NFC North Roundup for NFL Week 11

Nov 17, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Ziggy Hood (96) sacks Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 37-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The NFC North may be one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions, but it’s hard to make the argument right now that it’s one of the best.

The division went 1-3 today, with the only win being a 23-20 overtime win by the Chicago Bears over Baltimore. The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers both lost road games to teams with 3-6 records. The Vikings were handled by the Seattle Seahawks, despite hanging in there early.

There still is no clear-cut favorite in the division. The Lions could have made that statement, but they squandered the opportunity with an atrocious show of defense (or lack thereof) in Pittsburgh. As such, here’s what the clumped-up division standings look like now.

NFC North Standings

Detroit — 6-4 (3-1 NFCN)

Chicago — 6-4 (2-1 NFCN)

Green Bay — 5-5 (2-1 NFCN)

Minnesota — 2-8 (0-3 NFCN)

The Lions are still the NFC North’s leader, given that they won the season series over Chicago. But the loss to Pittsburgh is concerning, regarding their ability to keep it up.

The Packers will wrap up most of their remaining division schedule in the next week-and-a-half, with a home game next Sunday against the Vikings, and then a Thanksgiving game against the Lions. With Aaron Rodgers missing, those may be the two most important games left on the schedule for them. Even with Rodgers, it will be hard to make a playoff run from 5-7.

The Bears are alive and kicking, largely due to Josh McCown’s 2-0 record as the starting quarterback. There will be questions about whether this is the end for Jay Cutler in Chicago, but before that, they have a playoff run to focus on.

More on that in the individual team recaps, up next.