The Detroit Lions on Tuesday became the fourth and final team in the NFC North to enter its bye week, getting some time off later in the calendar than the Green Bay Packers (Week 5), Chicago Bears (Week 5) and Minnesota Vikings (Week 6).

An idle date in Week 8 doesn’t split the season in half — Detroit (5-2) has 10 games to go, plus whatever is to come in a potential postseason run — but it serves as a well-deserved break for the Lions, who rank third in points scored per game (30.7) and 12th in points allowed (21.6) this season.

With four NFC North contests still to come, including one apiece against the Packers and Bears, we’ll break down the resume of each of Detroit’s divisional foes, as well as why Lions fans should (and shouldn’t) be hopeful for their upcoming matchups.

Green Bay Packers

Record: 4-1-1

Winning percentage of remaining opponents: .563 (seventh highest)

Remaining game vs. Lions: Week 13

The skinny: The Packers opened their season with a statement win over the Lions, stifling Detroit’s offense before doing the same to the Washington Commanders in Week 2. There were consecutive hiccups in the two following weeks — the Cleveland Browns pulled off an unlikely upset, and the Dallas Cowboys played Green Bay to a tie — but the Packers are winners of two straight, and, based on winning percentage, currently lead the NFC North.

Reason for optimism: Dan Campbell’s Lions haven’t been swept by an in-division opponent since the Bears did it in 2021. Week 1’s result against the Packers was worrisome, especially when a number of Detroit’s perceived flaws (fresh coordinators, new-look offensive line) were evident. But those issues have largely dissipated in the weeks since, and the Packers, particularly on defense, don’t look to be the juggernaut they appeared early on.

Reason to be worried: Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is proficient at limiting explosive plays. Green Bay’s pass defense allows 5.0 yards per play (third-lowest, behind the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons), and its run defense holds opponents to -0.13 Expected Points Added (EPA) per play, the fifth-best mark in the NFL. Communication issues were a problem for the Lions’ offensive line in Week 1. That can’t happen again against a defensive front — Micah Parsons, Rashan Gary, Devonte Wyatt and Colby Wooden — as talented as the Packers’.

Chicago Bears

Record: 4-2

Winning percentage of remaining opponents: .534 (13th)

Remaining game vs. Lions: Week 18

The skinny: The Bears, in Ben Johnson’s first year as head coach, are undefeated since getting blown out by the Lions in Week 2. They’ve beat up on a couple inferior opponents (the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4 and New Orleans Saints in Week 7), but have solid wins against the Cowboys in Week 3 and Commanders in Week 6. Impressive about Chicago’s victory over Dallas: The Bears held the Cowboys’ high-powered offense to 14 points, its fewest this season.

Reason for optimism: If there’s one thing the Lions are going to sell out to do defensively, it’s stop the run. That matches up well with the Bears, who are a run-first team — they’ve run the ball on 46.8% of their offensive snaps, the fifth-highest rate in the league. If the Lions can slow the Bears on the ground or jump out to an early lead and force Chicago to play catch-up, it’s a firm advantage for Detroit.

Reason to be worried: One would naturally think Chicago’s recent success is due to the offense, given Johnson’s history. But the Bears are rolling defensively, particularly on the back end. Tyrique Stevenson’s overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus since Week 3 (91.7) ranks second among qualified cornerbacks, and Kevin Byard’s mark over that stretch (89.9) is second among safeties. The Bears have forced 15 turnovers over their last four games, including 10 interceptions. Four of those INTs have been courtesy of Byard.

Minnesota Vikings

Record: 3-4

Winning percentage of remaining opponents: .568 (5th)

Remaining games vs. Lions: Weeks 9, 17

The skinny: The Vikings fell to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, picking up their third loss in their last four tries. Things looked promising early in the season as backup quarterback Carson Wentz led a 48-10 clobbering of the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, but Minnesota is 1-3 since, with losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 4), Philadelphia Eagles (Week 7) and Chargers (Week 8). The lone win came against the Cleveland Browns (Week 5).

Reason for optimism: If second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy returns from injury in Week 9, Detroit’s defense could feast on an inexperienced QB who has struggled in seven of his eight quarters of professional football; outside of a 21-point final frame against the Bears in Week 1, the Vikings have scored just 12 points on 19 total possessions with McCarthy at QB. Even if the Vikings keep McCarthy on the bench in Week 9, Wentz (110-of-169 for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions this season) has hardly been a world-beater.

