The Detroit Lions‘ bye week arrived early this season, and so it was a good week to keep an eye on the rest of the NFC North. A loss by any of the other teams in their division opens the door even wider for the Lions to stay in contention.
The Minnesota Vikings took care of business against the Arizona Cardinals, and the Green Bay Packers must wait until Monday night to play the San Francisco 49ers. Regardless of those results, thanks to the division-leading Chicago Bears, the Lions got their break. The Bears, fresh off a bye week of their own, squandered a golden opportunity on the road against the Miami Dolphins.