The NFC North is currently the only division in the NFL where all four of its teams are above .500 after the Chicago Bears beat the Washington Commanders 25-24 on Monday Night Football.
Use whatever word you want: grind, gauntlet. Bloodbath, even. They all mean the same thing: this division is tough.
The Detroit Lions won’t need any reminder of that, after having to go 6-0 in the division and win 15 games just to avoid a wild card spot. The NFC North was so tight last year that the Week 18 showdown between Detroit and the Minnesota Vikings featured the most wins between two teams in a regular-season matchup in NFL history.