The NFC North has been setting itself up to be the best division in football, evidenced by how well the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers have played through 13 weeks of the season. The Lions are 11-1 while the Vikings are 10-2 and the Packers sit at 9-3, having three of the four best records in the NFC and three of the six best records in the entire NFL.
There is a scenario where the Lions, Vikings and Packers can each finish with 14 wins on the season, with each team ending up 14-3. For each team to finish with 14 wins, these three things need to happen (per CBS Sports Research).
- The Packers win out (finish 5-0)
- The Vikings finish 4-1 with their only loss to Packers
- The Lions finish 3-2 with their only losses to Packers and Vikings
In the event of all four teams finishing 14-3, the Lions would win the division based on strength of victory (the fifth tiebreaker among division ties between 3+ teams). The Packers would be second in the NFC North and the Vikings would be third, as Green Bay would be No. 5 in the NFC standings and the Vikings No. 6.
How historic would it be for the NFC North to have three 14-win teams? There’s never been a division with two 14-win teams and no conference has ever finished with three 14-win teams. There’s never been a division with three 13-win teams either, so the NFC North would significantly enter unchartered territory.
A lot needs to happen for the NFC North to have three 14-win teams, but it is possible. Even with the Lions currently having a one-game lead in the NFC North, they still would win the division in this scenario.
