With Five Weeks Left To Play, Who Is The Best Team In The NFC North?

We learned a lot about the NFC North in Week 13.

The Bears answered many questions about the true talent of their first-place team.

Although inconsistent, the Packers once again showed their potential as a team, completing the regular-season sweep of the Lions.

The Lions, somehow in third place in the NFC North, have yet to show the production they consistently produced in 2024.

And the Vikings may be closer to drafting a quarterback than extending their current one.

With five weeks left to play, are these claims likely to remain true, or are they reactionary to the three significant results we saw this past week?

#1 Chicago Bears (9-3)

The NFC North is no stranger to being the most competitive division.

Last season, the Lions and Vikings made up the best two records in the NFC, with the Packers winning 11 games and reaching the playoffs as well.

With some shuffling in the standings, the NFC North seems to be on a similar trajectory, with three teams in contention to reach the postseason.

It just happens to have the only team that missed the playoffs last year leading the pack.

The Chicago Bears entered Week 13 at the top of the NFC North, but with plenty of question marks surrounding their record.

Due to their record in the season prior, the Bears had a schedule that only featured two teams currently in a playoff position in their first 11 games.

While any victory in the NFL should be respected, Chicago would really be put to the test in their final five games, which becomes a gauntlet.

That first test was on Black Friday, on the road against the defending Super Bowl Champions, where the Bears shocked the Eagles.

In a 24-15 win, the Bears dominated on the ground, with Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift combining for 255 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Of all the things first-year Head Coach Brian Johnson is known for offensively, developing a rushing attack is at the top of the list.

In 2024, the Lions had one of the best running games in the NFL with Johnson as Offensive Coordinator. Now, the Bears have the best running game across the league, despite Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery being replaced by Swift and Monangai.

This has allowed quarterback Caleb Williams to be expected from less week in and week out, leading to his yards per game, touchdown to interception ratio, and most importantly, his sack totals to all improve.

While the 6-1 record in one-score games could also lead people to believe that the Bears are not as good as their record indicates, this ability to win games late could not only give them the advantage of a home playoff game but could also make up for the lack of playoff experience on this Chicago roster.

The real test for the Bears will be in their two matchups against the Packers and the season finale against the Lions.

With only a half-game lead over Green Bay, they will have to at least split the season series against the Packers to win the division. If they do, then the Bears should be respected amongst the other divisional champions.

#2 Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)

Despite inconsistencies throughout the season, the Green Bay Packers currently find themselves a half-game away from leading the NFC North.

These inconsistencies allowed the Packers to lose to the Cleveland Browns in Week 3, tie the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, and lose to the Carolina Panthers in Week 9.

At the same time, the Packers have been able to sweep the Lions, which jumps them in the standings after their Thanksgiving victory.

After a 27-13 win at home to start their season, Green Bay went into Detroit to beat the Lions 31-24 to start Week 13.

The score is significant in their recent win, as it was just the second time this season the team has scored over 30 points in a victory.

For the most part, the Packers’ defense has been the leading catalyst for their victories.

Allowing the fourth-fewest points as a unit, the Packers have held teams to just 18.8 points per game. Despite only recording six interceptions and five fumbles on the year, the Packers have been one of the most effective defenses in the red zone this year.

Micah Parsons has significantly upgraded the defensive line, with 12.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hits on the year, both leading the team.

As a unit, the Packers have 32 sacks on the year, averaging over two per game, while only allowing 98 rushing yards per game.

This is how the Packers have been able to defeat last year’s NFC North champion: by limiting their lethal run game.

The combination of Gibbs and Montgomery is averaging 130.2 yards per game this year. Against the Packers, they have rushed for 82.5 yards per contest.

This has forced Jared Goff and the passing game to defeat the Packers, which is more dependent on the offensive line than Goff himself.

So, when the top two teams in the NFC North face off next week, this is exactly what the Packers will look to do.

If the Bears’ offensive line can push against the Packers’ front seven, thus preventing the pass rush from getting into rhythm, Chicago can mitigate this game plan from Green Bay.

However, Jordan Love is quietly in the midst of his best season as a pro, throwing for 2,794 yards on a 67% completion percentage, with 19 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. So relying on him to win these divisional games is not a bad backup strategy for Green Bay.

Either way, the division will likely come down to these two games against the rival franchises.

The Packers have the edge in this rivalry, especially in recent history. But could this new era of Bears’ football allow a change of guard in both the division and against their fiercest opponent?

#3 Detroit Lions (7-5)

Despite being one of the preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl, the Detroit Lions currently sit outside the playoff picture with five games left to play.

Statistically, the Lions look like a similar team to the 15-2 version of themselves from last year.

The top two rushers, three receivers, starting linebackers, and safeties are all back with the team and have stayed healthy throughout the season.

As a team, they fell from a league-leading point differential per game of 33.2-20.1 to 29.2-22.8, which has been one of the reasons for their five losses.

Like last year, the Lions have won convincingly, with an average margin of victory of 17.1 points.

The issue has come in low-scoring affairs, as the Lions are 1-5 in games where they score 24 points or less.

Similarly, four of these five losses have come to teams currently in the playoff picture, with the Vikings being the one team not in the current playoff picture.

With wins against the Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their only two wins against playoff teams, the Lions have become a victim of their schedule, which ranks amongst the most difficult in football.

The matchup will not get easier after their miniature Bye Week, as they face the Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Vikings, and Bears to finish the year.

There is reason to believe that the best football is ahead of the Lions.

Most notably, the time off should allow key members to return to the field.

The return of Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker should allow the rushing attack to look better than it did on Thanksgiving. Defensively, Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch returning to the secondary should slow down the current pace of 213 yards per game thrown against them.

The next three games being either in a dome or in Los Angeles are significant for Goff as well, who has consistently played better indoors in his career.

If Detroit is able to win these out-of-division games before finishing the year on the road against the Vikings and Bears, they could find themselves as a Wild Card team that nobody wants to play. Especially if the bracket has the Lions playing the Rams or Eagles in the first round.

Even with Chicago’s rise and Green Bay’s punchy resilience, the NFC North remains unsettled. The Bears have earned respect, and the Packers have a formula that travels, but both still carry volatility at their core. Detroit, meanwhile, is the only team in the division with a roster that has already proven it can contend deep into January.