(Audacy) The NFC North is on the rise, and Bears receiver DJ Moore is confident Chicago will hang around.
Many expected the NFC North would reach another level this season, but it has already progressed beyond expectations. The Bears (4-2) improved thanks to a slew of additions on offense in the offseason, and they're showing their potential lately. The Lions (5-1) have established themselves as one of the top teams in the league, while the Packers (5-2) have one of the most exciting young cores in the game.
Even the Vikings, widely expected to be cellar dwellers, have played well with Sam Darnold at quarterback, starting 5-0 before their close loss to the Lions on Sunday.
The Bears were the only idle team in the division over the weekend, giving Moore the opportunity to keep an eye on the other games.
“Yeah, I watched some of the games," Moore said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Monday morning. "(Texans-Packers) came down to field goals and interceptions and sacks at the end of the game. I was like ‘Dang, this league is real hard’ – and the Vikings are undefeated no more, so the NFC North is something to watch out for this year.
“It was like ‘Dang, nobody wanted to lose this weekend?’ It is what it is, but we’ve still got this.”
The Bears have the pieces to hang around in the division this season, but there likely won’t be much room for error – especially with the Lions drubbing just about everyone they face. Riding a three-game winning streak, the Bears will be met with a big test out of the bye against the Commanders (5-2) next Sunday.
So long as the Bears keep playing complementary football, Moore thinks they'll be fine.
“It’s all a tight race,” Moore said. “With everybody, we’re playing good football, we’re all playing good, complementary football. We’ve just got to stay on that wavelength of playing complementary football as Bears. Stay hungry and still go after that division even though everybody is going up right now.”