Bears are not close to competing in the NFC North

The NFC North is arguably the NFL's best division featuring three teams with 11 or more wins and all playoff bound. But the Chicago Bears are notably not in the mix, and there's plenty of work to be done.

On Monday Night Football, the Green Bay Packers blew out the New Orleans Saints, 34-0. The Saints had no chance from the get-go and that is evident by the final score. The win brought the Packers to an 11-4 record. It also cliched them a spot in the 2024 NFL postseason. The funny thing is that they are in third place of the NFC North, which will go down as one of the best divisions in NFL history.

Over the weekend, the Minnesota Vikings earned a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks to bring their record to 13-2. The Detroit Lions also improved their record to 13-2 with their win over the Bears. At 4-11, Chicago is the only team from the division that won’t be going to the playoffs. It is also so clear after watching these other three teams this season that they aren’t even close.

The Bears have quarterback Caleb Williams, and there is evidence of him being great. Outside of that, and a few other good players spread across the roster, there is more work to be done. Chicago is now 0-5 in divisional matchups with one left against the Packers in Week 18. Dropping that game would make it a winless year within the division.

What makes these other three teams that much better? Well, to begin with, they are getting the most out of their talented quarterbacks. A lot of that has to do with coaching and all three of them have elite coaches. You can argue that Dan Campbell (Lions), Matt Lafleur (Packers), and Kevin O’Connell (Vikings) are three of the five best coaches in the NFL right now. They all deserve Coach of the Year consideration, that’s for sure.

All of them have rosters fit to support the good quarterback play that they’ve been receiving, as well. Neither of them enters a week wondering if their weapons or defense will stand up for them. The Bears are far away from being able to say that. When you watch the offensive production from each team, you can conclude that they are creative with their playbook and attack with modern offense. On defense, the looks they bring can confuse an offense and make it difficult. The Bears need to get on that level.

If general manager Ryan Poles doesn’t leave, this is his legacy offseason. He must find the right head coach to get this ship turned around. It won’t be easy to compete in this division for years to come but it can be done with smart decision making.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears are not close to competing in the NFC North