Can someone lose the NFC North, please?
Outside of the Detroit Lions, the last NFC North team to lose a non-division game was the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. Since then, the Packers have won three straight, the Minnesota Vikings are undefeated this season, and the Bears’ only two losses this season have come against NFC North teams.
Thursday night provides a decent chance for an NFC North opponent to finally record a loss in the division. The Chicago Bears host the surging New England Patriots on Thursday night. Both teams share a 4-2 record through six games, but the Patriots appear to have righted the ship after a shaky 1-2 start. They’ve beaten the Bills, Raiders, and Jets in the last three weeks, with Drake Maye looking better than he did in 2026.
But Chicago also looked better last week with Caleb Williams behind center. They made quick work of the Atlanta Falcons, though they almost let their three-touchdown lead slip away.
This looks like a surprisingly good matchup for a Thursday night game, and it obviously has big implications in the NFC North.
So here’s a look at who our staff has picked for Thursday night.
And if you’re hoping to watch the game, here’s all the information you need to know:
Date: Thursday, October. 22, 2026
when: 8:15 pm ET
where: Soldier Field — Chicago, IL
TV: Prime Video
Streaming: Prime Video, Twitch
For all nationally televised games, you can join our SB Nation live chat during the game by downloading the SB Nation app, joining our “NFL” community, and then finding live game chat on the app’s home page.
You can also consider this post as our live chat for the game.