Everything in the NFC North has changed, and the fall of the infallible Minnesota Vikings is only part of it.
Within five days, the Vikings lost to the Lions and Rams. They now sit 5-2, the same number of losses as the Bears have, the same record as the Bears if the Bears can win Sunday at Washington.
Meanwhile, the unsubstantiated reports of the Bears being among teams to inquire about the availability of Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett have floated around but that all seems like a dream.
The Bears couldn't possibly be a team in the running to trade for Garrett or even Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby because they're in a division too tough, one where they own the misfortune is being the fourth team, even while owning a .667 winning percentage. That's the kind of thing the Lions talk about because they've lost their superb pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the season.
This is all so much garbage, a narrative.
The Bears should be thinking about acquiring or Crosby just like the Lions or even the Packers might be thinking. The Bears, above all others, should feel they can pull this off and need to do it.
They have everything in place to make a Super Bowl run right now.
It depends on several factors, like getting their running game into a consistent state, protecting Caleb Williams well and finally Williams himself. He would need to make even more rapid development than he has already shown. It's entirely possible, however.
The Lions don't own the rights to trade for a top defensive end. The Bears, in fact, would be a more lucrative trading partner because they have a first and two seconds in the 2025 draft. If you go by the common thinking of those who live in the past, the Bears are more likely to finish in last and around .500. So those picks would be worth more than the picks the Browns or Raiders could obtain for their pass rusher from the Lions or Packers or even Vikings. All of this, of course, depends on the asking price.
The Bears have a defense entirely in place now since the middle of last season. They're like the Packers in reverse. Green Bay is trying to get its defense up to Super Bowl par in the first year they've played a new scheme just like the Bears offense is trying to put it together in their first year. The Bears defense is where the Packers offense is under Matt LaFleur, a group together for several years, with a quarterback who just came into his own late last season about the time the Bears defense came into its own with the acquisition of Montez Sweat.
Consider a pass rush of Sweat and Crosby or Sweat and Garrett, with QBs stepping up in the pocket in terror to two defensive tackles ranked in the top 10 in pass rush win rate. QBs, meet Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter, with Zacch Pickens soon to be thrown into the mix.
The Bears have Darrell Taylor already and he's top10 in pass rush win rate, says ESPN. But he hasn't had a sack since the opener. And the Bears' defensive line always operates best with a revolving door of defensive linemen during games so they can stay fresh.
They had a chance at Haason Reddick but this wouldn't have been a fit because who really wants a player willing to sit out needlessly into October? But Garrett and Crosby are prime, elite pass rushers who would be perfect complements and would be taking up double teams from Sweat, whose speed and power off the edge then could be truly unleashed in the rush.
The Bears are in exactly the spot where they should trade for one of those two superstar defensive ends because GM Ryan Poles hasn't shown an ability to identify immediate contributors at that position during drafts to date, and they have the salary cap space in the future to cope with another big contract becuase Williams still is on his first contract.
So they can handle both another big contract for a pass rusher and provide the type of scheme where having another threat can work.
Poles, then, could focus his draft future on improving their offensive line, which is his area of expertise.
The Bears are ripe for trading like a Super Bowl contender because they are one. The standings say this until it's proven otherwise. Wins over Jacksonville, the Rams, the Panthers and Titans don't count for less in the standings.
If the Vikings, with journeyman Sam Darnold at quarterback and a defense driven largely by scheme instead of personnel are considered such, then certainly the Bears can figure into the Super equation. If the Bears get one of the premier edge rushers and keep him from getting to the Lions in the trade market, their chances increase even more.
Unlike the Vikings, the Bears beat the Rams. They beat the Lions last year once and should have done it twice.
The big stumbling block for the Bears would be the Packers, which is nothing new.
Yet, now the stakes could be the Super Bowl and not merely getting to the playoffs. And now they would be armed with a fully equipped defensive line and a budding offense.
On SI NFC North Rankings
- Lions, 2. Vikings, 3. Packers, 4. Bears
Detroit Lions
John Maakaron, Detroit Lions On SI
State your team's case for the Super Bowl: When the Lions are humming on offense, they are one of the toughest units to stop in the NFL. Jared Goff has been playing at an MVP level, and the players around him are emerging as among the best in the league at their positions. He’s comfortable behind a strong offensive line and has the ability to dice up defenses.
The biggest key to victory in Week 8: Not letting up. The Lions are on some kind of roll heading into this game against the struggling Titans. Against a team that has already begun to sell ahead of the trade deadline, not having an emotional letdown after two big wins is paramount. Games against Green Bay and Houston loom on the horizon, but they cannot afford to look past a Tennessee team that is struggling.
Green Bay Packers
Bill Huber, Green Bay Packers On SI
State your team’s case for the Super Bowl: It’d be easy to look at last week’s victory over Houston as good fortune. The Texans were down four starters on defense and their elite receiver, Nico Collins, yet forced the Packers to kick a last-play field goal. However, the Packers have multiple ways to win games. Of course, Jordan Love can throw it and Josh Jacobs can run it. But the defense, a barrier to so many potential Super Bowl runs since their last championship in 2010, is why Green Bay won last week. The C.J. Stroud-led Texans finished with 55 net passing yards.
The biggest key to victory in Week 8: Protecting Jordan Love. Jacksonville has a good one-two punch of edge rushers with Travon Walker (six sacks this year) and Josh Hines-Allen (17.5 sacks last year). The secondary, however, has been a train wreck. Jacksonville has allowed a league-worst passer rating with 16 touchdown passes and one interception. With Green Bay’s multitude of receiving threats, there should be plenty of options – so long as Love has time to find them.
Minnesota Vikings
Joe Nelson, Minnesota Vikings On SI
State your team's case for the Super Bowl: The Vikings have a high-end defense, strong offense and a kicker who doesn't miss. Those ingredients have fueled wins over three contenders in the 49ers, Texans and Packers, and they nearly took down the juggernaut Lions. The upcoming schedule isn't difficult and it won't be a shock if the Vikings are 12-2 or 13-1 with three weeks left in the regular season. That could yield home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If Sam Darnold doesn't fall flat on his face, the 2024 Vikings could go the distance.
Chicago Bears
Gene Chamberlain, Chicago Bears On SI
State your team's case for the Super Bowl: The Bears have been playing close to Super Bowl level defense since last season and it continues with 12 straight opponents failing to score more than 21 points. Their cornerback-linebacker-edge rusher combination is the key with Jaylon Johnson-either T.J. Edwards or Tremaine Edmunds and Montez Sweat. A Super Bowl run would require Caleb Williams to stay on his current upward path and the offensive line to solidify blocking the run and pass for divisional play and the playoffs.
The biggest key to victory in Week 8: Containment. If their defense is facing Jayden Daniels, they need him kept in the pocket. Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter can't let Daniels step up and take off with the ball. If it's Marcus Mariota, the same is true as Mariota runs just as much, just not as successfully. He had 11 runs last week in relief of Daniels. Playing plenty of zone is a way to combat a running QB and the Bears are among the best at this.
