NFC North Rundown, Week 2: Bears and Vikings pull off upsets at home in openers

The NFC North division got off to a fascinating start in week 1 of the NFL season on Sunday. Two teams pulled upsets as home underdogs, with the Minnesota Vikings topping the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears defeating a Trey Lance-led San Francisco 49ers squad in the driving rain.

The Bears might not have to deal with the elements at home for much longer, of course, if their plans for a new covered stadium come to fruition. But that’s a story and a discussion for another day.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions provided the Philadelphia Eagles with a tough challenge at Ford Field, narrowly falling in defeat in a high-scoring affair. The Lions’ defense got off to a rough start, but their offense put up 35 points, largely behind the strength of the running game.

With two teams at 1-0 and two at 0-1, the division heads into week two with a single intra-division game on the schedule and the second in a row featuring the Packers. As usual, their game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field will be in prime time, as the oldest rivalry in the NFL gets the Sunday Night Football treatment.

Here’s a look at the other teams in the division and the reactions to their week 1 performances.

Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

Week 1: defeated Packers 23-7
Week 2: @ Eagles (Monday Night Football)

Vikings get out of week 1 relatively healthy | Vikings Wire
Minnesota's secondary looks to be mostly intact for Monday night despite seeing a few players leave Sunday's game with minor injuries. They also expect to see rookie safety Lewis Cine make his debut in week 2.

Vikings open up as slight underdogs against Eagles for ‘Monday Night Football’ - Daily Norseman
With the Eagles hosting Monday's game, Minnesota is a narrow road underdog.

Chicago Bears (1-0)

Week 1: defeated 49ers 19-10
Week 2: vs. Packers (Sunday Night Football)

10 Takes after the Chicago Bears’ impressive Week 1 upset victory - Windy City Gridiron
Can the new Bears coaching staff actually make in-game adjustments? Is the offensive line better than the sum of its parts appears to be? And are Bears fans finally realizing what David Montgomery is after he averaged 1.5 yards per carry on 17 attempts?

Chicago Bears report card for win over San Francisco - Sports Illustrated
Get ready to hear a whole lot over the next few days about Matt Eberflus' "HITS" principle. The acronym stands for Hustle, Intensity, Takeaways, and Smart play and it's getting plenty of credit for the Bears' opening week win.

Detroit Lions (0-1)

Week 1: lost to Eagles 38-35
Week 2: vs. Commanders

3 takeaways from the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles - Pride Of Detroit
Between D'Andre Swift and old friend Jamaal Williams, Detroit's running game looks like a problem for defenses, especially with a good offensive line helping to pave the way for the two backs.

Dan Campbell on loss to Eagles: ‘We struggled with their quarterback’ | Lions Wire
Although the Lions put up an admirable effort, Jalen Hurts' scrambling ability was too much for Detroit's defense to handle. Of course, so was AJ Brown, who had a huge 10-catch, 155-yard performance.