Friday open thread: Who will win the NFC North?

The Green Bay Packers kicked Week 11 off right by blowing a 14-3 and eventually losing to the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 in an extremely competitive game.

The loss dropped the Packers to 4-5-1, and they’re now well behind the Chicago Bears, who sit atop the NFC North with an impressive 6-3 record. Though the Packers currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bears, that’s unlikely to even matter because of the tie the Packers currently have.

While it’s probably irresponsible to count out Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, it’s starting to look like the division may come down to the Bears and Vikings. Just a half-game separates the two teams in the standings and they’ll face off on Sunday night for first place. So today’s Question of the Day is:

Who will win the NFC North?

My answer: I think the Vikings will win the division yet again.

It’s hard to deny that the Bears are a good team this year, and if they don’t win the division, they’ll certainly compete for a wild card spot. However, I still need to see that team beat a good team. Their most impressive win remains an early victory over a Seahawks team that was still getting it together. A win over the Vikings on Sunday night would go a long ways to make a believer out of me.

Ultimately, though, I think the Vikings will both win this week and win the division. Their overall team is just more well-rounded, and as long as Kirk Cousins avoids the back-breaking mistakes, the sky is the limit. Their defense is just as good as Chicago’s—arguably better—and their offense is more consistent than the Bears’.

I don’t think there’s a ton separating the two teams right now, but I’m still taking the Vikings.

Your turn.