NFC North Rundown: It is not a very happy Thanksgiving week in Detroit

On the heels of one of Green Bay’s most embarrassing losses of the season, a 37-8 drubbing by the San Francisco 49ers, the Packers find themselves in a tie with the Minnesota Vikings atop the NFC North standings. A lackluster offensive performance, coupled with defensive secondary issues, never gave Green Bay a chance in a pivotal matchup for playoff seeding. There was not much to be thankful for in last Sunday night’s game for Packers fans.

But Thanksgiving week may be particularly difficult for fans of the Detroit Lions, who celebrate their annual holiday tradition in front of a crowd deciding whether or not it should boycott the team’s game. Some writers have suggested this may be rock bottom for the Lions, who may not have either of their top two quarterbacks available Thursday.

More on the Lions’ woes and potential solutions for the Chicago Bears’ offense in today’s divisional recap.

Detroit Lions (3-7-1)

Lost 19-16 at Washington; Next vs. Chicago

Lions sank to additional depths in loss to Washington

Draft pick position might be the only thing positive from what one writer calls “rock bottom.”

Detroit Lions QB Jeff Driskel (hamstring) listed as ‘limited’ on Monday’s injury report

Already without their starter in Matthew Stafford, the Lions will be looking at starting a rookie — possibly former Purdue QB David Blough — if Driskel cannot play.

Why boycotting the Lions on Thanksgiving is a waste of time

The prized jewel of the Lions’ season, tradition beats losing and no coaching change will happen purely because of attendance.

Chicago Bears (5-6)

Won 19-14 vs. New York Giants; Next at Detroit

5 observations from rewatching the Bears’ win over the Giants, including the up-tempo offense and Mitch Trubisky throwing off play-action

Should Chicago’s offense speed up the pace? Trubisky thinks the unit’s experiences last week “ignited” the team.

Bears RB Tarik Cohen doesn’t appreciate fans booing

Does the crowd’s displeasure faze the team on the field?

Chalk Talk: Why aren’t Bears running gadget plays?

Wishing to see a big-boy touchdown? Don’t count on it until the offense does the fundamentals correctly.

Minnesota Vikings (8-3)

Bye; Next at Seattle

Vikings’ Everson Griffen finds balance by learning when to turn off

Minnesota’s defensive end learned how to take a step back and it has helped him get back to his former self on the field and being a more disciplined person off of it.

Film review: Vikings’ pass defense needs quick fix against Seahawks’ Russell Wilson

The Vikings must fix their lapses in the secondary before taking on the potential league MVP this week, but they have had two weeks to prepare.

In NFL MVP race, don’t overlook Minnesota, Vikings say

Speaking of MVPs, might the Vikings have a pair of players in the hunt for the award?