The Chicago Bears defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-24, on Sunday Night Football. It wasn’t the prettiest game of all time, but a win is a win. That’s especially true when your offense commits five turnovers and you still finds a way to win. 

The Bears are now sitting at 7-2 through the first half of the season. At the moment the game ended and into Monday, that gave them the most wins of any team in the NFC North. Earlier in the day, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers each picked up wins, but Detroit is 6-2 while Green Bay is 6-3. Chicago awaited the result of Monday Night Football to determine their division standing heading into their bye week.

The Minnesota Vikings (6-1) hosted the Buffalo Bills (6-1) in a marquee Monday Night Football game. Minnesota’s defense was stellar, but they were unable to hold Josh Allen’s defense off for long enough. Eventually, the Bills pulled away with a victory to climb to 7-1. Minnesota fell to 6-2. The Lions hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings due to their head-to-head, so the division reads as follows:

1. Detroit Lions: 6-2

2. Minnesota Vikings: 6-2

3. Green Bay Packers: 6-3

Chicago will head into their bye week in first place. Whether they come out of it in first remains to be seen, especially with a tough stretch down the line, but they are in a good spot. This division is a gauntlet, and perhaps the best in NFL history. If the season ended today, all four would earn spots in the playoffs. 

While the Bears are on a bye, the other three teams will be in action. It’s Detroit’s turn to take on the defending AFC champion New England Patriots. This will take place next Sunday in Munich, Germany. As for the Packers and Vikings, they will face each other for the second time this season. Minnesota won the first matchup 39-22 in Week 1. Expect this matchup to be much different. It really doesn’t matter to Chicago who wins, as long as it doesn’t end in a tie. It might be slightly better for the Bears if the Packers win. But good luck convincing anyone in Chicago to root for them. 

When the Bears return to action on Nov. 22, they will face the New Orleans Saints. Then, they will have another crack at a division rival with the Lions on Thanksgiving. As long as the Bears take care of their own business, it won’t matter who else does what when they aren’t playing. Still, they would like to gain some separation one way or another.