NFC North Round Up: J.J. McCarthy leads the Vikings over Detroit; Panthers stun the Packers

Here's what happened around the NFC North this past weekend.

Rico Dowdle's big day stuns the Packers 16-13

Rico Dowdle made one big mistake on an otherwise splendid afternoon.

Dowdle and Carolina Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald made sure it didn't prove costly.

Dowdle rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and his big run in the final minute set up Fitzgerald's last-second 49-yard field goal as Carolina beat Green Bay 16-13 on Sunday to climb above .500 and snap the Packers' three-game win streak.

It was the second time this season that Fitzgerald, a rookie from Florida State, has made a winning field goal as time expired. He hit a 33-yarder in the Panthers' 30-27 triumph over Dallas on Oct. 12.

"I think there is a sort of comfort level from the fact that I've done it before," Fitzgerald said. "I'm still learning new experiences. Tough environment on the road this week, tough conditions."

The loss could prove costly for Green Bay (5-2-1). Packers star tight end Tucker Kraft was carted off the field with a knee injury in the third quarter.

"It doesn't look good," coach Matt LaFleur said. "It's going to be tough, but it's football. Other guys are going to have to step up."

Carolina (5-4), a two-touchdown underdog according to BetMGM Sportsbook, bounced back from a 40-9 home loss to Buffalo. Fitzgerald and Dowdle both had to redeem themselves from setbacks earlier in the game.

Dowdle's second touchdown of the day gave the Panthers a 13-6 lead late in the third quarter. He celebrated that score by thrusting his hips twice, an homage to a "Key & Peele" sketch, and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"From my understanding and everything I’ve learned, we go over stuff like this every week in the meeting room. I definitely think you’re supposed to get two pumps," Dowdle said. "Hopefully, I don’t get a fine."

Fitzgerald’s ensuing 48-yard extra-point attempt into a swirling wind was well short, keeping Carolina’s lead at 13-6. So when Green Bay's Josh Jacobs scored from 1 yards out on third-and-goal with 2:32 left, the Packers didn't need to go for 2 and tied the game on Brandon McManus’ extra point.

After Carolina got the ball back, Dowdle’s 19-yard carry on second-and-10 from midfield set up Fitzgerald's kick.

"I just wanted to make up for it," Dowdle said. "So I knew I had to come out there and keep putting my best foot forward, because I didn’t want that to end up biting us."

Panthers coach Dave Canales said this past week that Dowdle would get the bulk of the carries after splitting time with Chuba Hubbard. Running behind an injury-riddled offensive line, Dowdle delivered against a Green Bay team ranked third in the NFL in rushing defense.

"From carry one, it was attitude, it was aggression and violence at the end of it," Canales said. "It really does affect the group. It affects the whole sideline when they see that kind of energy. That kind of violence, it gives them confidence. It's who we want to be."

That wasn't Canales' only pregame move that paid off.

The Panthers usually defer when they win the coin toss, but they took the ball first. As a result, Fitzgerald's game-winning kick was much easier than the jumbo-sized extra-point attempt he missed in the third period.

"I’ve got to give a lot of props to (special teams coordinator) Tracy Smith," Canales said. "He and I were talking before the game and he was like, ‘If we take the ball, we can set ourselves up to have the ball with the wind to our backs to finish the game to give us the opportunity.’ And it played out just like that."

Packers' missed opportunities

Green Bay had itself to blame for this loss.

Before Jacobs’ touchdown, the Packers had marched inside the Carolina 35 on five of their first six possessions but had only two field goals to show for it.

"It’s very frustrating," said Jordan Love, who went 26 of 37 for 273 yards with an interception on his 27th birthday. "I think everybody was feeling that as an offense. First half, we were limited in possessions. Those games, you have to maximize every time you’re on the field. We didn’t do that."

Green Bay entered the day with just three turnovers all season, matching Philadelphia for the lowest total in the league. Savion Williams had a red-zone fumble that thwarted a scoring opportunity, and Carolina's Tre'von Moehrig picked off a pass by Love, leading to a Panthers touchdown.