Reason to be worried: Minnesota’s pass defense is once again strong this season, ranking fourth in EPA per pass attempt (-0.17). Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers has proven to be a helpful offseason addition, and defensive end Jonathan Greenard (30 pressures) continues to show his value as a pass rusher. The Vikings’ excellence against the pass should come as no surprise, as coordinator Brian Flores has been doing this for years. In fairness to the Lions, though, we’ve seen them handle a Flores-led defense before; quarterback Jared Goff has a passer rating of 110.5 in his last four meetings with Flores.

ALLEN PARK — If you’re familiar with Alim McNeill’s temperament, his answer shouldn’t surprise you.

Athletes and coaches speak often about the value of remaining even-keel. Never getting too high, never getting too low. Refusing to ride the inevitable emotional roller coaster that comes during a five-to-six-month NFL season. It’s easier said than done.

But McNeill, in his fifth year with the Detroit Lions, lives that mantra.

“He’s always very steady, which I appreciate about him,” teammate Aidan Hutchinson said.

McNeill is set to make his season debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, about 10 months removed from the torn ACL he suffered last December. For some, a return like this draws emotion, maybe even some tears of gratitude during pregame warmups or the national anthem. McNeill, however, doesn’t see himself responding that way, and it’s not because he doesn’t appreciate the moment.

“I don’t take things for granted at all; it’s for sure going to be a huge moment. But just knowing me, it’s just going to be game day for me,” said McNeill, as nonchalant as he is talented. “I’m not going to sit here and try to make a big deal out of it and all this and that. Because people get hurt and come back all the time. So, it’s like, why would I make a big deal out of it? Let’s just go play football.”

McNeill’s return is massive for the Lions. He’s a disruptive run defender next to fellow defensive tackle DJ Reader, but perhaps more important is his ability to rush the passer from an interior alignment. The Lions have missed that this season, with not only McNeill being unavailable, but also Levi Onwuzurike, who had a season-ending knee procedure before training camp.

Before getting hurt against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15 last season, McNeill posted 45 pressures, tied for the eighth-most among all defensive tackles through Weeks 1-15. He also had seven tackles for loss and 3½ sacks. His presence on the defensive line should, at least in theory, open up even more opportunities for Hutchinson, who, entering Week 7, leads the NFL in pressures (36) and strip-sacks (three), and is fourth in sacks (six).

“It’ll be super fun,” McNeill said of playing alongside Hutchinson again. “We were already out there (at practice) trying to get that chemistry back going. It’s a couple things that we were doing out there, little head nods, little small stuff like that we were trying to get going. It’s going to be fun. That’s an electric player to be beside. He elevates everybody around him.”

Excitement around McNeill’s return isn’t limited to members of the defensive line. Linebackers coach Shaun Dion Hamilton is well aware what McNeill can do for his unit, eating up space, closing gaps and opening avenues for the team’s linebackers to come down and get run stops.

The Lions already had a handful of strong run defenders at defensive tackle, in Reader, rookie Tyleik Williams and veteran Roy Lopez. Adding a fourth stout piece to the rotation should only make everyone’s responsibilities more manageable.

“Very ecstatic, as a coach, to have that guy back,” Hamilton said. “Some of the things that he can do at 300-plus pounds, you’re not supposed to be able to do. He’s going to, for sure, help affect the quarterback, play the run. It’s so many things that guy can do. Just glad that he’s on our team and not another team.”

How many snaps McNeill plays against the Bucs remains to be seen, but he’s expecting to perform at the same level he was at before getting injured. He attacked his rehabilitation too hard to think anything different: “That’s the work that I’ve been putting in, to be the same exact way, if not better.”

Ten months of work and recovery will culminate for McNeill on Monday. Don’t expect to see watery eyes when the camera pans toward him. But rest assured, McNeill, one of Detroit’s defensive cornerstones, couldn’t be happier.

“It’s the only thing I’ve been looking forward to,” McNeill said of his upcoming return. “I don’t even know how to (properly) explain that to you. I’ve been waiting on this day for a long, long time.”

ALLEN PARK — Jared Goff has been strong against the blitz since joining the Detroit Lions, but the quarterback has taken things to another level this season, so far turning in an NFL-best passer rating (137.1) on the 51 dropbacks in which the defense has sent at least one extra rusher.

That excellence will be tested Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have a blitz rate (32.6%) that ranks third in the NFL, behind the Atlanta Falcons (39.9%) and Minnesota Vikings (35.8%). Offensive coordinator John Morton called Tampa Bay’s defensive strategy, which kept him up late preparing Saturday evening, “a blitz fest.”

