In the other three NFC divisions, a team that goes 4-2 would tie for at least first place. In the NFC North, they are at the bottom of the division standings at 4-2.

The NFC North teams – the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings – have a 16-4 record in non-division games this season and have the four largest point gaps in the division six weeks into the 2024 season NFL on.

Minnesota, with an average points margin of 12.6 points per game, and Detroit, with an average points margin of 12.0 points per game, occupy the top two spots in point differential entering their Week 7 meeting.

The Vikings and Lions will face off at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday at noon CDT.

For the Detroit secondary, that means having to deal with wide receiver Justin Jefferson, whose career average of 97.7 receiving yards per game is the best in NFL history of any player with more than four seasons in the league.

“He’s going to get the ball,” Lions safety Brian Branch said of Jefferson. “Great route runner, he’s got some speed, and he’s a dog, so shoot, dog hit dog.”

At 5-0, Minnesota holds one of the NFL’s two undefeated records. Detroit has a record of 4-1.

“It’s almost like the Rams offense, only with better receivers,” Branch said of the matchup with the Vikings. “(Quarterback) Sam Darnold, they’re playing great football right now. Can’t lie. They have a lot of weapons there. Jordan Addison is also a great receiver. Sam Darnold actually caught my eye. I didn’t know he was like that, but he plays good football.”

Branch, a second-round draft pick out of Alabama, finished fifth in voting for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award last season and helped the Lions to their first playoff berth since 2016 and their first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991.

But that didn’t stop Detroit from changing Branch’s position for his second NFL season. Branch will initially be a nickel corner in 2023 and a security in 2024.

Branch responded with 21 solo tackles, three interceptions, nine passes defended and one forced fumble in four games.

“In this scheme, shooting (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) puts me in the right positions where I can get more picks,” Branch said. “And I think that’s what I like more about safety than nickel. I put more eyes on the quarterback instead of just playing as a man. You know, it’s just more things I can do safely.”

The Lions paired Branch at safety with Kerby Joseph, who has four interceptions in his third season in Detroit’s secondary.

Glenn said the safety positions play a key role in the success of its defense because of “the variety of different coverages” Detroit plays.

“This requires security measures that can communicate at a high level,” Glenn said. “That’s the first thing. Secondly, we need security guards who can provide man coverage and that applies to our defense across the board. And thirdly, safeties who are very instinctive and understand where the ball is going and can play the ball.

“As you can see, our boys are doing really well. And that’s exactly how the system is designed, and I love security systems that can work this way. I think it allows you to play your corners with leverage, it gives your safeties a little bit of freedom within the defense to make plays, and we have one of the better ones in Brian Branch who is very instinctive and can play down, reflect that can. And then Kerby is in the middle of the field and can do a lot. His range to find the ball is incredible.”

Of Branch’s 18 games last season, he played fewer than 75 percent of the defensive snaps in 10 of them. This safety season, Branch has been on the field for 92 percent of defensive snaps in his four games.