The NFC North still belongs to Minnesota, even if the Bears keep making noise.
Chicago’s 30-24 win over the Patriots was the kind of result that turns heads, but it still leaves the Bears a game and a half back in the division race. The Vikings, meanwhile, stayed undefeated with a 16-10 win over the Colts and continue to sit just out of reach at the top.
Week 7 also tightened the picture in other ways. Detroit’s 20-17 win over Green Bay pulled the Lions back into the mix, while the Packers’ loss halted what looked like a possible surge. After seven weeks, the division has three teams with a real case to stay in the hunt.
- Minnesota Vikings
No one in this division has a better record, and that alone keeps Minnesota at No. 1. The wins haven’t always been flashy, but the Vikings have found a way to keep stacking them anyway.
Kyler Murray is playing like an average NFL quarterback, and that’s been enough with Brian Flores' wizardry on defense. That combination has made Minnesota a contender despite the lack of dominant performances.
The next test could matter plenty. Their Week 8 matchup with Detroit should say a lot, and if the Vikings win there, they may be able to keep control of the division the rest of the way.
Next game: Sunday, Nov. 1st @ Lions
- Chicago Bears
Chicago is still chasing Minnesota, but the Bears have put together enough explosive football to stay very much in the conversation. If you set aside the two games where the offense completely fell apart, this has been one of the league’s most dynamic units.
Caleb Williams has kept the engine moving, and if he maintains this pace, Ben Johnson’s offense is going to land in elite territory by season’s end.
There’s also been a pleasant surprise on the other side of the ball. Dennis Allen’s defense has been merely average, but considering the holes on that unit, that’s a solid place to be.
- Detroit Lions
Detroit’s win over Green Bay moved the Lions to within half a game of Chicago, and now they’re positioned to keep climbing. Jared Goff has been on point all season, and the defense appears to be getting healthier at the right time.
That makes the Lions a live threat again, especially with Minnesota coming to town in Week 8. If Detroit wins that one, the conversation around the NFC North changes quickly.
Next game: Sunday, Nov. 1st vs. Vikings
- Green Bay Packers
Green Bay entered Week 7 looking ready to make a push. The offense had started to click, Josh Jacobs was working his way back into the mix, and Micah Parsons’ return looked close.
Then the Packers ran into Detroit and stalled out. The loss dropped Green Bay to 4-3 and left them needing more consistency before the season gets away from them.
The talent is still there, and the Packers are absolutely in the playoff picture. But for now, they’re sitting behind the division’s top three and trying to smooth out the rough edges.
In Other News...
Bears Suddenly Face A Big Offensive Problem After Cole Kmet Injury
Cole Kmets season-ending knee injury leaves the Bears with more than a personnel problem, it strips away one of the more stable pieces in their offense at a time when they were still trying to sort out roles. The injury, suffered against the Patriots, forces Chicago to rethink how it wants to line up and operate without one of its most trusted tight ends on the field.
Ben Johnson has already started exploring ways to cover for the loss, and that could mean some unconventional looks as the Bears try to preserve their run-game identity and blocking presence. Rookie Sam Roush is also in line for a bigger workload, which makes the next stretch a real test of how quickly Chicago can patch together production from a position that suddenly looks a lot thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Suddenly Have A New Problem Ahead Of Seahawks Showdown
The Seahawks just gave their offensive front a major jolt, landing Quenton Nelson from Indianapolis as part of the fallout from the Colts decision to move on from their general manager. Nelson is an eight-time Pro Bowl guard on an expiring contract, and his arrival gives Seattle a proven interior blocker at exactly the point in the season when line play starts to matter even more. For a Bears defense getting ready for a Week 8 trip to Seattle, it is the kind of late-week development that can force a second look at the matchup plan.
Chicago now has to account for the possibility that Nelson is in uniform when the teams meet, which would change the balance inside against a Seahawks offense that already had a reason to feel better about its front. Even if the timing of the move leaves some uncertainty around how quickly he can fit in, the Bears suddenly have another name to worry about before a game that was already shaping up to test them in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Face A Trade Deadline Decision Beyond The Obvious Pass Rusher
The Bears are widely expected to shop for help at edge rusher before the NFL trade deadline, and the most obvious name floating around remains Khalil Mack. But the search may not stop there. Chicago has reason to look at a wider range of options, especially if it wants a move that fits both the present push and the longer view of the roster, with several available pass rushers offering different combinations of age, contract status and recent production.
Tuli Tuipulotu stands out as the kind of younger alternative that could appeal to a team trying to balance urgency with upside, while Josh Sweat, KLavon Chaisson and others add different layers to the board. Yaya Diaby and Jermaine Johnson also fit into that conversation as players who could bring upside while carrying the kind of deadline pressure that often makes teams more willing to listen. For Chicago, the real decision is not just whether to add an edge rusher, but which profile best matches what this defense needs now and what it can still afford to pay for later. [Read more 🡒]