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A big win over the Lions this week didn't change where the Bears have sat for the last few weeks, but it poised them to make a big, big jump over the coming weeks.
After the jump, see the top 10, rooting interests, an interesting tiebreaker, and...wait what? How the...why are the Seahawks in the top 10?
| Rank | Last Wk | Team | Ovr | Conf | Div | Streak |
| 1 | 1 | Green Bay Packers | (9-0) | (7-0) | (3-0) | 9W |
| 2 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers | (8-1) | (6-1) | (1-0) | 7W |
| 3 | 4 | New Orleans Saints | (7-3) | (4-3) | (3-1) | 2W |
| 4 | 3 | New York Giants | (6-3) | (3-3) | (1-1) | 1L |
| 5 | 5 | Detroit Lions | (6-3) | (4-3) | (2-1) | 1L |
| 6 | 6 | Chicago Bears | (6-3) | (6-3) | (2-2) | 4W |
| 7 | 8 | Dallas Cowboys | (5-4) | (4-2) | (1-1) | 2W |
| 8 | 7 | Atlanta Falcons | (5-4) | (4-4) | (1-2) | 1L |
| 9 | 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (4-5) | (3-4) | (2-1) | 3L |
| 10 | - | Seattle Seahawks | (3-6) | (2-3) | (1-1) | 1W |
Yeah, you read that right--the Seahawks snuck their way into the ranks of the top ten NFC teams, with an awesome 3-6 record. What's more? The Eagles, who started a mini comeback only to have their hopes dashed by the Bears a couple weeks ago, have fallen off the rankings entirely.
Otherwise, there's not too much movement at the top, with the exception of the Saints taking the number three seed, and some shuffling at the bottom. One thing to note: the team the Bears don't own an easy tiebreaker with is the Cowboys, who are sneaking right up after feasting on some bad play by other teams the past two weeks.
Also, having tied the Lions at 6-3, it brings up an interesting situation. Should both teams end up with the same record, and same divisional record, the tie breaker goes to best percentage in common games. The current breakdown of common schedules looks as follow:
Bears and Lions Common Schedule
| Opponent | Bears | Lions |
| Packers | L | - |
| Packers | - | - |
| Vikings | W | W |
| Vikings | - | - |
| Raiders | - | - |
| Chiefs | - | W |
| Broncos | - | W |
| Chargers | - | - |
| Saints | L | - |
| Panthers | W | - |
| Bucs | W | W |
| Falcons | W | L |
As you can see, the Bears have won 4 common games, and lost 2. The Lions have won 4 common games, but have only lost 1 so far. Should the two teams end up with identical records (not super likely), the proof will be in this table right here.
Rooting Interests
Chargers @ BEARS -- I like the Bears chances against the AFC West's currently interception-prone quarterback.
BUCS @ Packers - Hear me out. While we do want to make sure the Bucs don't accidentally win more games than the Bears, mathematically (though not necessarily practically), we have to assume the division is still in play. The Packers schedule over the back half isn't exactly cupcake, and a mis-step or two could put the Bears (or even the Lions) within grasp of making the last games of the season matter.
Saints - Bye -- Perhaps they'll forget how to play football or something.
Eagles @ Giants -- I'll be honest, I really only want this for one reason. If the Giants, Cowboys, 49ers, Rams, Vikings, and Panthers all win, there would be 7 teams that are 3-7. That's ridiculous.
Panthers @ Lions -- If the Lions lose this one, I think you can kiss their confidence, and playoff hopes, goodbye.
Cowboys @ Redskins -- Keep the Cowboys off the Bears back, and out of the playoffs, Rex. You owe us about eleventy billion.
Titans @ Falcons -- Another loss will put the Falcons firmly into that squadron of "eh, alright" teams.
Seahawks @ Rams -- For the exaact reason put for the Giants game.
Thoughts? Opinions? Questions? File them below, please.