Week 9 saw a huge NFC North matchup between the Lions and the Vikings, while the Packers faced the Carolina Panthers, and the Bears took on the Cincinnati Bengals. Minnesota entered the game 3-4 and was on the road, taking on Detroit. The Vikings were clicking on all cylinders and came away with a huge 27-24 win.

Even though the Detroit Lions are second in the NFC North standings, their first home loss must sting. After a 27-24 week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Lions quarterback, Jared Goff, called for accountability across the team.

The New York Jets likely took the Cincinnati Bengals out of the AFC North hunt with their upset win. The Dallas Cowboys' playoff chances took a massive hit with their loss to the Denver Broncos, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be cruising toward their fifth straight NFC South title.

The Steelers and Bengals had much different results on Week 9 Sunday. Here's what that means for the division race between Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Baltimore, already winning on Thursday.

The Green Bay Packers remain in first place in the NFC standings. Will they be there in two weeks? The Packers improved to 5-1-1 following the

The Vikings, meanwhile, made just enough plays to get the job done here, snapping their five-game losing streak to the Lions and evening their record at 4-4 — only a game behind the Lions and Bears for second place in the NFC North standings.

Why, you ask? Well, the Minnesota Vikings are now firmly in the mix. The club went into Ford Field and took down the Detroit Lions, 27-24. On top of simply notching a divisional win, the key development in this game and what makes the victory hold bigger ramifications for the second half was the return of J.J. McCarthy .

The Detroit Lions welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Ford Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST, and there’s plenty on the line for both NFC North rivals. Detroit comes into this matchup well-rested after their bye week,