The Chicago Bears caught a break on Sunday, and they didn't even play a single snap. The Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 19-15 at Ford Field, handing Minnesota their first loss of the season. It cracks open the NFC North, and puts the Bears within reach for the division lead. The Bears and the Lions currently rest at 5-2, and tonight in Seattle, Chicago has the opportunity to pull within a half game of the Vikings.
Minnesota spent the first two months of the season looking like a machine, at least on the defense. The Vikings beat the Bears in Week 2, kept winning with defense, and just enough offense to get by. It allowed them to build a cushion that made the rest of the division look like it was playing for the Wild Card early.
Chicago dug its own hole, topping their loss to Minnesota with another loss at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, meaning they've once again started 0-2 in the division. The goal for November became about survival, but now, the Bears have answered with two straight wins, the return of their franchise quarterback, they added Jeffery Simmons, and the team in front of them finally lost a game.
Detroit showed the race is real
The Lions didn't beat the Vikings with a bag of tricks. They ran for 230 yards while keeping the Vikings to only 81 yards on the ground, dominated on time of possession, and earned nine more first downs than the Vikings. Minnesota's defense came into the game allowing the fewest points in the league, and Detroit pushed them around for four quarters.
The Bears don't play the Vikings again until Week 18, but for the time being, the NFC North still runs through Minnesota. But they're no longer the undefeated, undisputed leader in the division that they once were. The cracks are starting to show, and many are now wondering if the Vikings defense is enough to sustain their hold on the NFC North.
If the Bears stay on track, and collect a win against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in their own house, then the argument for the Vikings falls apart. The Bears cannot take first place tonight, but they can make sure nobody in Minnesota sleeps easy anymore.
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