NFC North 2026: standings, tiebreakers and upcoming games

As of October 23, 2026, the Minnesota Vikings lead the NFC North with five wins and no losses. The Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions follow, although the teams have played different numbers of games. The standings below reproduce the NFL’s official table, not a power ranking.

NFC North standings

| Place | Team | W–L–T | Pct. | Division | Points for/against | Differential |

|---|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|

| 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 5–0–0 | 1.000 | 2–0–0 | 109–64 | +45 |

| 2 | Chicago Bears | 5–2–0 | .714 | 0–2–0 | 180–143 | +37 |

| 3 | Green Bay Packers | 4–2–0 | .667 | 1–1–0 | 127–125 | +2 |

| 4 | Detroit Lions | 3–2–0 | .600 | 0–0–0 | 164–148 | +16 |

W–L–T means wins, losses and ties. Winning percentage, rather than the isolated win total, determines the order. The Vikings therefore remain ahead of the Bears despite both having five wins: Minnesota is unbeaten and has played two fewer games.

What the table shows now

Minnesota combines the division’s only perfect record with its best point differential, +45. Chicago has scored a division-high 180 points, but both of its losses came within the NFC North. Green Bay enters with three consecutive wins and Detroit with one, according to the NFL’s streak column.

Those indicators add context, but point differential and recent streaks do not replace winning percentage or precede the first tiebreaking criteria. There is also no standings tie in this snapshot because all four winning percentages differ.

How the tiebreakers work

The NFL states that a tied game counts as half a win and half a loss for each club. If two teams from the same division finish the regular season with identical percentages, the official tiebreaking order starts with head-to-head results. Division record, common games and conference record follow.

If the tie persists, the league considers strength of victory, strength of schedule, combined rankings in points scored and allowed, point differentials and net touchdowns; a coin toss is the final recourse. Three or more tied clubs follow a separate sequence, and the appropriate procedure restarts when a team is eliminated from the comparison.

Upcoming games affecting the division

On October 25, the Vikings host the Colts at 12:00 p.m. CDT, according to Minnesota’s schedule. Later that day, the Lions and Packers meet at Ford Field: Detroit lists 4:25 p.m. EDT, while Green Bay shows the corresponding local time of 3:25 p.m. CDT (Lions and Packers).

Chicago’s next game is at Seattle against the Seahawks on November 2 at 7:15 p.m. CST, according to the Bears’ schedule. Because the NFL uses flexible scheduling windows, dates and times may change; verify the official links before each game.

What to watch

Packers–Lions has direct implications because it will add a division result to both teams’ records. Minnesota can extend its overall campaign against Indianapolis, while Chicago is idle over the weekend and remains on seven games played. None of those scenarios predetermines a new order: final results and, when necessary, official tiebreakers will determine the standings.

It is also important to separate standings from editorial assessments. Power rankings measure perceptions of performance; the official table uses results, winning percentage and tiebreaking rules. To follow the race, always compare updated records and the clubs’ schedules.