PurplePTSD: News Around The North: Green Bay Captures The NFC's Top Seed

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

Josh Frey

2022-01-04

Week 17 usually marks the conclusion of the NFL season, but this year is different. We have another week to go! Some things never change, though. The Bears played defense, the Lions looked incompetent, the Packers clinched the No. 1 seed, and Vikings fans are yelling at each other on Twitter. Here’s a look at all the action that went down across the NFC North in Week 17.

Chicago Shrinks the Giants Offense

The Chicago Bears had one of their more impressive defensive outings in recent memory. Of course, the performance came against their former $18 million-man, Mike Glennon. Glennon threw for just 24 yards in this game, and the New York Giants mustered just 151 yards of total offense as New York fell 29-3.

Robert Quinn also broke Chicago’s single-season sack record in this game, recording his 18th sack of the 2021 season. The record was previously held by Richard Dent, who recorded 17.5 in 1984. The Bears will now close their season on the road against the hated NFC North-rival Minnesota Vikings.

Things Boyle Over in Seattle

The Detroit Lions once again were without Jared Goff this week, which meant another start for Tim Boyle. There were some flashy moments, but a trio of interceptions for the backup QB really sealed Detroit’s fate this week. Russell Wilson took advantage of every opportunity, tossing four touchdowns in the 51-29 win.

A player that continues to impress though is rookie wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. He once again cracked the 100-yard threshold by catching eight passes on 11 targets. He also recorded a touchdown. Things are still looking bright for the future of the Kardiak Kitties.

The Road to the Super Bowl Runs Through Lambeau

In what was a quite chilly Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs with a 37-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. This came two weeks after clinching the NFC North title. The Aaron Rodgers/Davante Adams connection was pure all night long, and the duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon did some serious work on the ground.

Green Bay’s defense got a bit of bad news right before the game though as Jaire Alexander was placed on the Covid list just prior to kickoff. Alexander was ruled out for the game on Friday, but this was just another setback for the star CB as he tries to make it back onto the field this season.

Shockingly, Sean Mannion Wasn’t the Answer for Minnesota

Prior to this game, the Minnesota Vikings faced quite a conundrum. QB Kirk Cousins tested positive for Covid, meaning he was going to be unavailable to play. This left the Vikings with two options: career-backup Sean Mannion, or rookie Kellen Mond.

Minnesota went with Sean Mannion, and even though he threw his first career passing TD, it did not go well for the Vikings overall. Mond did get into the game for one series, but he did not impress, especially given Mike Zimmer’s post-game comments. The Vikings will host Chicago in their final game of the season.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.