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The Chicago Bears put their final stamp on the NFC North Division. Caleb Williams and Company have a shot at the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs with a win in Week 18 over the Detroit Lions. The Green Bay Packers will be joining the Bears as NFC North representatives in the NFC playoffs, but they have not given much hope to believe they won't soon join the Lions and Vikings in Cancun.
Here are my takeaways from NFL Week 17 in the NFC North for each team:
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(11-5) Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears, even in losses this season, show they will be a team that will be a force to be reckoned with for this season a nd more more years to come after. Each week, Caleb Williams looks better and better. At this point, it may be fair to say he is the best quarterback in the division. That is scary for this division. Ben Johnson proved himself to be in the tier with Kyle Shanahan and the best of the best in the league. The Bears have a championship offense, and the majority of their offense is under 25 and here to stay. The Bears' defense may be atrocious, but this is a team that is showing this year is no fluke, and their dominance this year could become the new norm.
(9-6-1) Green Bay Packers
The Packers clinched a playoff berth thanks to the Lions' collapse this past week, but with how they played against the Baltimore Ravens, they did not deserve any type of moral victories. The Ravens and Derrick Henry ran all over the Packers. Malik Willis put the Packers in a position to win that game prior to his shoulder injury, but his defense did him no favors. The Packers will be in the playoffs for sure now, but this is a team that many playoff teams want to see in round 1. With how it is shaping up, the Bears will have to face Green Bay yet another time, but that run defense is not scaring anyone. There could even be a conversation to be had if Malik Willis should be the guy out there, especially if Jordan Love is not fully healthy.
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(8-8) Minnesota Vikings
If the Vikings had competent quarterback play, they would be in the playoffs and a Super Bowl contender. Brian Flores still has this defense as a top 10 unit in football. Flores and the Vikings' defense can win games by themselves. The Vikings offense has enough talent to make an undrafted quarterback look ok. Minnesota's win versus Detroit is both good and bad. Minnesota still has things in place to win it all at some point. The Vikings just don't have a quarterback. Luckily for them, they do not need a Patrick Mahomes, nor a Lamar Jackson, to do that with everything Minnesota has in place. The Vikings could very well end up keeping Brian Flores, too. It will be an interesting offseason for Minnesota next year, but the fact that they are not the worst team in this division with everything that happened this year says a lot about this coaching staff and the talent on the roster.
(8-8) Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions, with still a chance to make the playoffs, lost a must-win game to Max Brosmer and the Vikings. Injuries have played a part in the Lions' downfall this season, but for that loss on Christmas Day, they have no one to blame other than themselves. Dan Campbell and the Lions brass have so much to fix with this team next season because the NFC North is not going to take it easy on them either. Going from being in the NFC Championship, being the first seed in the NFC, and dominating the North to now being the worst team in the division, it has been quite the fall for the Detroit Lions.
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Overview
The Bears fully separated themselves in the North, and the Packers will join them in the playoffs, but it is clear one has chances for playoff success and the other will be there just to say hi and bye. The Vikings proved themselves to be a worthy contender in the NFC, even without a quarterback this season, while the Lions are kicking themselves for not winning a championship in the last two years when the NFC was theirs for the taking. The future for Detroit looks very bleak, and bright for the other 3 NFC North teams.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Bears steal NFC North, now try to get No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs
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