NFC North was one-and-done in the 2025 NFL playoffs

The NFC North was the best division in the NFL this season, which featured three playoff teams and then the Chicago Bears, who went 5-12 in a disappointing season.

The Green Bay Packers were a third-place team with a record of 11-6 ,which would have won three divisions in the league. The second-place Minnesota Vikings had to play a road playoff game despite a 14-3 record because the Detroit Lions went 15-2, which earned them the number one seed and a playoff bye.

The postseason didn't go the way that most thought when it comes to the teams in this division. Wild Card Weekend was a bloodbath for the two NFC North teams who participated. The Packers were eliminated by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Vikings were eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams. Each of those teams had expectations of at least winning one playoff game. Both of them failed in a big way. Now, they'll spend the offseason trying to figure out what went wrong, which isn't as easy as it sounds.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love has to be questioned for the way that he's played recently, especially because of how much money they paid him. Turning the ball over has been an issue for him and it reared its ugly head against the Eagles. They still have some hope because they have an incredibly young roster but they can't get complacent. Meanwhile, the Vikings likely won't have Sam Darnold back in 2025, so is J.J. McCarthy the guy? Will their offense and defense be great for another year? A lot of questions plague this team going into the offseason.

That brings us to the divisional round. The Lions went 15-2, which was the best season in franchise history, earning a first-round bye and they were the NFC favorites to be in the Super Bowl. With that said, they blew it. Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson were busy doing head coaching interviews during their bye week, and it showed as they were both disappointed in their loss to the Washington Commanders. Now, after that impressive season, Detroit is out before they were even able to get comfy in their playoff seat. It's truly stunning.

Is the window closed for the Lions now? Well, Jared Goff playing like an MVP candidate can't last much longer. Who knows what will happen when they have to replace both the offensive and defensive coordinator? They'll likely have better health next season but will that be enough to overcome the adversity? Only time will tell for them.

All of the teams in this division (besides the Bears) have top coaches. If anyone can get their teams back to the playoffs after bad endings like this, it's Dan Campbell, Matt LaFleur, and Kevin O'Connell. Their abilities will be tested further in the coming months.

But, for now, it's back to the drawing board for the NFC North. You can bet that the top three teams won't have a combined record of 40-11 in 2025. Regression is inevitable. The Bears might be slightly better if they nail their head coaching hire and have a good offseason in terms of their roster. But this was a disappointing year for everyone with all things considered.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFC North was one-and-done in the 2025 NFL playoffs