NFL midseason grades: Vikings are surprise, Lions are class of a super-competitive NFC North

Other divisions: AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC South | NFC West

Record: 7-1 (first in NFC North)

Top fantasy performer: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, 140.10 points

MVP: QB Jared Goff

Key second-half game: Dec. 15 vs. Bills

The Lions aren’t just playing football. They’re having a lot of fun out there. Headstands-in-the-end-zone kind of fun. When head coach Dan Campbell talked about biting kneecaps in 2021, this is the team he was building toward: a team that can put up 50 on every competitor they face. Jared Goff is playing high-level, MVP-caliber football right now and is spreading the ball around to everyone. Jameson Williams (when he’s actually on the field), David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta — everyone’s getting a chance. Campbell can be a bit of a wild-card sometimes, which is certainly a liability, but the Lions are the kind of team that has the ability to overcome their head coach’s occasionally questionable decision-making. And as far as liabilities go, that’s definitely preferable to having a QB who can’t hit the broadside of a barn.

Record: 6-2 (second in NFC North)

Top fantasy performer: QB Sam Darnold, 143.00 points

MVP: LB Andrew Van Ginkel

Key second-half game: Jan. 5 at Lions

Sam Darnold coming out in Week 1 like a fire-breathing dragon was among the most surprising things about the early NFL season. It was inevitable that Darnold’s strong start would unravel a bit, and it has, but the Vikings have been able to stand firm on their powerful defense. There’s still a lot more football to be played, but surrounding Darnold with talented players has worked. The big question is: Will it continue to work, or will Darnold’s shortcomings reappear and doom the whole operation?

Record: 6-3 (third in NFC North)

Top fantasy performer: QB Jordan Love, 129.60 points

MVP: S Xavier McKinney

Key second-half game: Dec. 5 at Lions

The Packers have shown resilience over their first nine games, especially when QB Jordan Love had to miss two weeks with an injury. Their defense has finally become an asset. This is a good Packers team! But this may not be a special Packers team. Unfortunately that’s what they’ll need to be to dethrone the Lions. They’ll certainly have a chance over the second half, though, with four divisional matchups on the schedule. Lucky for them, two are against the Bears.

Record: 4-4 (fourth in NFC North)

Top fantasy performer: QB Caleb Williams, 119.70 points

MVP: Whoever gets the Bears’ head coaching job in 2025

Key second-half game: Dec. 16 at Vikings

Over the uneven first half of the Bears’ season, one thing has become clear: The team’s biggest liability is its head coach. Matt Eberflus has been given a better-than-decent roster but has struggled to lead it, and to develop young QB Caleb Williams, and to explain his increasingly baffling in-game decisions. When asked directly on Monday if Eberflus had lost the team, wide receiver DJ Moore answered “I wanna say no,” which wasn’t exactly an inspiring response. The Bears aren’t likely to make an in-season coaching change, and since their schedule gets only harder from here, everyone can expect to see even more video clips of Eberflus trying to explain why he kept Williams on the field of the Bears’ latest blowout loss.