“If he sees something (at the line of scrimmage), we get to our blitz check. He can see everything,” Morton said of Goff’s proficiency against the blitz. “He’s a veteran guy, and he studies, man. This guy works his butt off. … He’s like a coach. It makes it so much easier (to operate the offense).”

Goff has completed 36 of 49 passes (73.5%) for 468 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions on the plays he’s been blitzed, according to Pro Football Focus. Much of that success is due to Goff’s continued growth, of course. But some of it can be ascribed to the defensive looks Goff faced in training camp.

“I know it’s helped him,” defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said. “Because not only him, but Johnny Mo tells me. He’s like, ‘Coming out of training camp with you guys, they feel like they’re prepared for anything.’ That’s a credit to not only myself, but my staff. … There’s a lot of hands in the jar on this thing, and we present a lot of different defenses week to week. That takes a staff, not just one person.”

Sheppard and Goff have met often throughout the season, “whether that’s (for) two minutes or 20 minutes.” The parties do their best to inform the other of what they’re seeing from one another’s units during practice, handing nuggets of information back and forth in preparation for game day.

Goff, through six games, currently has career-high marks in completion rate (75.9%), success rate (56.3%), passer rating (120.6) and quarterback rating (72.4). His completion rate leads the NFL, more than 2.5% better than the next closest quarterback — New England’s Drake Maye (73.2%).

In his first year as defensive coordinator, Sheppard joked Goff never visited this much previously: “I said (to Goff), ‘I guess when I was a linebackers coach, I was a nobody because you never came in my office.’ Now, he’s in my office every week.”

“I think real guys respect other real guys,” Sheppard said of his relationship with Goff. “Like at the end of the day, you watch … how people work and you respect it in this game. … Real guys respect real guys. We have mutual respect for each other, and I think we want to see each other benefit and win. Because both of us will be mutual beneficiaries off of that.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s been nearly three years since the Detroit Lions lost consecutive regular-season games, a testament to the resiliency and mental fortitude head coach Dan Campbell has hammered into a roster that’s 39-11 over its last 50 contests.

That streak will soon be put to the test.

The Lions, following a 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, are hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for “Monday Night Football” in Week 7. The Buccaneers, sitting atop the NFC after six weeks, are winners of two straight. They own a 5-1 record, tied with the Indianapolis Colts for the NFL’s best.

If you believe what the Lions say, and if you believe in what they’ve accomplished over the last 36 months, don’t expect Sunday’s result at Arrowhead Stadium to linger into next week’s matchup with the Bucs.

“I mean, we’re men. We’re going to show up to work, we’re going to collect the film and we’re going to get back to work,” defensive tackle DJ Reader said. “I don’t think anybody on this team’s going to hang their head. I mean, s—, we’re 4-2. The sky’s not falling out of the air. … You’re 4-2, you’re still at the top of your conference. You just lost a game to a good team.”

Reader described Detroit’s loss to Kansas City as “frustrating,” and he rejected a notion that the Lions weren’t as focused as they typically are.

“We just got beat today, that’s just what it came down to. We didn’t respond well to all the adversity that was out there,” Reader said.

The Lions struggled in the biggest moments Sunday. The Chiefs converted two of their three fourth-down attempts. The Lions, meanwhile, went 0-for-2, including an atypical drop from receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown on fourth-and-short. Had the Lions converted, they could’ve built their lead going into halftime. Instead, the Chiefs took advantage by scoring a go-ahead touchdown before the break.

One of Kansas City’s fourth-down conversions was a 6-yard touchdown catch from Xavier Worthy, who beat cornerback Amik Robertson to the flat. Robertson tried to jam Worthy at the line of scrimmage, but the receiver evaded the contact, causing Robertson to lose his balance.

“At the end of the day, man, we’re not about to hold our heads down,” Robertson said. “We’re what, 4-2? It’ll be all right, man. Twenty-four-hour rule, get back to the drawing board. Like I always say, next game is the most important.”

St. Brown said bouncing back quickly from a loss is “mandatory” for the Lions, who hope they can respond in Week 7 like they did in Week 2, when they clobbered the Chicago Bears at home after opening the season with a troubling loss at the Green Bay Packers.

“We will watch the film and we will clean this stuff up. We’re going to have to,” Campbell said. “Tampa Bay is coming in and they’re a good football team. We’re going to have to be ready. … These only get harder and harder as you go. They are more meaningful every game that we go. I go back to this: Maybe we needed this.

