Chicago Bears: Respect from division rivals still yet to come

The Chicago Bears have started to earn respect on a national level, but they’ve yet to earn the same from their division rivals, who expect them to falter.

The Chicago Bears are currently 8-3 overall and 3-1 in the NFC North. They own a 1.5-game lead in the division over the Minnesota Vikings. They are currently on a five-game winning streak. None of that seems to matter, however, as their division rivals still feel they can come out on top.

First, let’s take a look at the third place Green Bay Packers. They own a 4-6-1 record. They are 3.5 games behind the Bears, yet their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, feels they can go on a winning run and the Bears on a losing run. In order for the Packers to finish ahead of the Bears, they need to win all five of their remaining games and the Bears to go 1-4, which he detailed in his latest post-game press conference.

Not impossible, but very improbable.

Meanwhile, with their win against the Packers in Week 12, the aforementioned Vikings now own a 6-4-1 record, 1.5 games behind the Bears. They are closer to the Bears, but they have a tough schedule down the stretch.

They play the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on the road in the next two weeks. After games against the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, they face the Bears in the final regular season game, hoping that game means something.

Brett Favre, one of the greatest quarterbacks to play, actually was a Packer and a Viking. He gave his opinion (per TMJ4 in Milwaukee) on the Packers/Vikings game, and it didn’t make Bears fans happy.

"[T]he bottom line with this matchup is it’s going to determine the division winner, in my opinion, and who ultimately makes a run at the Super Bowl."

Even while the Bears sit atop the division by multiple games, the other two contenders still feel the Bears are about to walk off a cliff. They still don’t respect the Bears and expect them to fade away.

To be honest, the Bears haven’t done anything for nearly a decade to deserve respect. Even when they were in a situation to win and make the playoffs as they were against the Packers in 2013. The game was for the NFC North title. The Packers won on a fourth-and-8 touchdown pass late in the game. The Bears also dominated the Packers in a Week 1 matchup this season, but ultimately lost the game.

It doesn’t matter what rivals think, however. This is a different Chicago Bears team. They are flying high at the moment, riding a five-game winning streak. They are peaking at the right time and they’ll demand the respect they deserve and get it.