Detroit Lions They have opened up a lead in the NFC North thanks to a pair of recent wins.

The team that defeated Minnesota Vikings away in the 7th week, lions They showed their strength once again with their win over Green Bay at Lambeau Field in Week 9. As a result, the 7-1 Lions now hold a two-game advantage over the 6-2 Minnesota Vikings and 6-3 Green Bay Packers.

Here’s a look at where teams within the division stand heading into Week 10, with input from OnSI streamers from across the division.

Detroit Lions

Week 10: Lions at Texans (Sunday 8:20 p.m., NRG Stadium)

NFC North Standings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Midseason review: lions We are Super Bowl contenders. The Lions have proven to have very few holes in their six-game winning streak. Their biggest weakness, the pass rush, was addressed with the addition of Za’Darius Smith at the trade deadline. The onus now falls on the Lions to eventually improve the situation they have created and continue to build momentum.

Keys to winning: Win the turnover war. This strategy has proven to be golden for the Lions throughout their winning streak. with the quarterback Jared Goff The Lions have created serendipitous situations for themselves over the past few weeks by avoiding interceptions and the defense that created them. This formula should remain key in the prime time showdown against the Texans. — John Maakaron, Lions OnSI.

Minnesota Vikings

Week 10: Vikings at Jaguars (1 p.m. Sunday, EverBank Stadium)

NFC North Standings: Lions, Vikings, Packers Bears

Midseason review: Very positive. vikings We’re 6-2 and going on the road for three straight against the Jaguars, Titans and Bears. They could be 9-2 heading into December, which would keep them in contention for first place not only in the NFC North but also in the conference. Blake Cashman will be back from his toe sprain and the future is bright as long as Sam Darnold doesn’t throw away games.

The biggest key to winning in Week 10: Honestly, that’s what it’s all about darnold We are not throwing the game aside. If he takes what the defense gives him and doesn’t force him to run the football like he did last week against the Colts, he’s destined to have a monster game against the Jags defense, one of the worst defenses against the pass in the NFL. Jacksonville is screwed, and if Trevor Lawrence doesn’t play, it’ll be Mac Jones. This will make Brian Flores and the Vikings’ defense salivate. — Joe Nelson, Vikings OnSI.

Green Bay Packers

Week 10: Goodbye

NFC North standings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Mid-Season Review: It’s amazing how a bad performance can skew things. Green Bay 6-3 and on track to return to the playoffs. But a 24-14 loss to Detroit, in which the Packers utterly failed to overcome the conditions and repeatedly shot themselves in the foot, was a kick in the gut for a team that should have been a Super Bowl contender. Unless Jordan Love stops throwing stupid interceptions and the Packers find a red zone offense and passing offense, this team is going to look like a solid playoff team.

Keys to Winning: Packers We’re off this week, but the keys to the rest of the season are clear. Last year, after a 3-6 start, the Packers went 6-2 to advance to the playoffs and then beat the Cowboys in the wild-card round. What can be taken from this experience to improve on this year’s 6-3 start? As coach Matt LaFleur said Monday: “I think a lot of it started with our approach to training and how competitive we were in practice. I thought it made practices more energetic and that translated into our game.” — Bill Huber, Packers ONSI.

Chicago Bears

Week 10: Bears vs. Patriots (Sunday 1 p.m., Soldier Field)

NFC North Standings: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bears

Midseason review: bears The Colts appear to have missed an opportunity to compete in the NFC North in the second half of the season by failing to beat the Commanders and Cardinals on the road. They have the NFL’s toughest remaining schedule based on winning percentage, and they really should be 6-2 or 5-3 at this point to have a realistic chance at the playoffs. Matt Eberflus’ 3-18 away record is dragging them down and no team with this shortcoming can be considered a candidate for anything other than a managerial regime change, even if they have won nine in a row as a home team.

Keys to Winning: The two basic rules of football can reveal: bears It rose above .500. They need to run it and stop the run. Stopping Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson is a real problem, especially with Andrew Billing not playing defensive end this season (pec muscle tear) after allowing Arizona to rush for 213 yards last week. Running him has been hit or miss all year, and the offensive line may be lacking against Darnell Wright, but running him could allow Caleb Williams to throw play-action passes and avoid being a tackle dummy again. — Gene Chamberlain, Bears OnSI.