Bears’ biggest problem to fix during 2026 bye week

Thanks in large part to the struggles of the Minnesota Vikings offense, the Chicago Bears have moved into first place in the highly competitive NFC North.

The lead is a tenuous one for the Monsters of the Midway, as they head into their bye week with a 7-2 record. That puts them one-half game ahead of both the Detroit Lions and the Vikings and a full game ahead of the Green Bay Packers. The Bears, Lions and Packers are all surging right now, while the Vikings have lost their last two games because their offense has failed.

The Vikings took a major step up at the trade deadline by reacquiring Kirk Cousins to play quarterback and rescue their moribund offense. That move means the Vikings will…