NFC North Roundup: Second-Place Bears are the Class of the Division

The first quarter of the 2026 NFL season is in the books, and that makes this a good time to take a look around the NFC North and where each team stands. As of Monday morning, the Minnesota Vikings lead the way at 4-0, but the Chicago Bears are hot on their heels at 3-1 after a dominant Week 4 victory over the New York Jets. The Detroit Lions fell to 2-2 on Sunday night, joining the Green Bay Packers in last place.

That's what the win-loss records say, anyway. But not every team is as good or as bad as they look. Which team is truly the class of the NFC North? Let's get started with a division power ranking.

4. Green Bay Packers: 2-2

The 2026 Packers are feeling the full impact of Murphy's Law, especially when it comes to injuries. Micah Parsons is still not practicing yet as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele ruptured his patellar tendon in Week 3 and will miss the rest of the season, as will Jayden Reed after his terrifying Week 2 neck injury. Star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is down with a crushing injury of his own, one that likely ends his season.

But even when accounting for these injuries, the Packers are still massively underperforming. Quarterback Jordan Love's 53.1 QBR is just the 20th best mark in the NFL through four games. They have fewer rushing yards as a team than 17 different running backs have individually. Their offensive line is a revolving door of backups and practice squad castoffs. The coaching staff seems unable to cultivate an identity for this team.

Adding insult to injury, the Packers don't even have control of their first-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft, and that could very well become a Top 10 selection.

3. Detroit Lions: 2-2

Jared Goff and Jahmyr Gibbs — Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff hands the ball to running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Did the Detroit Lions really already miss their Super Bowl window? That certainly appears to be the case after the first four games of 2026. This is a team that needed overtime to beat the Saints, nearly fell to the Jets, and got blown out by the Buffalo Bills. Then, on Sunday Night Football, the Lions lost 32-26 to the Carolina Panthers in a game that never felt as close as the scoreboard indicates.

I'm not really sure how the Lions can improve in the middle of the season. Their offense seems to rely entirely on running back Jahmyr Gibbs, both in the ground game and the passing game, and that's not nearly enough to beat playoff contenders. Their offensive line has regressed from its peak in 2024, and their defense is little more than a sieve.

I expect the Lions to miss the playoffs again this year, and head coach Dan Campbell will once again fire his coordinators in a desperate attempt to recapture the magic he had with Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. Heck, Glenn might even be available to reclaim his defensive coordinator job by then.

2. Minnesota Vikings: 4-0

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I'm going to get a lot of hate from Vikings fans for this one, but I'm just looking at this objectively. The Vikings are 4-0 and I don't expect them to apologize for ugly wins, but that doesn't make them the best team in the division. Their defense is elite and their kicker is clutch, but their offense can't generate enough points to beat an actual playoff contender unless nasty weather washes out the field.

Let's look at the facts. Through four weeks, the Vikings are 31st in yards per game and 28th in EPA per play, according to Next Level Stats. They're 17th in points per game, but almost half of those points came in Week 1 against the Packers, and 14 of those came on drives that started in Green Bay's red zone. We don't even know who their best quarterback is.

Their defense may be good enough to get them to the playoffs. Bears fans would know better than anyone that an elite defense can cover up many sins from the offense. But I see the 2026 Vikings as a repeat of the 2022 Vikings: a deeply flawed team that somehow keeps winning, but the underlying metrics reveal a team that can't make a playoff run.

1. Chicago Bears: 3-1

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on in a game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yes, the Bears lost to the Vikings in Week 2. However, as aforementioned, that game was played in monsoon-like conditions and Caleb Williams' hamstring injury stopped him just as he was about to run in a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. If you look at this team in its totality, you see a team that is led by a great head coach, one that has an identity and sticks to it, and a team that can run the ball better than anyone.

These are three key ingredients to sustained success in the NFL, and having a budding superstar quarterback takes the ceiling even higher. Remember, Williams has been sidelined for the last two games, yet the Bears won both of them, including a gutsy upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. We also have to give the defense credit. They entered this season with the entire NFL world expecting them to be a millstone around the Bears' neck, but they have surrendered just two touchdowns in their last three games.

The Bears appear to be hitting their stride, and once Williams returns to the starting line up, they should become the favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LXI.

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google