The NFC North keeps looking less like a division race and more like a weekly heavyweight tournament. Through nine weeks, all four teams are at least three games over .500, and the Bears, Packers, and Lions are all pushing hard at the top while the Vikings are sliding the other way.
Chicago still sits alone in first after surviving its roughest outing in a while, a 27-24 escape over the Buccaneers. Green Bay is right behind it after a convincing 45-27 win over the Patriots, and Detroit kept itself in the mix with a 19-9 victory over Miami. Minnesota, meanwhile, took the hardest hit of the week in a 23-6 loss to Buffalo.
- Chicago Bears finally grab the division lead
The Bears are in first place now, and they earned it by winning a game that got messy fast. Ben Johnson’s team has shown it can light up the scoreboard, but Week 9 was different: Chicago had five turnovers and still found a way to beat Tampa Bay.
That matters. It showed the Bears can survive when the offense isn’t clean, which is something they hadn’t really proven before. At the same time, there’s plenty to clean up during the Week 10 bye.
Todd Bowles gave the rest of the league a clear formula for bothering Caleb Williams: get him out of rhythm and make him deal with pressure. If Chicago doesn’t figure out how to handle blitzes better, its Super Bowl hopes could take a hit.
Next game: Sunday, Nov. 22nd vs. Saints
- Green Bay Packers are surging behind Jordan Love
The Packers may not have much of a run game, but they don’t seem to need one right now. Jordan Love was one of the best players in the league in Week 9, uncorking deep throws and hitting on them over and over again.
Christian Watson and Matthew Golden have become a major problem for opposing defenses, and that passing game is carrying Green Bay into the heart of the season. On defense, the Packers are already producing top-five results even without their best player. Once Micah Parsons is back, this group could be loaded on both sides of the ball.
Green Bay started slowly, but the momentum is clearly building. If the Packers knock off the Vikings this weekend, they could jump the Bears at the top of this ranking.
Next game: Sunday, Nov. 15th vs. Vikings
- Detroit Lions keep hanging around
Detroit’s 19-9 win over Miami wasn’t exactly a statement, especially against a Dolphins defense that had been one of the league’s weakest through the first eight weeks. The Lions only managed 19 points, and the offense didn’t carry over the kind of momentum they had been building.
Even so, the win was their fourth straight, and the defense is starting to look more like itself. After opening the year as the worst defense in the league, Detroit has climbed to 11th in EPA per play since Week 6.
This team still has flaws, but it can go punch for punch with anybody.
Next game: Sunday, Nov. 15th vs. Patriots
- Minnesota Vikings are fading fast
The last undefeated team in the NFL now looks like the weakest club in its own division.
Minnesota’s offense never looked like a true contender’s unit, but it was at least holding together through the first seven weeks. Over the last two, it has fallen apart. The Week 9 loss to Buffalo was especially rough, with Carson Wentz completing less than a third of his passes.
Brian Flores might be the best assistant coach in the league, but that alone can’t make up for everything else. The Vikings look headed for a continued slide in the NFC North.
In Other News...
Bears Spotlight Turns Uncomfortable After NBC Sparks Backlash
Sunday night at Soldier Field delivered the kind of stage the Bears usually want, with a prime-time matchup against the Buccaneers and a 27-24 win to match. But the broadcast drew attention for a different reason, as NBC did not air the national anthem before kickoff during Veterans Day Week, a choice that quickly stirred reaction online.
Fans and veterans criticized the omission on social media, turning what should have been a straightforward game presentation into a broader conversation about timing and respect. NBC has not addressed the backlash, leaving the issue hanging even as the Bears moved on with a victory that otherwise would have been the nights biggest storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Booker Is Changing A Bears Deadline Decision Fast
Austin Booker has turned himself into a much more important part of the Bears' pass rush than anyone probably expected this time a few weeks ago. He has taken a clear step forward as a rusher, showing up in multiple defensive categories and reaching a career-high 5.0 sacks while carving out a bigger role in the rotation, even without being a full-time starter.
That kind of emergence matters because Chicago just added Jeffery Simmons, a move that should raise the floor of the entire front. With Simmons now in the mix and Booker trending up, the Bears suddenly have a different calculation to make as the deadline approaches, especially with a familiar name like Khalil Mack still hovering around the conversation. The question is no longer just whether Chicago can add help up front, but whether it still needs to chase it. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Calls Out Bears After Chaotic Win Over Buccaneers
The Bears 27-24 win over the Buccaneers at Soldier Field on Nov. 8 had plenty of the usual chaos that comes with a tight NFC game, from multiple interceptions to Jaylon Johnsons 67-yard pick-six. Chicago also got the kind of late lift it has been chasing all season, with Cairo Santos delivering the finishing touch after a back-and-forth afternoon that never really settled into rhythm.
Baker Mayfields postgame comments added another layer to the mess, as he pointed to the false start problems that kept putting Tampa Bay behind the chains. Some of those issues were tied to the Bears defensive cadence, a detail that mattered in a game where every snap seemed to carry a little extra tension and every mistake had a way of swinging the momentum back toward Chicago. [Read more 🡒]