The Chicago Bears are on a roll so far this season, winning six of seven games after starting the year 0-2 within their own division.
Since the Bears' embarrassing Week 2 defeat at the hands of the Lions, the Bears have defined a culture in Chicago behind head coach Ben Johnson. Star quarterback Caleb Williams has shown significant improvement, and the defense has rallied behind defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Despite the Bears currently holding first place in the NFC North, they remain 1-2 against division opponents. Bears fans can hold their heads high knowing their team is in first place, but their record alone doesn't reflect how uneven some performances have been in the NFC North. A deeper look at the numbers shows where Chicago has surged, and where the gaps still exist.
How Chicago Stacks Up in the NFC North
It's no secret that the Bears have an outstanding rate of takeaways, compiling a season differential of +16 through 10 games. The Lions (+5) and the Packers (+1) join the Bears in the positive column, but the Vikings fall well below, with a staggering -9. The only team in the NFL that falls below the Vikings is the Jets with -11.
The Lions currently average 29.2 points per game, a stat that's among the best in the NFL right now. The Bears trail with 25.8, while the Packers and the Vikings average 24.0 and 21.8, respectively. The Bears may hold first place for now. However, with the Lions outscoring the Bears and a Week 18 matchup between the two to conclude the season looming, the Bears' offense may want to recalibrate.
Detroit's run game may have an excellent one-two punch with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, but the Bears may have found success with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Through 10 games, the Bears have the highest average rushing yards per game in the entire NFC at 146.6 yards per game.
To put that into perspective, they're averaging only one yard behind the Buffalo Bills. Within the NFC North, the Lions average 130.1 yards per game, the Packers 113.5, and the Vikings 103.4.
The Road Forward
Chicago is in good shape following Week 11, a position they haven't found themselves in since 2018, when then-head coach Matt Nagy led the Bears to the infamous Double Doink. That was also the last time the Bears won the NFC North, finishing 12-4.
With Aaron Rodgers potentially returning to Soldier Field for what may be his final time in Week 12, the Bears still have more to prove. There are more difficult games ahead, with two matchups against Green Bay and a road game against the reigning Super Bowl defenders.
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Bears fans can place their trust in a head coach who has shown his grit in challenging games.