Bears' heart-stopping Week 9 victory shakes up NFC North race

The Bears improved their record to 5-3, and by the time Sunday's games concluded, they found themselves tied for the most wins in the NFC North.

Yes, you read that right. The Chicago Bears are tied at the top of the NFC North with five wins.

Here's how Week 9 ended up in the division.

Green Bay Packers lose to Carolina Panthers, 16-13

Jordan Love was terrible and the Packers defense couldn't close out the game. Panthers running back Rico Dowdle ran for more 130 yards and two touchdowns, dropping Green Bay to 5-2-1 on the season.

Minnesota Vikings upset Detroit Lions, 27-24

The Vikings welcomed J.J. McCarthy back to the starting lineup, and he delivered -- sort of.

McCarthy ended the game with 143 passing yards and two touchdowns. He ran for a touchdown, too.

The Vikings' victory improved their record to 4-4, while the Lions fell to 5-3.

NFC North standings entering Week 10

With all that in mind, here are the official NFC North standings as November kicks into high gear.

2. Detroit Lions (5-3)

3. Chicago Bears (5-3)

4. Minnesota Vikings (4-4)

It's been a very (VERY) long time since the Chicago Bears were this relevant in the NFC North this late in the season.

The Bears have a good chance to snag their sixth win of the season in Week 10 against the New York Giants before the schedule gets significantly toughrer.

Here are the Bears' upcoming games this month:

Week 10: vs. Giants

Week 11: at Vikings

Week 12: vs. Steelers

Week 13: at Eagles

The stretch of games from Week 11 to Week 13 won't be easy, making it an absolute must that the Chicago Bears take care of business against Jaxson Dart and the rest of Big Blue next Sunday.