The Chicago Bears are not only in first place in the NFC North, but they also hold the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoff Picture and are guaranteed a home playoff game if they win the division.
It's been an excellent year for first-year head coach Ben Johnson, as it's clear that he knows what he's doing and that the Bears hired the right man for the job. You'd ideally love to see Caleb Williams sharpen up a bit, as his completion percentage is low, but that could simply come with time.
Let's power rank the back-and-forth NFC North following some great Week 15 results for the Chicago Bears.
Chicago Bears back on top in NFC North in updated power rankings after Week 15
4. Minnesota Vikings (6-8)
The Minnesota Vikings have seen second-year QB J.J. McCarthy stack back-to-back strong performances, so that could paint a good picture for them heading into the offseason. The only way Minnesota is going to get back into the driver's seat in this deep division is if McCarthy develops and really breaks out in 2026. If that doesn't happen, the Vikings will remain at the bottom of the NFC North, as they are right now.
3. Detroit Lions (8-6)
The Detroit Lions may have been the most obvious 'regression' team this year, as they lost two coordinators to head coaching jobs, and they have now tripled their regular season loss total from the 2024 NFL Season. The offense is still elite, but the defense has battled injuries and just overall poor play. Unless something crazy happens, the Lions aren't going to win the division and still have a ton of work to do to get into the playoffs, period.
2. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1)
The Green Bay Packers may have just seen their NFC North chances disappear with a brutal loss at Denver in Week 15. The Packers actually had a nine-point second-half lead at one point, but both Micah Parsons and Christian Watson went down. Now visiting the Bears in Week 15, the Packers will play a desperate brand of football to send Chicago back to second place.
Read more: Caleb Williams sends $42 million message by praising Bears' underrated signing
1. Chicago Bears (10-4)
The Chicago Bears are now 10-4 on the season and the lone double-digit win team in the NFC North. Chicago blew out the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 and was glad to see the Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers. The Packers come to town in Week 16, but it will be without Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL in Denver trying to sack Bo Nix. I do believe the defense is still a bit of a concern, and the passing offense is subpar, but a 10-4 record doesn't lie. Chicago is at the top of the division right now.