Here’s a look around the NFC North heading into week four of the regular season.

Chicago Bears

The Bears defeated Washington 31-15 at FedEx Field on Monday Night Football.

-Bust out your sarcastic celebrations! The Bears became the final team in the league to score a touchdown pass on Monday Night. It’s a monumental achievement for a team that looked incapable of pushing the ball forward through the air for two weeks.

-Former Packer and Redskin Ha Ha Clinton-Dix snagged two interceptions during the game, returning one of them for a touchdown. There’s been a lot of jawing in the offseason between Bears and Packers fans about who got the better end of the deal in what was essentially a safety swap between the two teams. Expect that debate to rage on throughout the year, but I’m sure Packer fans are more than satisfied with the way things turned out.

-The Bears did sustain some injuries that could be worrying. WR Taylor Gabriel left the game with a concussion, and DE Akiem Hicks sustained a knee injury. The loss of Hicks would be especially bad for the Bears, given DE Bilal Nichols is already out for multiple weeks with a broken hand. The line depth is going to be hurting until they’re able to get those guys back on the field—the edges will have to pick up the slack. But going up against the Vikings’ tough run offense this week, a lack of line depth could be a big issue for Chicago.

Detroit Lions

The Lions defeated Philadelphia 27-24 on the road.

-I’m not sure many people expected the Lions to come into Philly and take home the win. Yes, the Eagles had a lot of issues with dropped balls and were dealing with a lot of injuries, but it’s still a road game for the Lions against a team that’s won postseason games the last couple years. It wasn’t pretty for Detroit, but all that matters is the W.

-Detroit still is having big-time issues running the football. Outside of a 44-yard trick play, the Lions averaged just 1.7 yards per carry against the Eagles. If the Lions can’t get more out of their running game, they’re going to find themselves in a difficult spot as the season progresses.

-The Lions’ defense had its ups and downs. The team got the win, but there have to be some concerns over the way the Eagles were able to move the ball with relative ease. The Eagles routinely shot themselves in the foot with turnovers and dropped passes. The team has to feel a bit lucky escaping with a win. But again—lucky wins are still wins, and the Lions have not yet lost a football game this season.

-Danny Amendola is proving to be a clutch addition for the Lions. He’s not tearing up the field or anything, but he’s made some crucial plays on some key third-down situations. Considering the hole the Lions had at wide receiver this offseason, any contributions he can make to the team are going to be quite important.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings defeated the Oakland Raiders 34-14 at home.

-This is exactly the kind of rebound game the Vikings needed after a poor showing in Green Bay. Playing a bad team at home, they took advantage of every opportunity they had and got the offense going again.

-The rushing game continues to be very strong for the Vikings. Playing in his third season now, Dalvin Cook is looking like every bit the player the Vikings had hoped he would be. But the Vikings showed plenty of options with their running game across the board, carrying a total of 38 times for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Kirk Cousins dropped back just 21 times.

-The book appears to be out on the Vikings: if you can force them to pass, you’re going to have a much easier time taking them down. This is rather surprising for a team that has a couple studs at wide receiver, a great receiving back and a guy in Kirk Cousins who’s supposed to be a pro bowl caliber quarterback, but so far the Vikings appear much more comfortable using Cousins’ arm sparingly and letting the running game do the damage.

-Talk about subtraction by addition. https://t.co/JzNIozxE5I

— Tim Backes (@timbackes) September 24, 2019

The NFC North as a whole is looking mighty tough so far this year. Collectively, the four teams have only lost two games. Both of those losses were dealt by the Green Bay Packers.