In week nine, the division leaders gained ground with big defensive performances and the bottom dwellers failed with awful offensive performances.  But still, only nine weeks into the season, the division is still any teams to win. 

Chicago Bears

The Bears maintained their lead in the division with a 41-9 pounding of the Buffalo Bills on enemy turf on Sunday.  With Nathan Peterman leading the way for the Bills offense, the Bears defense absolutely took over the game in the second quarter when they scored on a 65-yard fumble return and a 19-yard interception return for touchdowns.  In the effort, the Bears defense picked off Peterman three times and held the Bills to under 100 total yards on the ground all day.

The Bears offense wasn’t overly impressive in the big victory over the Bills.  Quarterback Mitch Trubisky three for only 135 yards with one touchdown and one interception and the Bears rushing attack only accumulated 64 total rushing yards in the game.

Sitting at 5-3 now with the division lead, the Bears host the Detroit Lions this Sunday.  With the Vikings tight on their heels at 5-3-1 and heading on their bye week, Chicago can extend their division lead with a victory over the Lions.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings followed up their loss the Saints by manhandling the Detroit Lions at home by a score of 24-9.  The win was fully led by their defensive unit, who broke a franchise record with 10 total sacks in the game.  On top of the ten sacks, the Vikings defense was all over Lions quarterback Matt Stafford all day and they limited the Lions offense to just 214 total yards on the day.  Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter led the way for the Vikings defense with three and a half sacks and a crucial fumble recovery for a touchdown that sealed the game for the Vikings.

Without wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the lineup against the Lions, the Vikings offense was stagnant for most of the day.  League-leading receiving yardage leader Adam Thielen was held to just four receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown and running back Dalvin Cook posted decent numbers behind a 70 yards carry that set up the Vikings well for a short touchdown pass.

Now sitting at 5-3-1 and right on the Bears heels for the division lead, the bye week during week 10 comes at a great time for the Vikings to get healthy.  With an extra week of rest, the Vikings will be hopeful that Diggs, Anthony Barr and Andrew Sendejo can all benefit from the extra time to get back on the field prior to facing the Chicago Bears the week following the bye.

Detroit Lions

In their embarrassing loss to the Vikings this past Sunday, the Lions offense looked completely inept in all facets of the game.  While Matthew Stafford was running for his life most of the game while getting sacked 10 times, the Lions defense kept the game close into the fourth quarter and keep their offense within striking distance.  After a fake punt kept a drive alive, Stafford appeared to be scrambling to a wide open field but inexplicably attempted a lateral pitch to his running back that wasn’t expecting it as a defender approached.  The ensuing fumble was scooped up by Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter and he easily scampered to the end zone for the game-clinching touchdown.

That play alone really summed up the Lions performance at US Bank Stadium on Sunday.  The Lions inability to hamper any sort of pass rush on Stafford left him running scared and the botched option pitch was most likely out of fear of being on the wrong end of a punishing blow from a purple jersey. 

After two devastating losses in a row, the Lions now look to face the Chicago Bears twice in an 11-day stretch that starts this Sunday and ends on Thanksgiving Day.  Sandwiched in between those matchups is a game hosting the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field.