in the playoffs on the road, helping Green Bay earn a 48-32 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round during the team's 2023 campaign.

Jordan Love's third TD pass puts the Packers up 48-16

📺: #GBvsDAL on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Ut3BRhC2CE pic.twitter.com/Hc2BdbLvSt

— NFL (@NFL) January 15, 2024

In 14 starts this year, the 26-year-old has completed 63.2 percent of his throws for 3,320 yards and 25 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions.

Jordan Love goes long to Dontayvion Wicks for the TD!

📺: #HOUvsGB on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/eLnOkAep8p

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

Green Bay will need to prove that it can stay effective against the NFC's top teams in order to make a postseason run, which is something that the team has struggled with in 2024. All five of the Packers' losses have occurred against playoff-contending conference opponents such as the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Vikings.

If Green Bay wants to make its first Super Bowl appearance since the 2010 season, it'll likely need to take down at least one of those teams on the road this year.

The Chicago Bears are reportedly interested in meeting with a legendary head coach following Matt Eberflus' firing.

Per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the Bears are eyeing former Seattle Seahawks coach Peter Carroll after he informed teams that he wants to coach in 2025. According to Breer, Chicago "at the very least, would like to sit down and talk with him."

Carroll, who coached his final season with the Seahawks last year after 14 years at the helm, "has expressed interest" in the Bears head coaching job and "would like to return to the sidelines next season," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last week.

Schefter also reported that, as of last week, Carroll hadn't yet spoken to any teams.

Along with the Bears, the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets have vacant head coach positions, though there will likely be more in the coming weeks as the regular season comes to an end.

Schefter noted Carroll's particular interest in the Bears being due to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who played at USC.

Carroll, 73, was USC's head coach from 2001 to 2009, leading the Trojans to a national championship in 2004. After leaving USC, he was the Seahawks head coach from 2010 to 2023, winning a Super Bowl in 2014.

He's one of just four head coaches to have won both a national title and a Super Bowl.

The Bears fired Eberflus on Nov. 29 following a 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions that ended with clock mismanagement. Chicago, sitting at 4-12 on the year, will end its season against the Green Bay Packers next week.

While the Bears are far from being a Super Bowl contender, they could be an ideal situation for Carroll as he likely enters the final years of his coaching career. They have a quarterback with potential in Williams, who has thrown for 3,393 yards and 19 touchdowns, and solid offensive weapons around him in wide receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze.

The legendary Carroll has little left to prove at this point, but he could add to his legacy by whipping the Bears into playoff shape.

Week 18 in the NFL brings a slew of exciting division matchups, many of which carry major playoff implications.

The headliner will be the clash between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings that will decide the winner of the NFC North as well as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The loser would fall to the No. 5 seed in the conference, and that game is scheduled for Sunday Night Football.

The rest of the Week 18 schedule is as follows:

The full Week 18 slate: pic.twitter.com/4TgwF1XoVw

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 30, 2024

Kicking off Week 18 with a Saturday doubleheader! pic.twitter.com/61k3hj08OK

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2024

The Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-25 on Sunday to improve to 14-2 and overtake first place in the NFC while the Lions (13-2) were idle as they waited for the Monday Night Football matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Minnesota has won nine straight games and has all the makings of a title contender, but one of its two losses was against Detroit, 31-29 in Week 7.

The Lions had been in first place in the NFC for most of the year. The team had its 11-game win streak snapped two weeks ago in a loss to the Buffalo Bills, but it bounced back last week with a win over the Chicago Bears. Even if Detroit loses to San Francisco, it could win the tiebreaker over Minnesota with a win in their Week 18 matchup.

The NFC South is also up for grabs, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a win over the New Orleans Saints to earn their fourth straight division title. if the Bucs lose and the Atlanta Falcons defeat the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons will claim the division crown and eliminate them from the playoffs. Atlanta was in control of the division until its overtime loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football put Tampa Bay in the lead entering the final week of the season.

Over in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens need a victory against the Cleveland Browns to secure the AFC North title. A loss would open the door for the Pittsburgh Steelers to take it with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, who are also still alive for playoff contention. However, the Bengals need a lot of help.

The Denver Broncos are in the driver's seat for the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. However, they are facing the back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18. Luckily for the Broncos, the Chiefs already secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC and could decide to rest the majority of its starters.

