NFC North

No wide receiver has won the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award. Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson is doing his best to make history in 2022.

NBC Sports' Peter King listed his MVP favorites to this point in the season. Jefferson came in at fourth behind the Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and the Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa.

History isn't on Jefferson's side, and he's considered a bit of a long shot in the eyes of oddsmakers. DraftKings Sportsbook has him at +15000 to win MVP.

Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp pulled off a triple crown in 2021, leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, and only managed a third-place finish in the AP MVP voting.

But Jefferson's value to the Vikings is evident to anybody who has watched one of Minnesota's games this year. Through nine games, he has caught 69 passes for 1,060 yards and four touchdowns. His 117.8 receiving yards per game are on pace to be the sixth-highest in a single season.

The two-time Pro Bowler's performance in a Week 10 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills was a perfect showcase. He hauled in 10 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown.

The Bills knew where Kirk Cousins wanted to go with the ball, but there was little they could do to stop him from connecting with Jefferson.

Whether voters reward his efforts or not, Jefferson is having a season to remember and playing a key role in the Vikings' 8-1 start.

The Green Bay Packers are once again considered playoff contenders after Aaron Rodgers led the team to a come-from-behind 31-28 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

"They are the dead fish that's washed ashore, except they have Rodgers, so now there is a twitch of life," an NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic. "All they need to do is stack some wins. None of it erases the fact it is going to take time to get his weaponry built up, but the fact remains, when he suits up for your team, you are never out of it. They came back against Buffalo, they came back against Dallas."

The Packers entered Week 10 on a five-game losing streak, the latest coming against the Detroit Lions with Rodgers throwing three interceptions. The team looked finished at that point.

Green Bay trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter versus Dallas, but Rodgers led the team to victory behind three passing touchdowns, all to rookie Christian Watson.

After a miserable stretch, the Packers resembled the team that won 13 games in each of the past three seasons. And despite being 4-6, they still have a reigning back-to-back MVP under center as they get ready for the 6-3 Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.

Christian Watson finally had his breakout game Sunday, with the rookie wideout hauling in four passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns in the Green Bay Packers' 31-28 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys.

According to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Watson also exorcised "energetic demons" along the way.

"We had a lot of plays designed for him, so I don't think there was any other option," Rodgers told reporters. "I think that (first touchdown) probably on the atomic level shifted a lot of different things for him, exorcising some energetic demons. I'm proud of him. He made some plays."

Watson, a second-round pick in April's draft, came into Week 10 with just 10 receptions for 88 yards over his first six NFL games. He has spent much of his rookie campaign dealing with injuries dating back to the offseason, which impacted his ability to develop chemistry with Rodgers.

Sunday's game got off to anything but a good start for Watson, who dropped two passes on the Packers' opening possession. He said the faith exhibited in him by Rodgers and coach Matt LaFleur helped keep him in the right frame of mind.

"Yeah, 12 and Matt both said early, 'We're going to come back to you,'" Watson told reporters. "And I mean, obviously, that hit me at home. I know that those are plays I can make. Those are plays that I make every day at practice and something I know I'm capable of. So, obviously, just having that to fall back on, knowing that we're still in it, we're still good, they've still got faith in me means the world."

The Packers will have to hope Watson is able to keep the momentum going as they host the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night. Green Bay's come-from-behind victory arguably saved the 4-6 Packers' season, but their margin for error is almost nonexistent the rest of the way—especially with the Minnesota Vikings holding a 4.5-game lead at the top of the division.

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime on Sunday at Highmark Stadium, and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson had the game of his life.

The 23-year-old caught 10 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown, and his biggest catch of the game came on 4th-and-18 from the Minnesota 27-yard line with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter with the Vikings trailing 27-23.

Jefferson jumped up and grabbed what likely would have been a Kirk Cousins interception and hauled it in with one hand to keep Minnesota's drive alive:

After the game, Jefferson said he couldn't believe he made the grab, which has been dubbed the catch of the year.

"It felt like it was unreal. Like a movie,'' Jefferson said, per ESPN. "The big games, the big moments, when people are looking for you to make a play, that's what I like the most.''

Jefferson now has his third straight season with 1,000-plus receiving yards, and there are still eight games left for the star wideout to smash his career high of 1,616 yards, which he set last season.

The Vikings moved to 8-1 on the season with the win.

The Minnesota Vikings entered Week 10 with a stranglehold on first place in the NFC North. But despite a 7-1 record, they weren't getting a lot of run as a realistic threat to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVII. Part of the reason was the lack of a statement win—Minnesota's victory over the Dolphins in Miami came with Tua Tagovailoa on the shelf, and Minnesota was throttled by the Eagles in Philadelphia in Week 2.

After storming back in the second half to knock off the Bills 33-30 (OT) in Buffalo, the Vikings have that signature victory. And while the Vikes have issues, taking out the Bills (6-3) for a seventh straight victory cements their status as a force to be reckoned with.

