NFC North Week 1 Overreactions: J.J. McCarthy is a franchise quarterback while the sky is falling on Caleb Williams

There were some very interesting takeaways from week one in the NFC North.

Kole Noble, Mike Payton, Tyler Forness, Wendell Ferreira
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Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) rushes the ball against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field.
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Week 1 is always the most interesting when it comes to breaking down the National Football League, and it was especially true when it comes to the NFC North. Not only did all four teams play, but they were also in games against each other.

The Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions 27-13, and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 27-24. Both games had very different game scripts, and the takeaways were as well. Every fanbase has overreacted in a major way, but there is some truth in those overreactions.

Our NFC North beat writers joined forces to break down the biggest overreactions for each team.

NFC North Week 1 overreactions

Minnesota Vikings beat writer Tyler Forness: J.J. McCarthy is a franchise quarterback

What we saw in the fourth quarter on Monday Night Football from J.J. McCarthy in his first NFL start was tremendous. In fact, it was special and historic. However, you cannot forget the first three quarters, where McCarthy had less than 50 passing yards and a pick six that went for 74 yards.

Right now, there should be a lot of optimism about McCarthy and what he can be. In fact, many are excited that the Vikings finally have their franchise quarterback. However, we still have no idea what he will be, and we shouldn’t overreact to any part of his play. Be excited, as it’s warranted, but he’s far from a finished product, and we need to stay measured when it comes to McCarthy’s future, because there will be a lot of up-and-down throughout the season.

Green Bay Packers beat writer Wendell Ferreira: Trading Kenny Clark is a blessing in disguise

It’s hard to move on from a player with Kenny Clark’s history and considering what he had done for the Packers over the past decade. But it was time to move on, and the Micah Parsons‘ trade was the perfect opportunity for it. In addition to saving money, the move opened up space for younger defensive linemen to show up—and they absolutely did in the win over the Detroit Lions.

Devonte Wyatt finally played a lot of snaps, something he hadn’t done in the NFL. Colby Wooden played extremely well against the run, while Karl Brooks was a solid situational interior rusher. Even better, it opens the opportunity for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to be more creative. The defense used a lot of what is called “Cheetah Package,” with a defensive end moving inside to create a rush-heavier personnel. Micah Parsons and Lukas Van Ness played as de-facto defensive tackles on several occasions, generating significant pressure on Jared Goff.

Chicago Bears beat writer Kole Noble: Caleb Williams’ problems are too much, even for Ben Johnson

Now, this is obviously a major overreaction after the first game of the season with head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams working together. But, at the same time, what this partnership showed against the Minnesota Vikings was concerning to say the least.

After a full offseason learning Johnson’s elaborate scheme and reworking his own mechanics, Williams looked like the same quarterback we saw leading the Bears in 2024. His footwork in the pocket was sporadic, he wasn’t seeing his open reads, and he was missing open targets.

For some optimism, Williams at least has someone in the building now that can look back over a full game’s worth of film and coach him up from the mistakes shown on Monday night, something Williams didn’t have in his corner as a rookie. Going into Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, Williams needs to learn how to trust this scheme and what to look for in his progressions. It was encouraging to see him learn how to take the check downs in Week 1 but he’s still got a long way to go before running this offense efficiently.

Detroit Lions beat writer Mike Payton: The Lions are done

It’s all over the Lions, fire the coaches, and don’t sign Aidan Hutchinson to a new deal. These are the types of things I’ve seen since the Lions lost to the Packers on Sunday. The overreactions are at a high I’ve never seen before, and this is the same group who wanted Matthew Stafford benched for Kellen Moore.

The reality is that the Lions lost a game that looked really bad in the moment, but was full of things that are super correctable to the point where the Lions could have won this game had they just had a slightly better day in the red zone. There are issues that need to be addressed and absolutely have to get fixed, but this team is not on a downturn after one game.

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