Who knew that a Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles alliance would completely flip the NFC North division upside down? The Eagles have beaten the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in consecutive weeks, enabling the Bears to rise to first place. The only thing which is clear in this division is that the Minnesota Vikings have a lot of work to do. The Bears are have risen to the top, while the Packers and Lions are good teams with a lot of concerns. It is anybody’s game in the NFC North right now.
Here are my takeaways from Week 11 in the NFC North for each team:
(7-3) Chicago Bears
For the first time since 2018, the Bears are in first place in the NFC North. The Bears have had quite the help from the Eagles, as Philadelphia knocked out both Detroit and the Packers in the last couple of weeks. That alliance with the Eagles will hit it’s end in Week 13 when both teams meet up on Black Friday. If things continue to go the Bears’ way, they could still have control over the NFC North heading into that matchup. Right now, things have been going nothing but the Bears’ way. Even in games where Caleb does not play well, this team figures things out and still chalk up a win. Without two of their starting corners for the majority of this season, the defense still leads the NFL in takeaways. The Bears’ pass rush and running back room are two areas that were looked at as weaknesses in the offseason; now, they are faring pretty well over the last few weeks. Ben Johnson has panned out better than expected, and he has this Bears team hunting for more than just a playoff berth in year 1.
(6-3-1) Green Bay Packers
At this point, the Chicago Bears might be the safer team to put your trust in than the Green Bay Packers. When this team loses, their weaknesses are on full display. Losing Tucker Kraft is a loss that has been detrimental to this offense. The Packers’ defense is good, but it is not a defense that can completely take an offense out of the game like it did in the first weeks. I think the Packers will be the team that finishes third in this division. Jordan Love is not the type of quarterback to make up for this offense’s deficiencies, and so far, this offense is trending in the direction of getting worse rather than getting better. If Denver, Baltimore, Detroit, and the Bears are twice left off this schedule, do not be surprised if this team is watching the playoffs from home.
(6-4) Detroit Lions
The Lions put up quite the performance against the Washington Commanders, where the offense put up a whopping 44 points. With Dan Campbell not happy with where the offense was, he took matters into his own hands and took over playcalling duties. While that move paid off against Washington, a terrible defense, against the Eagles, not so much. Detroit is definitely missing its elite offensive coordinator, now Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. This team is not the same overly dominant offensive juggernaut team it once wasThey are a good football team, but their days of running away with the NFC North are over. The Bears sitting at the top right now is a clear indication of that. More than likely the Lions will be in the playoffs once again, but it is not a guarantee they will make it as the division winner.
(4-6) Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are the team in this division that is in the worst spot. J.J. McCarthy, in only 5 games as a starter, but at some point, he has already thrown 8 interceptions to his 6 touchdowns. Rookies need time to develop and work through the growing pains but at some point there has to be some flashes that give hope instead of just growing pains. To make things look worse, many quarterbacks have come into Minnesota and have had success. Losing their sixth game of the season now, Minnesota has played itself out of contention for the NFC North crown, and its chances to get in the playoffs are really slim.
Overview
The NFC North is a three-team race right now, and each of the three teams has an equal chance at winning the division. The Vikings have to sit back and watch from a distance, hoping McCarthy can put together a stretch of progressive games. The Vikings have already done it once, but don’t be surprised if they play spoiler again and possibly impact the Packers’ chances of getting to the playoffs. The NFC North division could come down to the last week, and that matchup will feature the Bears and the Lions. What a turnaround this season has been for this division.