There\u2019s a lot of corn between Minneapolis and Detroit. And a lot of good football. I\u2019ve been happily racking up miles on my rental car to traverse five states and watch each of the NFC North teams. The division is the deepest in the NFL, with a real shot of producing a Super Bowl team. It\u2019s not hyperbolic to say that any one of the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings could chase a title. So here\u2019s what I learned along the way \u2014 with a few thoughts on other happenings around the league. This is Sound Smart, where I try to spin forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines. EAGAN, Minn. \u2014 Vikings quarterbacks Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy dropped back next to each other \u2014 feet apart \u2014 and ripped passes downfield at the exact same moment. There\u2019s something unique and aesthetically pleasing about two quarterbacks competing for one spot. Their warm-ups are like watching Formula 1 teammates trying to pass each other \u2014 careful and synchronized but not always cordial. The Vikings are doing everything they can not to pick a favorite, in what they say and in what they do. But fair is never fair. Not really. Even if head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell and passing game coordinator\/QB coach Josh McCown aren\u2019t picking favorites, Murray is the betting favorite to win the job. He’s the better and more experienced player. And it\u2019s hard to imagine O\u2019Connell picking McCarthy after the young QB face-planted in his first NFL action last year. The practice I saw last Monday didn\u2019t exactly make the case for McCarthy. The QBs were evenly matched all practice until the 2-minute drive, which concluded the session. The simulation set up the offense with 75 seconds remaining in the second quarter, with the Vikings down 13-10. The drive started from Minnesota\u2019s 25-yard line. It stands to reason that the Vikings wanted to score, but not at the cost of a turnover. Since 2022, the Vikings are 20-2 when winning the turnover battle, per FOX Sports Research. They rank fifth among all teams in that span. Chew on that stat as you read what comes next. Murray\u2019s drive was ugly \u2014 with a throwaway and another pass that went to no one, an apparent miscommunication with his receiver (or a miscue by the QB). The end result would\u2019ve been a punt to the opposing offense with less than a minute left on the clock. On McCarthy\u2019s drive, he nearly threw an interception on his first pass, only to toss the ball to cornerback Byron Murphy on the drive\u2019s third play. It was a turnover \u2014 and a mistake likely worth between three and seven points. That play felt emblematic of what\u2019s to come with this QB competition. It\u2019s only nominally close. For those watching intently, the winner is already obvious. It\u2019s going to be Murray. And when he wins, it\u2019s going to be exciting to see the way this offense shapes itself to him. “Kyler is a unique athlete,” McCown told me last week. “It’s just making sure that we’re buttoned up on where we’re supposed to be when [he] gets outside the pocket and giving him opportunities to maximize his skill set when he does move around. “But obviously, it starts with being in the pocket and playing within rhythm and within our scheme, too. So you balance those things accordingly, but also want to give way to a guy who does have a unique skill set.” The beauty of this offense is that it\u2019s like an expensive golf club. If the golfer (Murray or McCarthy) can let the club do the work, then that\u2019ll be enough. Receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, tight end T.J. Hockenson and running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are all\u00a0very good players. “Every throw you make, we want you to believe in that throw and feel great about it and trust your eyes and all that. But at the same time, don’t feel like you have to put your Superman cape on and win this specific down for us with one throw,” McCown told me. “You\u2019re not going to win one game with one throw.” It\u2019ll be a mindset shift for Murray, who had to carry the offense, year after year, with the Arizona Cardinals. But if he can cut out the hero ball (and the untimely turnovers) and let the skill players do the work for the offense, the Vikings will make the playoffs. So far, so good. “I think mentally, he\u2019s definitely ahead of where I thought,” O\u2019Connell told reporters this weekend. And just because Murray has always been the likely winner, that doesn\u2019t mean the QB competition was a sham. It\u2019s almost inevitable that both Murray and McCarthy play for the Vikings in 2026. The Cardinals essentially benched Murray last year, so that\u2019s always possible in Minnesota. But more likely, it’ll be an injury, considering Murray has missed at least three games in four of the past five seasons. McCarthy will likely have to play, and when he does, these training camp reps will serve the Vikings well. “He is showing that improvement, and everybody’s arc is different,” McCown said of McCarthy, who missed his rookie year of 2024 with a knee injury. “We’ll continue to develop him into the player we think he can be.” If the Vikings do, in fact, make the playoffs (whether by playing multiple quarterbacks