Packers Tied for Division Lead

The NFC North division is up for grabs so far this year, with a three way tie between the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings for first place. The three teams all have a 3-3 record following the sixth week of the 2008 NFL season, while the Detroit Lions are falling way behind with a 0-5 record.

How the NFC North teams did in week 6:

• The Packers pulled off a demanding victory over the Seattle Seahawks, winning 27-17.
• The Bears lost to the Atlanta Falcons by 2 points after the Falcons scored a 48-yard field goal attempt with just one second remaining in the game.
• In an NFC North rivalry match, the Vikings kept the Lions winless by defeating them 12-10.

With the tight competition increasing, there will be much talk of this steady race for first place in the NFC North division.

Packers Dealing with Injuries

As the second quarter of the 2008 NFL season begins, there is much to worry about for the Packers in terms of injuries on both sides of the ball. On offense, the biggest blow comes with Aaron Rodgers' shoulder injury that he obtained last week playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It hasn't affected him too much so far, but if this injury begins to affect his skills then the Packers will be in a tough position with Rodgers' two backups, Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm, being rookies. Other key players that are currently injured on offense are wide receiver James Jones (knee), tackle Chad Clifton (knee), and fullback Korey Hall (knee).

There is a bigger problem on defense. Both starting cornerbacks, Al Harris and Charles Woodson, are dealing with tough injuries. In Woodson's case, he is dealing with a broken toe which hasn't limited his play too much, but Harris will be out for at least a few weeks with an injured spleen. With both of these top players injured, the Packers defense has faltered a little bit. Also, there are several equally hurtful injuries on the defense: safety Atari Bigby (hamstring), safety Aaron Rouse (knee), linebacker A.J. Hawk (groin), defensive tackle Ryan Pickett (knee), and defensive end Cullen Jenkins (chest).

With many significant injuries hurting the Green Bay Packers from every direction, cheeseheads can only hope that some second or third-stringers will step up and fill in the injured players' shoes.