“Maybe we needed to get kicked around a little bit, because that’s what happened.”

By Richard Silva, The Detroit News

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Richard Silva grades the Detroit Lions in their 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on “Sunday Night Football.”

Quarterback

Conventional wisdom says to ascribe blame to a quarterback when his offense musters only 17 points. But Jared Goff was his usual self, completing 79.3% of his throws for 203 yards and two touchdowns, and he protected the ball throughout. Two of his six incompletions were drops (we’ll get to one of those momentarily). Goff also made some difference-making throws, finding tight end Sam LaPorta over the middle for 26 yards four plays before he did the same to receiver Jameson Williams, hitting the speedster for a 22-yard touchdown. The pocket was closing in on both plays. It didn’t matter for Goff, who stayed patient and hung onto the ball long enough for his pass-catchers to come open. Goff didn’t produce off-script moments like Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but he was far from the issue Sunday night. Grade: B

Running backs

There appeared to be some success for Jahmyr Gibbs early on — five of his first seven rushes went for four or more yards, and he had a 3-yarder to move the chains on third-and-short — but his final tally as a runner (65 yards on 17 carries) wasn’t as prolific as you’d hope, given the hot start. David Montgomery was curiously only given four carries and six total touches, a development we’ll discuss further in the coaching section. Montgomery chipped in most of his yards through the air, catching two passes for 37 yards. He was pivotal in getting the Lions down the field and into the end zone on their third-to-last drive, when the game was still within reach. Grade: B-

Wide receivers/tight ends

It feels unfair to criticize Amon-Ra St. Brown too heavily for his uncharacteristic drop in the second quarter, but it’s difficult to ignore the play’s magnitude. The Lions were driving and had a chance to extend their lead going into halftime, but St. Brown couldn’t corral a slightly low pass on fourth down, allowing the Chiefs to take over possession near midfield and later score, taking a lead they’d never give back. It’s worth mentioning Williams, who got back on track with his first touchdown since Week 2 (he was Detroit’s leading receiver, with 66 yards), and LaPorta, who snagged a wildly impressive touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The grade here is going to take a slight hit due to shoddy screen-pass blocking that killed the Lions’ first drive of the second half. Grade: B

Offensive line

The offensive line did an impressive job protecting Goff from Kansas City’s pass rush, especially defensive tackle Chris Jones and edge defender George Karlaftis; Goff was sacked once (by Charles Omenihu), but it came late, and in an obvious passing situation. The O-line was not as successful paving running lanes for Gibbs, who averaged a modest 3.8 yards per carry. That’s a passable average, but well below expectations for Gibbs, who had a 4.6 average heading into Sunday. It was especially disappointing versus a Chiefs defense that had been struggling against the run. From Weeks 1-5, Kansas City allowed 4.8 yards per rush on the season, the sixth-worst average in the NFL. Grade: C+

Defensive line

Rookie left tackle Josh Simmons was a late scratch for the Chiefs, and yet Kansas City’s offensive line kept Detroit’s pass rush mostly in check. Aidan Hutchinson pulled his weight by recording a sack in his fifth straight game — setting a new franchise record, by the way — when he stripped Mahomes in the second quarter, but he let Mahomes out of his grasp on a play in the first half, leading to a 20-yard gain for Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and he had a costly roughing the passer infraction in the fourth quarter. Al-Quadin Muhammad was the only other defensive lineman to sack Mahomes and it came with less than three minutes remaining. Grade: C+

Linebackers

Run defense falls within the defensive line’s scope, of course, but linebackers also are part of the equation. The Lions weren’t horrendous in slowing Isiah Pacheco, but they allowed the running back to post a season-high 51 rushing yards on 12 attempts. Considering the opponent (Mahomes is Kansas City’s leading rusher on the season), the Lions fell below their elite standards. Also of note: Jack Campbell missed at least two tackles, per Pro Football Focus’ live tracking data. He had two missed tackles total entering Sunday. Grade: C

Secondary

The Lions are down starters D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold, and their absences were clearly felt against the Chiefs. Mahomes finished 22-for-30 for 257 yards and three touchdowns. His most popular target was Travis Kelce, who snagged six passes, including a third-down conversion while working against practice-squad call-up Arthur Maulet. Kelce also drew an impactful pass interference call against Rock Ya-Sin, putting the Chiefs in the red zone before his 17-yard catch placed them at the 1-yard line. Xavier Worthy scored because Amik Robertson missed his jam at the line of scrimmage, and Brown’s second TD was the result of miscommunication on the back end. Shout-out to defensive back Thomas Harper for having a pass breakup on fourth down. Grade: D+

