The NFC North opened the 2026 season looking a lot like the 2025 version, and that’s bad news for Detroit.
Chicago jumped to the top of the division picture after a 59-point Week 1 explosion, while the Lions already have the same old issue hanging over them: a defense that can make even a strong offense feel like it’s walking a tightrope. Detroit beat the New Orleans Saints, but the second-half and overtime collapse on defense - all 30 Saints points allowed after halftime - is the kind of thing that keeps showing up on this roster.
That’s why the early NFC North pecking order has the Lions sitting behind the Bears, even after Detroit started 1-0. The gap isn’t about talent on offense.
The Lions can score with anybody. The problem is whether the rest of the roster can hold up long enough to make that firepower matter in the standings.
Here’s how the division stacks up after Week 1:
- Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Green Bay got punched in the second half and never recovered, getting outscored by 26 points after halftime in a 17-point loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers are solid, but they don’t look like a team with the same ceiling as Detroit or Chicago.
The offensive line is a real concern, and the pass rush is shaky until Micah Parsons returns. Right now, Green Bay has enough personnel questions on both sides of the ball to make it hard to see them as a serious division threat.
- Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
The Vikings had to deal with an early concussion for Kyler Murray, but Carson Wentz was good enough to keep things moving. The drop-off from Murray to Wentz may not be as dramatic as some would think.
Still, Minnesota’s quarterback situation remains uneasy no matter who’s taking the snaps, and that kind of uncertainty can come back around in November and December. The Vikings’ win was impressive, but they’re not out of the danger zone.
- Detroit Lions (1-0)
Detroit got the win, but the defensive issues were impossible to ignore. The Saints piled up all 30 of their points in the second half and overtime, which is exactly the sort of breakdown the Lions need to stop living with.
The offense is explosive enough to cover a lot of flaws, but that same formula can also leave Detroit stuck in another 9-8 type of season, and that might not be enough to get back into the playoffs. The one thing working in the Lions’ favor is that Chicago has its own defensive problems, so this race may end up being decided by which unit is less damaging.
- Chicago Bears (1-0)
Chicago’s Week 1 statement was loud. Fifty-nine points is a number that jumps off the page, and Caleb Williams looked like a high-end quarterback while Ben Johnson continued to look like a coach on the rise, maybe already a top-10 guy at his position.
The Bears have young offensive talent everywhere, and with Williams leading the way, there’s not much they can’t do on that side of the ball. But there’s a catch: the pass rush is basically invisible, and the secondary got exposed by Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers.
Even so, Chicago probably has the higher offensive ceiling than Detroit right now. The Lions may still have an edge they can lean on at times, which is why this could still turn into a tight race down the stretch. For the moment, though, the Bears sit at the top of the NFC North.
In Other News...
Lions Have Clear Risers And One Growing Concern Before Buffalo
The Lions got the kind of win that can strengthen a locker room and sharpen a coaching staffs eye at the same time. After building a 21-point lead and then surviving overtime against the Saints, Detroit had plenty to like from a handful of players who helped steady the finish, including Alex Anzalone, DAndre Swift and Aidan Hutchinson, with several rookies also making useful contributions along the way.
Buffalo is waiting on Thursday night, which means the turnaround is short and the margin for slippage is thinner than usual. A comeback win can buy some goodwill, but the Lions still have a growing concern to sort through before they line up against one of the AFCs tougher opponents, especially after letting a big lead turn into a longer, more stressful afternoon than it needed to be. [Read more 🡒]
Lions May Have Finally Found The Defensive Edge They Needed
For all the attention on Detroits second-half defensive wobble against the New Orleans Saints, the opening act was hard to ignore. The Lions came out with the kind of front-seven energy that can change a game, finishing Week 1 with a league-leading 26 pressures and turning that heat into five sacks. Aidan Hutchinson was right in the middle of it, and the overall rush gave the defense something it can build on even as the rest of the unit tried to settle in.
The challenge now is making that edge a weekly identity instead of a promising flash. Detroit still has work to do in the secondary, and the pass rush will not always get to feast the way it did in the opener. But if the Lions can keep forcing quarterbacks off their spots while the back end tightens up, they may have found the kind of defensive formula that changes the tone of their season. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Already Face A Jahmyr Gibbs Problem They Can't Ignore
The Lions spent the offseason reshaping their backfield around Jahmyr Gibbs, moving on from David Montgomery with the idea that Gibbs would become the featured running back. In the opener against the Saints, that plan was on full display, as Gibbs handled a massive share of the offense and turned it into 186 yards from scrimmage while looking every bit like the centerpiece Detroit wants him to be.
The bigger question now is how often that kind of workload can hold up. Dan Campbell acknowledged after the game that what Gibbs took on in the opener may not be something the Lions can ask of him every week, and that leaves Detroit with an immediate depth issue behind him. For a team built to lean on the run, finding a reliable backup plan is no small matter, especially with the season still just getting started. [Read more 🡒]