NFC North Week 8 picks: Jared Goff looks a little like an MVP, and his Lions look a lot like the NFL’s best team

In Detroit, quarterback Jared Goff completed his first 15 passes against the Vikings, finished 22-for-25 and joined Hall of Famers Kurt Warner and Roger Staubach and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to post three consecutive games with a passer rating of 140 or better. Goff was well into the fourth quarter with a 150-plus rating. Had he finished with 150-plus, he would have been the first quarterback to do that in three straight games. It’s still early, but the NFC’s best team (Detroit) is being led by a legit MVP candidate.

In Chicago, the Bears are coming off a bye and back-to-back games in which their offense scored at least five touchdowns. The last time that happened for a Bears team was 1956. Sixty-eight years ago! The offense scored five touchdowns against Carolina in Week 5 and five more against Jacksonville in Week 6. The Bears offense has scored 15 touchdowns in the past 13 quarters.

In Green Bay, the Packers have 1,085 yards rushing through seven games. That’s the most at this point in a season since 1978 (1,107). Green Bay’s 4.98-yard average per carry is the highest through seven games since 1962 (5.1). The Packers also have three drives of 90-plus yards this season. That ranks second behind Baltimore (four).

Thursday, 7:15 p.m.

Cooper Kupp’s likely return could give a not-so-great Rams team the boost it needs to surprise a better team. Especially the road team on a Thursday night. More likely is the scenario in which an angry Vikings team feasts on Matthew Stafford’s weak protection and bounces back from the Lions loss. Vikings 30, Rams 17

Sunday, noon

Knowing Jacksonville, this basically will be a home game for the Packers. The better team completes its sweep of the AFC South by sundown on Week 8. Packers 33, Jaguars 20

Sunday, noon

So much for defense winning much of anything. Tennessee is ranked No. 1 defensively (272.2) but is so gosh-awful offensively and in taking care of the ball (12 giveaways) that the Lions will coast after being pushed to the final bell in Minnesota. Lions 28, Titans 10

Sunday, 3:25 p.m.

Jayden Daniels’ rib injury early in Sunday’s rout of the Panthers might ruin this anticipated matchup of the top two picks in this year’s draft. If Marcus Mariota has to face Chicago’s defense, he’s highly unlikely to post the 132.8 passer rating he cruised with against Carolina. A victory would move Bears QB Caleb Williams to 5-2. Bears 17, Commanders 14

Record/vs. spread: 15-8/16-6-1

Vikings pick/vs. spread: 2-4/2-3-1