Minnesota’s upcoming schedule ranks easier than the Lions, Bears, and Packers, keeping the door open for a late-season push.

On this episode of 1st & North, Lou Canellis and NFC North insiders break down a wacky Bears win in Cincinnati, a costly Packers loss, and how J.J. McCarthy proved his draft stock with a big Vikings performance against the Lions.

The 2025 season has turned into one of the most unpredictable years in recent NFL history. The Chiefs have won the AFC West nine straight times but enter Week 10 in third place. The Bills have won every AFC East title since 2020 but currently look up at the Patriots in the standings.

The Buccaneers currently own the second spot in the NFC playoff seeding, but there are four teams with 6-2 records and a long list of legitimate contenders as the second half of the season begins

North Carolina FC is applying to join the United Soccer League’s new Division One league. Club chairman Steve Malik said the application begins a formal process that could bring top-level men’s professional soccer to the Triangle. The move would be bolstered by a long-term stadium plan and necessary corporate support.

The Packers are on top of the North at 5-2-1, followed closely by the Bears and Lions at 5-3 each and the Vikings at 4-4. It's the only division in the NFL in which every team is .500 or better.

The Lions, like the Packers, lost a game they probably should have won, and did so in their own stadium. Detroit was nearly a double-digit favorite against division rival Minnesota on Sunday, but instead allowed the Vikings to grab an early lead and largely control the game from start to finish.