If Denver loses to Kansas City, the Miami Dolphins could earn the final playoff spot in the AFC with a win over the New York Jets. The Bengals need both the Broncos and Dolphins to lose if they want to earn a playoff berth by defeating the Steelers.

It all makes for a thrilling finish to the 2024 regular season, and the NFL playoffs will surely bring even more excitement no matter how things shake out.

The Minnesota Vikings made it nine straight wins on Sunday as they held off a comeback from their NFC North rival Green Bay Packers to win 27-25.

The Vikings got another outstanding game from quarterback Sam Darnold, who threw for a career-high 377 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-43 passing. He looked to a plethora of receivers with four different players hauling in at least five receptions for 60 or more yards. Justin Jefferson led the group as he recorded 92 receiving yards on eight receptions. Jalen Nailor, Jordan Addison and Cam Akers all found the end zone through the air.

The Packers managed to crawl back into the game thanks to two late touchdowns, but the Vikings ultimately had enough to hold them off and improve to 14-2.

After the win, fans hyped Darnold and the Vikings for continuing their outstanding season.

Sam Darnold is on a freaking heater. Yea, the weapons are strong, but he is on it.

— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) December 29, 2024

Sam Darnold is special pic.twitter.com/SADwWDLpod

— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) December 29, 2024

Man that boy Sam Darnold is Balling!!!!! Kevin O’Connell can draw it up!!!

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) December 29, 2024

Darnold is a stud! Just A+ throw after A+ throw.

— Sam Dekker (@dekker) December 29, 2024

If we're pulling the "small sample size" or "mid-range tier" labels off of Sam Darnold this offseason and just evaluating him as a potential top franchise QB, the math currently says:

4 years, $229M ($57.3M/yr)

— Spotrac (@spotrac) December 29, 2024

Sam Darnold has an incredible ability to remain unfazed

— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) December 29, 2024

Sam Darnold is a baaaaad man

— Phil Mackey 🎙 (@PhilMackey) December 29, 2024

Sam Darnold right now. pic.twitter.com/tQ2g05rpks

— John Kriesel (@johnkriesel) December 29, 2024

https://twitter.com/Chimmerr/status/1873517208682246331

Sam Darnold… your future Super Bowl MVP pic.twitter.com/1duCUuuW2J

— Moovz (@cryptomahnn) December 29, 2024

Sam Darnold and the Vikings are representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. #Vikings #NFL

— Landin Jeffrey (@Landin_Jeffrey5) December 29, 2024

When Kirk Cousins left Minnesota this offseason, leaving the Vikings with a former backup and a rookie as their quarterback options, the playoffs seemed like a longshot. Now Darnold has Minnesota on the verge of clinching the NFC North and the top seed in the conference.

After beating the Packers, the Vikings have just one—albeit difficult—challenge standing in the way of them getting the No. 1 seed. They'll face the Detroit Lions in their final game of the season next week, and a win would mean the top seed and a first-round bye.

The Minnesota Vikings made J.J. McCarthy their quarterback of the future when they selected him with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, but that future may have to wait after Sam Darnold's excellent season.

"They spent a first-round pick on J.J. McCarthy last spring and Darnold is in for a big payday in March. Despite that, after conversations with a team source, one thing is clear: The Vikings want Darnold back in Minnesota for 2025," Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported.

Minnesota made the veteran a bridge quarterback when he signed a one-year, $10 million deal last offseason. He was thrust into the starting role when McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee before the season.

That seemed to be quite problematic for the Vikings at the time considering Darnold was a combined 21-35 as a starter during his time on the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers before this year.

This Darnold to Jefferson connection is too clean.

📺: #MINvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/xHhVDimIM2

— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024

Darnold was particularly disappointing in New York after the Jets selected him with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft. Rather than live up to expectations as the franchise quarterback, he threw 39 touchdowns in 38 games and was on a different team in his fourth season.

Yet everything has changed in Minnesota.

The 27-year-old has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,776 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while going 13-2 as a starter. The Vikings are in the middle of the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and could set up a winner-take showdown with the Detroit Lions if they defeat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

At some point, the Vikings will surely want to see what McCarthy offers. Yet potentially landing the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is impossible to ignore, and it seems like the NFC North team wants to continue building momentum with Darnold.