McManus converted from 49 and 27 yards out but also missed a 43-yarder that would have put Green Bay ahead in the third quarter. Dowdle’s second touchdown came after Green Bay’s Keisean Nixon was called for pass interference on a third-and-goal incompletion.

Green Bay also passed up a short field-goal attempt while trailing 13-6 in the fourth quarter and went for it on fourth-and-8 from the Carolina 13. Love's desperation, across-the-field pass was dropped by Carolina’s Mike Jackson in the end zone.

"Hindsight's 20-20," LaFleur said. "I wish we would have taken the points. Didn’t do that there. Bad decision."

Injuries

Packers: Along with the injury to Kraft, WR Matthew Golden (shoulder), OG Aaron Banks (stringer) and DL Colby Wooden (shoulder) all left the game.

Up next

Packers: Host Philadelphia on Monday, Nov. 10.

J.J. McCarthy throws for 2 TDs and runs for a score in his return as Vikings beat Lions 27-24

J.J. McCarthy was hailed by teammates in a jubilant locker room after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a much-needed, 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

"It was awesome," McCarthy said, choking up. "When you’re hurt, being on IR last year, and being out for five weeks, it absolutely kills me not being out there with those guys because I love every single one of them.

"I know they got my back — and I’ve got theirs — the rest of the way."

The Vikings (4-4) suddenly have some more hope for this season after losing two straight and three of four, bouncing back behind their second-year quarterback after a high-ankle sprain that stunted his season. McCarthy didn't play as a rookie because of a knee injury.

McCarthy threw two touchdown passes, ran for a score and sealed the victory by throwing a 16-yard pass to Jalen Nailor on third-and-5 from the Minnesota 28, a play that allowed the Vikings to run out the clock.

"J.J. made one of the best throws of the day when we absolutely needed it," coach Kevin O’Connell said.

McCarthy, who led Michigan to the 2023 national championship, was 14 of 25 for 143 yards. He threw both of his scoring passes in the first quarter, connecting with Justin Jefferson from 10 yards out and T.J. Hockenson from 7 yards. He was picked off on a ball that was ripped away from Nailor by second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold, who made his first career interception.

McCarthy ran for a 9-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, giving the Vikings a 24-14 lead, after David Montgomery fumbled.

"He controls the huddle like a vet and he makes plays when he needs to," Hockenson said. "It's fun to play with (number) 9."

The Lions went 3 for 3 on fourth down, converting the third time with Jared Goff's 17-yard pass to Sam LaPorta early in the fourth quarter. They lined up to go for it on fourth-and-5 on the same drive and got a first down on a neutral-zone infraction by Jonathan Greenard.

Detroit ended up settling for a field-goal attempt, and it got blocked by Levi Drake Rodriguez. Isaiah Rodgers returned it 33 yards to set up Will Reichard's 20-yard field goal. That proved to be a critical score because Goff threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams on the ensuing possession.

Lions coach Dan Campbell opted to kick off and use his timeouts, hoping to get the ball back, but McCarthy's clutch throw to Nailor ended those hopes.

"We did everything we needed to do to lose that game," Campbell said. "We made every critical error at the right time to lose."

Goff was 25 of 37 for 284 yards with two touchdowns. LaPorta had 97 yards receiving and and a score, and St. Brown had 97 yards on nine catches. Jahmyr Gibbs was held to 25 yards rushing on nine carries and 3 yards on three receptions.

Detroit had a season-high 10 penalties and allowed a season-high five sacks, looking rusty following a bye week.

"When you play poorly in all three phases of the game, that’s on the head coach," Campbell said. "I didn’t have this team ready to play out of the bye."

Injuries

Vikings: RB Aaron Jones suffered a shoulder injury after gaining 78 yards on nine carries and 20 yards on two catches. FB C.J. Ham (hand) and CB Jeff Okudah (concussion) were inactive and OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) returned from injury.

Lions: G Christian Mahogany was carted off with a knee injury midway through the fourth quarter, and Campbell hopes he can return in late December. G Tate Ratledge (shoulder) left the game and returned with an injury and CB Kerby Joseph (knee) was inactive.

Up next

Vikings: Host Baltimore next Sunday.

Lions: At Washington next Sunday.