The NFC North is playing at a level that the NFL has never really seen before. Only two other times in league history has an entire division finished with a winning record. The AFC North did it in 2023 and the NFC North did it last year. Somehow they’re on pace to top what they accomplished. Every team in the division has at least three more wins than losses so far this season. The Chicago Bears lead the pack at 7-2 with the Minnesota Vikings nipping at their heels at 6-2. They and the 6-3 Green Bay Packers will meet up for a titanic rematch on Sunday.
Chicago is sitting comfortably in their bye week, getting healthy and regrouping after a grueling stretch against top competition like New England, Seattle, and Tampa Bay. People are left wondering who will emerge from this Rumble in the North. Sure, the Bears hold the crown, but the competition is even fiercer than it was last season. Surely people around the league think another team will take it from them? Not according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Executives have said that as long as Chicago has Ben Johnson, they hold the decisive edge.
“Chicago is the best-coached,” an AFC executive said. “He’s elite. One of the best in the NFL and only in Year 2. One of the best offenses week-in and week-out, as well. Defense is solid. Caleb [Williams] just has to play within the scheme and they will win it easily, I believe.”
It takes a lot more to beat the Chicago Bears this year.
Last season, teams were able to jump on them early in games and build leads, forcing the Bears to scramble from behind. The strategy worked sometimes. Chicago finished 11-6. Trying that approach hasn’t worked this season. The Bears have hardly trailed in most of their games this season. Each of their losses came through extenuating circumstances. They fell to Minnesota in week two, 9-3, in a torrential downpour after losing Caleb Williams to a hamstring injury as he was running for what would’ve been a go-ahead score. A few weeks later, they were thumped 31-7 in Green Bay with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum at quarterback, who turned it over 5 times combined.
When the Chicago Bears have had Williams start and finish the game, they are 7-0 this season. The offense is 3rd overall in the league and 7th in points scored. Yet what makes them even scarier is the defense. It ranks 9th in both categories. They are the 6th-best defense against the run and already have 26 sacks this season. They had 35 all of last year. You’ve already added Jeffery Simmons to the mix, and Coby Bryant has a good shot at returning next month. This helps you understand why the Bears are favored.
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Johnson knows the hard part is still ahead.
He said last year that the goal was always to get the team to a point where they’re playing their best football in December and January. The saying goes that the NFL doesn’t salute its champions in October and November. Johnson understands that the toughest tests are still to come. They have four division games remaining on the schedule, including two in Minnesota and Detroit, respectively. They also have to face Buffalo and Jacksonville, two of the AFC’s hottest teams.
The Bears have a reputation for not being able to beat other teams in the division. There is a good chance Buffalo or Jacksonville could be their opponent if they reach the Super Bowl. These next 8 weeks will say a lot about who this team is. They believe they are built for the big moments. It is about time they started proving it. The rest of the NFL is watching.
