Despite lingering public skepticism, the Chicago Bears occupy first place in the conference standings with a 9-3 record. The idea of them surviving the daunting NFC North was hard enough for fans to comprehend before the start of the regular season. Now, this previously embattled franchise is on the verge of posting double-digit wins in a single campaign for the first time in seven years. First-year head coach Ben Johnson is not interested in celebrating this huge turnaround, however.

The No. 1 seed in the NFC is a hollow title to own on Dec. 1. “Doesn't mean anything,” he said, per Michael Dwojak of Bears Insider. “There's five games left, so we got a long ways to go. We have not been guaranteed a spot in the tournament yet. We have to earn that right.”

Chicago is just the king

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