Updated look at NFC North standings entering Week 11

Let’s immediately get this out of the way: The Chicago Bears aren’t competing for an NFC North title in 2023. They’re 3-7. The odds they make the playoffs are probably second only to you winning the Powerball.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t find a silver lining in the NFC North standings through 10 weeks.

The Bears technically are in last place at 3-7. But the Green Bay Packers only have three wins, too. Their record has one fewer loss (3-6) because they already had the benefit of a bye week. Chicago’s doesn’t come until Week 13. But the Packers have lost five of their last six games, and there’s a legitimate argument to be had that their quarterback in 2024 isn’t on their roster right now.

Jordan Love stinks.

Regardless, the Bears are in last place. The Packers aren’t. (But the Bears are averaging more points per game than the Packers … that’s a good thing.)

Are the Minnesota Vikings for real?

The Josh Dobbs-led Minnesota Vikings are surging. Winners of five straight, the Vikings are in sole possession of second place in the NFC North at 6-4. Whether or not they can be taken seriously as a playoff team remains to be seen.

I don’t believe in Dobbs, he’s a great story, but he isn’t a great quarterback.

Dobbs threw for 268 yards, ran for 44, and totaled two touchdowns in his first start for Minnesota against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, who defeated the Tyson Bagent-led Bears in Week 9. The Vikings won, 27-19, and Dobbs was a big reason why.

Call it a gut feeling, but I think he’ll come back down to earth soon. He’s a journeyman for a reason. I don’t fear the Vikings, but I’m sure there are plenty of folks in Minnesota who have no fear … whatsoever … of the Chicago Bears, too.

Detroit Lions keep rolling

The gold standard in the NFC North right now is the Detroit Lions, and, folks, they’re for real. They’re “Super Bowl” for real. They might be the best team in the NFC, and that’s only part of the bad news. They’re a young roster, and their championship window is only just now beginning to open. The Lions will be a problem for the Bears for a long time.

Detroit improved to 7-2 after defeating the Chargers in Week 10, 41-38.

The Lions will be a problem for Chicago as early as next Sunday when they welcome the Bears to Motown in a game that should feature the return of Justin Fields to the starting lineup.

Chicago Bears still have the smallest of playoff chances

For those of you who still believe the Bears have a playoff prayer, you’re not totally insane. At least, not yet.

Seven teams make the playoffs from each conference, and at the end of Week 10, the seventh seed in the NFC would be the Minnesota Vikings. Six wins is the cutoff, the Bears have three.

But the No. 8 team … the next team after the Vikings … is the Tampa Bay Buccanneers at 4-5. I’m no math major, but that’s only one more win than the Bears have right now. If Justin Fields can lead this team on a mini-heater over the next few weeks, Chicago will be at least relevant in December.

We have to see it to believe it, though. And we haven’t seen enough winning football from this team through 10 games to feel good about their chances.