or just one), then O\u2019Connell should retain his crown as the NFL\u2019s Top QB Guru. If the Vikings and their QBs struggle, well, we can cross that bridge if we get there. ALLEN PARK, Mich. \u2014 It\u2019s not exactly a gilded age for running backs. But it\u2019s safe to say they matter again, both schematically and financially. Just ask Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who signed a three-year extension worth $67.5 million, with a record $22.5 million average for a running back. As is the nature of a market-setting deal, Gibbs\u2019 contract will echo across the NFL\u2019s financial landscape. Just like Bijan Robinson\u2019s recent deal, which was a three-year, $66.5 million extension with the Atlanta Falcons, Gibbs\u2019 contract advances the market \u2014 meaning more money for running backs at every level, particularly at the top. That\u2019s, no doubt, why Gibbs\u2019 phone was blowing up with texts from superstars across the NFL. Gibbs said that Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, David Montgomery and De\u2019Von Achane reached out to “show love.” “We\u2019re all in this together,” Gibbs said. Looking at the fine details of Gibbs\u2019 deal, the good news is that $51.5 million is guaranteed. It\u2019s just that he won\u2019t see $22.3 million until 2029 (in salary) and the remaining $21.3 million until 2030. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s a bad deal by any means, but it\u2019s backloaded \u2014 which makes it more team-friendly than the numbers originally revealed. It\u2019s a big step in the right direction, however, that 1) two running backs (Gibbs and Robinson) successfully conducted hold-ins and 2) Gibbs was able to cash in about $16 million in new money in 2026 and Robinson will get $18.7 million this season. It\u2019s worth noting that, while at Lions camp, I saw how badly the Lions need Gibbs’ explosiveness. There simply wasn\u2019t the same level of offensive threat without Gibbs leading the run game (especially after David Montgomery was traded to the Houston Texans this offseason). All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was a superstar, as usual, and speedster Jameson Williams popped for big plays. But the offense, as a whole, didn\u2019t look consistent. At times, it looked lost. That’s because Detroit’s identity starts with the run game, which is to say that it starts with Gibbs. He used that leverage. And his value was very real. “This process was extremely stressful, because I just wanted to play ball,” Gibbs said on Friday after practice, during which he was limited, still ramping up to full participation. “I missed being out there with my teammates and coaches. It\u2019s just fun being out there right now with my pads and stuff on. It just feels a lot better.” I was one of many who didn\u2019t like the Cardinals drafting running back\u00a0Jeremiyah Love at the top of Round 1. I still don\u2019t love it. The problem is that a rookie\u2019s contract (even a top-five pick) can provide teams with rare value at a premium position like QB, edge, left tackle, receiver or even cornerback. A top-five rookie running back, however, isn\u2019t going to be a bargain. After all these deals, Love now ranks 10th among running backs in average annual value. That\u2019s better. And when adding up Love\u2019s high draft selection and salary alongside extensions for Achane, Gibbs and Robinson this offseason, it\u2019s clear: Running backs matter again. Money talks. Teams care about RBs again. GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2014 Packers star edge Micah Parsons said he\u2019s still sometimes using crutches following his late December surgery to repair his ACL and meniscus. He\u2019s not yet in the change-of-direction phase of his rehab. He\u2019s just working through plyometric exercises. But he was clear: Don\u2019t worry\u00a0for him. Worry\u00a0about him. “I think when you come out of these situations, you\u2019re either going to be better or you\u2019re worse. And for me, I\u2019ve done everything I possibly can to be better,” Parsons said at Lambeau Field last Tuesday. “People are worried about the knee. They should be worried about how I\u2019m going to play when I get back. The anger, the frustration \u2014 the things that I\u2019m going to have to let out because of how long it\u2019s been since I played. “I think that\u2019s what people should really worry about: How great is Micah going to be when he gets back? Not about when I get back because that\u2019s the short term. It\u2019s about how great I\u2019m going to be, how I can help my teammates, and how far we\u2019re going to go into a playoff run.” The Packers traded for Parsons ahead of the 2025 season. It was one of the biggest trades for a defender in NFL history. And it preceded the biggest contract for a non-quarterback \u2014 ever. He played 14 games and logged 12.5 sacks before suffering the injury, which can take years for a full recovery, even if players tend to return to the field after nine months. But Parsons didn\u2019t sound like Eeyore. Not in the slightest. “I feel like a much better player in the sense of how I feel. I feel more stable. I feel stronger. You know, I probably was blind to a lot of things that I probably should have been working on that I got a chance to correct and get stronger during this process,” Parsons said. He seems to have taken on a new attention to detail around his body, his strength-building, his stretching and his recovery. He said he\u2019s focused on the process \u2014 not upon the timetable for his return. He wouldn\u2019t give an exact week of the NFL season when he wanted to play. That said, there is one game that everyone (except for those in Dallas) would like to see Parsons on the field. And that\u2019s for Packers-Cowboys in Week 6 on Oct. 18. “I think it\u2019s very realistic,” Parsons said. “Me and the staff, we\u2019ve got to put the work in. We\u2019ve got to get to the point where I\u2019m feeling great, and we say, \u2018Micah, you\u2019ll be in a really good phase.