In the wake of an ugly loss for the Detroit Lions, things don’t get much better when looking up at who now leads the NFC North.
A wild Week 11 has the Chicago Bears in sole possession of first place in the division under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. The last time Chicago was in first place this late in a season was 2018, the last time the Bears won the NFC North.
The former Lions offensive coordinator has the Bears humming after starting the season 0-2 with losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Lions to open division play.
After besting the Vikings in the rematch at Soldier Field on Sunday, the Bears have won three straight and seven of their last eight.
Five of Chicago’s seven wins this season have been by one score, including Sunday’s 19-17 victory that required a game-winning 48-yard field goal from Cairo Santos as time expired after a 56-yard kickoff return from Devin Duvernay.
“It took all three phases at the end,” Johnson said in his postgame speech to the Bears players. “All three phases at the end for us to win. Man, we’ve got so much to tighten up. I can’t wait to watch this tape with you guys. But it’s going to be after a victory Monday.”
Despite being proud of his team for notching another win, Johnson isn’t ready to pop any champagne for leading the NFC North with seven more weeks of the regular season to go.
The Vikings were just the first divisional win for the Bears this season. They still have both meetings with the second-place Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) to go as well as what could shape up to be a major matchup with the Lions in Week 18.
Waking up as NFC North leaders Monday morning doesn’t mean as much to Johnson and the Bears as it might to fans.
“We’re midseason right now, so we’re not even looking at that,” Johnson said. “We’ve earned seven wins so far and we’re really looking for the opportunity to go 1-0 next week.”
After helping to establish an NFL-leading offense with the Lions during his stint as OC from 2022-2024, he’s getting there again with the Bears, ranking fourth in the league for total offense and eighth in scoring.
While the defense ranks in the bottom 10 for scoring and total defense, it hasn’t kept them from ripping off wins like the franchise hasn’t seen in years.
Johnson and the Bears will try to reach their second four-game winning streak of the season next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where they can also get their first victory over a team with a winning record.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.