Special teams

Punter Jack Fox did a solid job — Kansas City was forced to start drives on its own 7- and 11-yard lines due to a pair of Fox’s boots — but the Lions lost some of their advantage in the field-position battle when returning kickoffs. The Chiefs kicked the ball off to Craig Reynolds five times. He averaged 23.6 yards per return, a rate not good enough when the touchback comes out to the 35-yard line. Whether the fault is on the blocking or poor running from Reynolds, the Lions would benefit from being more explosive. Jake Bates was true on his one field goal attempt, which came from 28 yards out. Grade: C+

Coaching

Some of the offensive play-calling and personnel usage was curious. Namely, Montgomery’s lack of opportunity and back-to-back screen passes early in the second half. Neither play worked because there were missed blocks, but the calls were uninspiring, and perhaps telegraphed on second- and third-and-long. Defensively, Kansas City’s quick passing game was devastating, as nearly 70% of Mahomes’ passing yards came after the catch. The Lions never seemed to adjust. And if they did, it was ineffective. Grade: C

ALLEN PARK — John Morton is in lockstep with his head coach: The Detroit Lions aren’t panicking.

The offensive output in Sunday’s season-opening loss at the Green Bay Packers fell well below expectations. But Morton, in his first year as offensive coordinator, insisted Thursday his unit’s issues are fixable, and he’s assured the overarching problems present at Lambeau Field will be taken care of by the time the Chicago Bears visit Ford Field for Week 2.

“We have great players,” Morton said. “That’s why I’m confident.”

Particularly, the run game must improve. The Lions averaged a measly 2.1 yards per carry against the Packers, their worst since October 2023, when they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game Jahmyr Gibbs missed with a hamstring injury. Gibbs and David Montgomery have never been less productive in a game both participated in than they were against the Packers.

Much of Detroit’s struggles can be connected to miscommunication. On a number of plays, at least one member of the offensive line was not mentally in line with his teammates. Sometimes, it was multiple players at fault. And it wasn’t just a youth issue. Rookie right guard Tate Ratledge and left guard Christian Mahogany, playing in the first and third career games, respectively, had their fair share of concerns. But so did some of the veterans, according to Morton.

Take the near safety at the start of the fourth quarter as an example. Ratledge allowed defensive tackle Colby Wooden to come through unblocked, drawing the ire of those who watched the replay. Left tackle Taylor Decker revealed Wednesday he was also incorrect on that rep, as he ran the same play Ratledge did. Mahogany, center Graham Glasgow and right tackle Penei Sewell were on a different page.

Those are the type of correctable mistakes Morton identified on tape.

“It’s addressed,” Morton said. “It’s going to be fixed.”

Asked why he’s confident in the run game improving, Morton said, “Because we’re doing plays that they’ve done. Now, there’s some young guys, right? We’ve just got to make sure we give them the right looks, all the different type of right looks, and to make sure they know exactly what they’re doing. And that’s what we’ve done.”

Head coach Dan Campbell said Monday there may have been too much put on the players’ plates too early, and dialing things back some against the Bears could be beneficial. It’s about getting back to the fundamentals. The meat and potatoes, if you will.

“We did an extra period in the runs this week, and I think it’s going to help,” Morton said. “I think that’s what you’ve got to do. It’s an easy fix. Again, we’re not in panic mode. But 2.1 (yards per carry), that ain’t gonna cut it. It should never happen.”

Chicago’s defense doesn’t posses the talent of Green Bay’s, especially so if some starters who missed Week 1 (cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and linebacker T.J. Edwards) aren’t available. Johnson (calf/groin) returned to practice Wednesday. Edwards (hamstring) was limited and Gordon (hamstring) did not practice.

Morton and Campbell are also familiar with the scheme, having worked with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen in New Orleans. It’s similar to what the Lions run defensively, with an emphasis on man coverage. That’s different than the Packers, who often play zone and drop seven defenders in coverage.

“Last game, the best thing about that is it’s the first game of the season. Nobody’s in panic mode,” Morton said. “The players have been awesome, great attitudes. We’ve had great preparation, just like we did last week. The bottom line is it’s just about execution and the details of everything. … How do we fix this? We’re in the fix-it business, as coaches. Dan’s been awesome, players have been awesome. We had a good practice yesterday, and we’re moving on to Chicago.”