\u2019 Is it possible? Yes.” Normally, the Hall of Fame Game doesn\u2019t move me. It\u2019s not a big deal when a quarterback converts a clutch third down \u2014 not when it\u2019s the first preseason matchup. But Cardinals third-round pick Carson Beck did something impressive with what is normally a throwaway opportunity. This throw exemplified a sharp performance from Beck. And it revealed the QB competition that is quietly brewing in Arizona. And there wasn\u2019t really supposed to be a QB competition. When the Cardinals drafted Beck in Round 3, it wasn\u2019t a pick that screamed: This guy\u2019s our starter! And to that point, Jacoby Brissett decided to hold out, knowing that he should be QB1. He managed to get a reworked, one-year deal worth $15.5 million. But unintentionally, Brissett also seems to have opened the door to lose his starting job. It\u2019s oh-so early in training camp (and preseason), but Beck lit up his first preseason performance. (And now he’s going viral for no-look passes at padded practice?!) Now is when everyone says:\u00a0Oh, but the Panthers only played vanilla defenses! Oh, but the backups were in! Oh, but Carson Beck is just the reincarnation of Kenny Pickett! That might all be true. But Beck only did what he could, playing a sensational game that no doubt left the Cardinals wanting to see more. If he can keep this up \u2014 and his game looks polished as they throw him into higher-difficulty situations \u2014 then he could earn the starting job. We were already likely to see him this season. Now I\u2019m wondering if we\u2019ll see him in Week 1. If there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve observed about Bears coach Ben Johnson, it\u2019s that he takes things personally. He doesn\u2019t suppress his emotions. He works with them. Take, for example, the widespread conversation about how the Bears might regress. In a sit-down with him earlier this offseason, he needled me for bringing up the historical trend of teams regressing after playing as many close victories as the Bears did in 2025. Johnson later went out of his way to bring that topic up at a press conference: “We\u2019re the No. 1 candidate for regression.” In terms of his boiling emotions, Johnson has also clearly enjoyed provoking a WWE-level rivalry with the Packers. So maybe it shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that, when I asked Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for his best story about Ben Johnson, Detroit’s former offensive coordinator, he shared this. “It’s always funny watching Ben on game days,” St. Brown told me. “He got super amped up when he was here, especially when he was calling plays. He would talk s— to the opposing defensive coordinators, but he’s so far away they can’t hear him. But we can see him on the sideline talking s—.” That\u2019s the love of the game right there. Just a coach, talking smack to an opponent that can\u2019t even hear him. “He’s a competitor, man. He loves winning, and I think we see similarities in each other. I think that’s why we got along so well,” St. Brown told me. “When he first got the OC job, I went up to his office a few times. \u2026 We’ve had some deep conversations. We both felt like we could be better. He’s kind of like me \u2014 he wants to be the best every time. He’s a perfectionist.” Every single current and former player will attest to Johnson\u2019s character and coaching. “I love Ben, man. That’s my dog,” St. Brown said. That makes the story, and the NFC North rivalry, all the more enjoyable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There\u2019s a lot of corn between Minneapolis and Detroit. And a lot of good football. I\u2019ve been happily racking up miles on my rental car to traverse five states and watch each of the NFC North teams. The division is the deepest in the NFL, with a real shot of producing a Super Bowl team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlinebettingnewyork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33189"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlinebettingnewyork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlinebettingnewyork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlinebettingnewyork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/onlinebettingnewyork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33189\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlinebettingnewyork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlinebettingnewyork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlinebettingnewyork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}