Every season, a team goes from worst to first in the NFL. But, it still doesn't feel right calling these Detroit Lions the "worst" team in the NFC North. Sure, last season, they finished at the bottom. By definition, that makes them the worst.
Yet, going into the 2026 season, the Lions currently have the best odds to win the NFC North. Believe it or not, as we speak, Detroit is favored over both the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
Yeah, over the Minnesota Vikings too, but that's the real "worst" team that I don't believe anybody truly needs to worry about at this stage.
How about Ben Johnson's new team, though? They sure are receiving a lot of hype this offseason.
Not so fast.
The Detroit Lions' NFC North title quest will be given a jolt thanks to an overrated Chicago Bears team
In a recent piece done by The Athletic, a few select teams were mentioned as being overrated. The Bears were one of them listed by the author, Mike Jones, to which his explanation included the following:
"Expectations have skyrocketed, but taking that next step represents a great challenge. Williams delivered late-game heroics, but he and his team can’t count on a repeat of that trend. He’ll have to improve his consistency by a significant margin, and Chicago’s defense can’t get away with such a low pressure rate and such struggles against the run. The Bears feel primed for a step backward rather than forward."
First and foremost, every Lions fan reading this is somewhere pounding the table going, "We beat them twice last year!"
There is certainly a case to be made that the Bears are overrated and, because of their over-achieving, the Lions have a better shot at winning the division.
Chicago gets the not-so-nice privilege of facing a first place schedule in 2026, meaning they will have to take on other division winners from last year. Their schedule is not an easy one.
Add in the fact that the Bears' defense was largely opportunistic when it came to takeaways. Sure, they led the league with 33 takeaways in 2025. But, at the same time, that defense also gave up the fourth-most yards (361.8) and were a bottom-10 team in points allowed per game (24.4).
That team still doesn't have a pass rush. Go ask any Bears fan if they're feeling confident about the defensive end position, and getting after the quarterback, and if they're being honest, every single one of them will answer with a resounding 'no.'
As for Caleb Williams, he's definitely a talented quarterback. He can make a lot of throws other quarterbacks cannot. He can do things, in terms of his escapability, that other quarterbacks couldn't dream of.
But, we are all still asking the same question: can he improve his accuracy?
That 58 percent completion is hovering over him like the darkest of clouds and, if he doesn't take a drastic step forward, the Bears could be headed for mediocrity. And if that's the case, the Lions have one less team to worry about in the North.
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