If the playoffs were to begin this week, all four teams from the NFC North – Minnesota (No. 2 seed), Green Bay (No. 5), Chicago (No. 6) and Detroit (No. 7) – would qualify. That's how competitive the division is to start the season.
There's still a lot of football to played, including the Lions' first division game Sunday against the Packers, but this has been as good a division as there is through six weeks.
"You feel like everybody else has played each other and we haven't had a chance to play anybody in our division yet," head coach Dan Campbell said Monday. "So, this is exciting to be able to open up with our division. Obviously at home against a really good opponent who's playing really good football right now. That's exciting. So, we'll be ready to go. This will be fun."
Here's a look at where things stand in the NFC North heading into Week 7:
### **MINNESOTA VIKINGS**
**Next opponent:** vs. Indianapolis (2-4), Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. (CBS)
**1\. RB Jordan Mason to return to practice this week**
This opens a 21-day practice window for Mason (thumb) to return from IR. He and Aaron Jones form a nice duo in the Vikings' backfield when healthy. Mason, 27, rushed 15 times for 59 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 vs. Green Bay before his injury. Jones rushed 12 times for 40 yards and a touchdown in that contest.
**2\. Kyler Murray continues to settle in at QB**
Quarterback Kyler Murray completed 24-of-30 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown Week 5 against the Saints. He seems to be settling in nicely to Kevin O'Connell's scheme and faces a Colts secondary Sunday that could be minus top cornerback Sauce Gardner due to injury.
**3\. Minnesota's defense tops the rankings**
The Vikings have the No. 1 scoring defense (12.8) and No. 2 overall defense (259.8) entering Week 7. They blitz 65.6 percent of the time, per Pro Football Reference, which is nearly 30 percent higher than the next defense (Tampa Bay, 37.9). That's led to 17 sacks and the third most pressures (66) in the league.
**Twentyman:** Let's look at the quarterback play from each team this week, a big reason why all four teams are above the .500 mark so far. Murray is 4-0 on the season completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 662 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and an 84.7 rating. He's also added 93 yards on the ground.
Those numbers aren't gaudy, but Minnesota's found a winning formula — play great defense, run the football and don't make mistakes at the quarterback position. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz stepped in and earned a Week 2 win in Chicago when Murray was out due to a concussion.