The Chicago Bears haven't been in first place in the NFC North this late into a season since they won their last division title, in 2018. But coach Ben Johnson says it's too early to be concerned about the standings.

On Sunday, soon after the Bears nipped the Vikings , 19-17, on a 48-yard Cairo Santos field goal as time expired, Johnson was asked about being in first place in the division. His response? Pump the brakes.

"Guys, we're midseason right now," he said. "So we're not even looking at that. We've earned seven wins so far, and we're really looking for the opportunity to go 1-0 next week."

The SportsLine Inside the Lines team and Projection Model agree with Johnson that the NFC North race is only just beginning. One game separates the top three teams in the division -- Chica

See Full Page