The Vikings have made a habit of living dangerously—Minnesota hasn't won by double digits since Week 1, and there have been a number of comeback victories. Sunday was no different. When Minnesota fell behind 27-10 in the third quarter, a blowout seemed more likely than a comeback.

But as has been the case all season, there was no quit in the Vikings. They scratched and clawed their way back into the game, and with a minute left they faced a 4th-and-goal from the half-yard line with a chance to take the lead.

And then…madness.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was stuffed, which seemingly clinched the game for the Bills. But as Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen attempted to sneak his way out of the end zone, a botched exchange was recovered in the end zone by Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks.

Ballgame, right?

Wrong.

Allen drove the Bills the length of the field to set up a chip-shot field goal that tied the game. Then the Vikings answered with a field goal of their own on the first drive of overtime. Then Allen once again led the Bills into the red zone with less than two minutes left in overtime. But veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson's second interception of the day sealed the deal on one of the wilder wins in recent memory.

While speaking to Pam Oliver of Fox Sports after the game, Cousins credited the team for rallying around one another.

"It was a team win," Cousins said. "All eight of our wins have been that way. We beat ourselves up and then we find a way to claw back. We stay together. It's a tough team, and we keep showing it. We are battle-tested. Would like to win a little more convincingly than this, and there's so much to get better at. But thrilled to come out with a victory against a really good football team."

On some level, it's appropriate that Cousins credited his teammates because they rather bailed him out in this one.

There has long been a narrative surrounding Cousins that while he can pile up stats against bad teams, he withers in prime-time games or against formidable opponents. In some respects, Cousins' performance against the Bills fed into that narrative. Cousins did throw for 357 yards, but he completed just 60 percent of his passes, posted a passer rating of just 71.8 and threw a pair of interceptions.

But as has been the case all season, when one Viking falters, another steps up. On Sunday, it was Cousins' top two weapons who picked up the slack.

Running back Dalvin Cook was outstanding against one of the best run defenses in the league. Cook carried the ball just 14 times, but he piled up 119 yards doing so—including an 81-yard touchdown. He also added 27 yards on three catches.

As good as Cook was against the Bills, Justin Jefferson was awesome. Dominant. Domisome. Aweminant.

All Jefferson did against a Bills defense allowing just over 210 passing yards a game was amass 193 yards by himself. That career best in yardage came on 10 receptions, one of which was the catch of the year in the NFL.

How did he do that?

The Vikings defense did its part as well. Yes, Minnesota's 29th-ranked defense allowed a whopping 486 yards of offense and 30 points. But it's hardly unusual for the Bills to light up an opposing defense, and the Vikings also sacked Allen twice and notched four takeaways.

That's the Minnesota defense in a nutshell. All season, the Vikings have allowed a lot of yards. But they rank in the top half of the league in points allowed, are tied with the Eagles for the most takeaways in the NFL with 18 and rank 10th in the NFL with 26 sacks.

Minnesota bends. But it doesn't break. And when a big play is needed, the Vikings come up with one.

Even in victory, the issues that could derail a deep playoff run by the Vikings were evident. They do indeed give up a lot of yardage. And for all the firepower the Vikings have offensively, at some point it's going to come down to Cousins having to rewrite that narrative surrounding him—to come up big when the pressure is at its highest.

Are the Vikings as complete a team as the undefeated Eagles? No. Minnesota doesn't have a dominant defense like the Dallas Cowboys or San Francisco 49ers. Cousins isn't Tom Brady, either.

But for all the flak that Cousins gets, he's a capable veteran quarterback. Cook and Jefferson are top-five options at their respective positions. The Vikings have an above-average offensive line. A pair of excellent pass-rushers in Za'Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter. An opportunistic defense that makes big plays when needed. And now the Vikings have demonstrated that they can go on the road and down a Super Bowl contender.

The Vikings might not be the best team in the NFL. Or even the best team in the NFC. But on Sunday, Minnesota served notice to the rest of the league.

The 2022 Vikings are for real. And those who underestimate them do so at their own peril.

Christian Watson has officially arrived, and he appears to be the new favorite target of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Watson put together his best performance of the season in Sunday's 31-28 overtime win against the Dallas Cowboys, catching four passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns. No other Packers wideout had over 50 receiving yards.

Sammy Watkins finished with three catches for 47 yards, and Allen Lazard had three catches for 45 yards.

Watson became just the second rookie with three receiving touchdowns against the Cowboys, joining Randy Moss, who accomplished the feat in 1998. Amid his breakout on Sunday, Watson drew plenty of praise from NFL Twitter and even some comparisons to Moss:

The Packers selected Watson in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft out of North Dakota State. He has been in and out of the lineup this season because of to injuries.

Entering Sunday's game, the 23-year-old had just 10 catches for 88 yards in six games. But with his performance against the Cowboys, there's reason to believe he may finally be hitting his stride.

