Earlier in Week 7, the Chicago Bears hosted the New England Patriots for Amazon Prime's Thursday Night Football. It turned out to be, despite some bumps in the road, a signature win on the Bears' schedule. They are now 5-2 with a roster that appears to be ready for a deep playoff run.
There is a lot of football to be played both in the regular season and then in the postseason, but the Bears look like they are prepared to be a Super Bowl contender when they are at the top of their game. Before any of that, they need to actually qualify for the playoffs with a reasonably healthy roster.
Part of that is competing in the NFC North, which is arguably the best division in the NFL. Every team is over .500 and has been going back to last year. On Sunday,
the Bears were the only ones idle from the group, but there was plenty of action from around the North.
Minnesota Vikings
During the noon slate of games, the Minnesota Vikings hosted the Indianapolis Colts. For a while, it looked like the Colts were going to pull off the major upset, but Minnesota emerged with a 16-10 win. They fired their general manager last week and are clearly a franchise going through major change, and there seemed to be some sort of boost that came with that early in the football game.
Neither team's offense shined, but the Vikings scored just enough in the end to squeak past the Colts. Each team's defense, on the other hand, played very well. Minnesota held Indianapolis to just 10 points, which allowed them to move to 6-0 on the season. The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs both lost on Sunday, so the Vikings are the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL. The '72 Dolphins won't be the only team that celebrates when they finally drop one.
Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers
During the late afternoon window, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions played against each other at Ford Field. Although the Bears would technically benefit from either team losing, they would benefit more if the Packers lost, and it has nothing to do with the rivalry aspect.
When Caleb Williams was injured, Green Bay beat the Bears at Lambeau Field. That gives them an advantage, knowing the Bears only have one more try to beat them, and it won't come until Christmas Day. Chicago still has two more chances to play the Lions, so they control their destiny against them a little bit more.
For better or worse, Detroit also isn't as much of a mental block for the Bears, and that has everything to do with the rivalry. Getting multiple games ahead of the Packers should be considered important for the Bears at this point. Only time will tell if they can catch Minnesota, but it should be a goal. Whoever wins the NFC North could be the number one seed, which gets a bye, and it's better to play playoff games at home as opposed to on the road.
Looking ahead
In Week 7, the Bears were the first NFC North team to play. In Week 8, they will be the last as they head to Washington state to take on the Seattle Seahawks. On Thursday, the Packers will open Week 8 by hosting the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. On Sunday, the Vikings and the Lions will face each other. Once again, the Bears could use a Lions victory.
Playing in a division as competitive as the NFC North has pros and cons. A con is that you are always looking over your shoulder as a team. The rivals aren't going to lose much, and that puts pressure on you. The pro is that the pressure could create a competitive mindset all season. They can't take any days off from the start of the year until the end, and that could play a role in having the tools you need to win in the playoffs. It won't feel different playing in the postseason if you've been fighting for your life since September.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: How the NFC North did on Sunday while the Bears were idle
