Sunday Morning Bloody Mary: Keeping an eye on the NFC North

With the Chicago Bears having tallied another win this week during Thursday Night Football, we have reclaimed the lead in the NFC North, with the Green Bay Packers right on our heels. The Lions have been bitten by the injury bug this season, and aren't looking to be a factor in the North this season. The Vikings are a mess, with star players under-performing, and a coaching situation that is becoming quite unfortunate.

Today we will get to see the Packers travel to Minnesota to battle the Vikings for the second time this season (the Pack won 28-24 in the frst meeting), and this will be a critical game for both teams. The Packers will be trying to keep pace with the Bears, and the Vikings will be trying to avoid the final nail in their coffin for the 2010 season.

I'm sure there will be plenty of folks who disagree with me, but today I'll be rooting for the Packers. Like I said earlier in the season, I would much prefer a two-team race for the North title than a three-team race, and seeing the Vikings get eliminated from contention this weekend would create an And then there were two situation.

Then again, no matter how this game turns out, the Bears will benefit in some way.

Also in the NFC North this weekend, the Lions will be traveling to Dallas to face the Cowboys, another team who has struggled significantly this season. This game won't really have any major implications for either team, but playing for pride can sometimes be enough to motivate the players and coaches to play their hearts out.

What are your thoughts on the Bears-less NFL Sunday?

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