The Packers are now 4-6 on the season and will face the Tennessee Titans (6-3) on Thursday.

The Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills went to overtime Sunday at Highmark Stadium after being tied 30-30 through four quarters, and Kevin O'Connell's team should be praising star wide receiver Justin Jefferson for a miraculous performance to help keep its winning hopes alive.

Jefferson caught eight passes for 156 yards and one touchdown before overtime, but his biggest play of the game came on 4th-and-18 from the Minnesota 27-yard line with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Down 27-23, it originally looked like Kirk Cousins had tossed an interception to Bills cornerback Cam Lewis, which would have likely ended the game, but Jefferson jumped up to instead make the catch of his life to keep the Vikings' hopes of winning alive.

Jefferson's improbable catch set NFL Twitter ablaze, and many are dubbing it the "catch of the year":

Jefferson entered Sunday's game second in the NFL with 867 receiving yards, sitting behind Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill, who has posted 1,104 yards.

The 23-year-old, who was selected 22nd overall in the 2020 NFL draft out of LSU, is on pace to post his third straight season with 1,000-plus receiving yards. With the way he's been playing to start his career, he'll surely be in for a massive contract extension when the time comes.

It isn't a fluke—Justin Fields has arrived. And his level of play in the past few weeks could only be described as otherworldly.

The Chicago Bears' second-year quarterback had another fantastic performance Sunday, albeit in a 31-30 loss to the Detroit Lions (3-6). It's hard to imagine Bears fans being too torn up about the result, however, after Fields finished the day 12-of-20 for 167 yards, two scores and an interception, adding 13 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bears (3-7) are in another rebuilding year. The most important part of any rebuild—finding a franchise quarterback—is no longer a concern.

The response on Twitter to a player after they've had a memorable performance, good or bad, is often a bit performative itself. A good game can be the greatest thing the consortium of "hot take" tweeters has ever seen. A poor showing can be a harbinger of doom to come.

But on Sunday, the response from NFL Twitter was one of pure joy, and it felt completely appropriate:

Well, maybe not only joy—there was also a bit of "I told you so" regarding how the prior usage of Fields in the Matt Nagy era limited his upside:

But mostly it was joy because, right now, Fields is simply one of the most breathtaking watches in the NFL.

He wasn't perfect. An ill-advised pick-six in the fourth quarter tied the game at 24-24, giving the Lions new life.

But his response was a 67-yard touchdown run on the very next drive. Special.

And no, Fields couldn't lead the Bears to a game-winning field goal late in the game. But there are 10 other players on offense, too, and it's hard to argue that any of them are playing anywhere near the level of Fields right now.

Certainly, the Bears wouldn't have been just a point behind without Fields.

As the Bears get Fields more help, the wins will follow. The important thing is that the franchise quarterback is here, and he's spectacular.

Looking ahead to the Nov. 30 fantasy trade deadline, the Green Bay Packers could present a few buy-low options for managers who hope to catch lightning in a bottle.

In a season full of surprises, the Packers might be the most disappointing team in the league. Even if some drop-off was expected after trading Davante Adams, no one predicted their offense would rank 14th in yards per game (345.3) and 27th in points per game (17.1).

Aaron Rodgers hasn't been great, but he's hardly playing poorly. The reigning two-time NFL MVP has thrown for 2,091 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions and is completing 64.7 percent of his attempts.

A lack of trust in his receiving corps has impacted Rodgers' performance.

Allen Lazard has done a decent job as the No. 1 option for the Packers. The 26-year-old leads the team with 427 receiving yards and five touchdowns in seven games.

On a per-game basis, Lazard has been a WR2 with an average of 14.7 points in point-per-reception leagues. He has caught one touchdown in three of his last four games after racking up a season-high 116 yards in Week 4 against the New England Patriots.

Injuries have kept Lazard out of two games this season, including Week 8 with a shoulder injury. He could be available for a bargain because of the negative attention around the Packers given their struggles.

Aaron Jones has been the only must-start fantasy player in Green Bay's lineup all season. The 2020 Pro Bowler has been dominant in the running game (600 yards on 107 carries) and is a PPR machine because of his value as a receiver (32 receptions in nine games).

Jones has been a low-end RB1 in fantasy with 135.0 points in PPR leagues. He suffered an ankle injury in last week's loss to the Detroit Lions, though, and has been limited in practice this week.

Assuming Jones stays healthy, his fantasy value is extremely high. He will carry a heavy price tag in fantasy trade talks if you are looking for a top-tier running back.

On the flip side, you should take almost any potential deal you can get for AJ Dillon. He hasn't contributed much running the ball (389 yards, one touchdown on 98 carries) and has just one game with more than two catches since Week 1.

Some expected coming into this season that a two-running-back system with Jones and Dillon would carry the Packers offense and make up for the loss of Adams.

Jones has held up his end, but Dillon has failed to capitalize on his breakout 2021 season when he had 1,116 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.