Vikings Psyched Themselves Out Against RG3 and More NFC North News

I said it last week—if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Vikings defense had been successful running blitzes against the quarterbacks they faced. They weren't all-out, "bring the kitchen sink and light it on fire" blitzes, but they were effective a lot of the time.

They changed that against Robert Griffin III, and according to 1500 ESPN's Tom Pelissero, it killed them.

Now, of course you have to manage Griffin. You have to worry about him doing—well, pretty much what he did to them anyway.

However, you can't just sit back and let him look at the field, survey it and take his shots—including where he wants to run.

I'm not saying they should have leaned into over-aggressive territory, but you can't just sit back and act scared.

What brought you to the top of the division? Physical, tough, aggressive play. 

Why stop? Are you going to get spooked every time a talented quarterback steps in front of you? Rodgers isn't nearly as mobile as Griffin, but we've seen him kill teams with his feet anyway. Are you going to lay off him?

No, you don't do that. You go after him. You play the wide receivers physical, you play Rodgers physical and you stay aggressive.

If you're worried about Griffin running on you. spy on him, keep a safety on him—but don't lay back.

I'll watch this game again in a bit, but this team seems to have lost a little of that edge they had before the Titans game. They need that back.

This division remains wide open, but the Vikings only have a shot if they stay hungry, angry and aggressive.

Don't worry you might not stop Griffin.

Know that you're going to and play accordingly.

On to the rest of the division.

Chicago Bears

Rookie defensive end Shea McClellin is not satisfied with his progress this season, according to Adan Jahns of the Sun-Times.

The Lions' much-maligned special teams unit is preparing for Devin Hester, according the Tribune's Brad Biggs.

Bears vs. Lions

Aaron Nagler, Josh Zerkle and I give you an early breakdown on the upcoming Lions game. Enjoy!

Detroit Lions

Anwar Richardson of Mlive.com says this Lions team is just hair-pullingly frustrating to watch.

The Free Press' Dave Birkett has some grades for the Lions' victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Green Bay Packers

CheeseheadTV.com's Max Ginsberg delves into the aftermath of the victory over the Houston Texans.

Tyler Dunne of the Journal-Sentinel says Aaron Rodgers took the criticism he'd heard and turned it into an MVP effort.

Adam Czech of AllGreenbayPackers.com says it's not just Rodgers who answered some questions, but other players as well.

Minnesota Vikings

Arif Hasan of Bleacher Report gives you the biggest winners and losers of the game against the Redskins.

Brian Murphy says it was too little scoring by the Vikings and too much RG3 by the Redskins over at the Pioneer Press.

The Vikings are going to play in London next year, according to Pete Schauer of Bleacher Report.

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Follow me on Twitter at @andrew_garda.