3 Reasons the Bears Can Maintain the Top NFC North Spot

The Chicago Bears haven't faced an extremely difficult schedule to date. However, they have beaten teams badly and are primed to stay at the top of the NFC North Division.

Chicago further cemented its status as an elite team when it improved to 7-1 with a ferocious 51-20 beatdown of the Tennessee Titans as the Bears forced five turnovers.

The Monsters of the Midway will be tested with their schedule for the second half of the year.

In Weeks 10 and 11, they square off with two powerhouses in Houston and San Francisco. 

They still have two dates with the surprising Minnesota Vikings, along with games against Green Bay, Seattle, Arizona and Detroit.

The Bears have underwhelmed on the offensive side of the ball at times this season, but there is optimism this will turn around. 

Let's take a look at why the Bears will be able to fend off their rivals and capture the division crown.

Defense

The league's best defense has been downright dominant the entire year, forcing an absurd 28 turnovers and scoring eight defensive touchdowns.

This unit allows only 15.0 points per game, good for second-fewest allowed in the NFL. 

Cornerback Tim Jennings leads the league with six interceptions, cornerback Charles Tillman has put himself in contention for the NFL Defensive MVP Award with a league-best seven forced fumbles and two picks returned for touchdowns, and Lance Briggs also has two interceptions returned for scores.

It isn't just the sheer fact that the defense has been great. It is the fact that the defense has been the spark plug in getting the offense going.

When the offense has struggled, the defense has made huge plays to get the whole team going and on its way to dominant wins. 

The key to this defense is that it will not be affected by the weather. While offenses tend to slow down a little bit, the Bears defense is not predicated on speed and is ready and used to playing in the cold weather.

The Bears almost certainly can't continue forcing 3.5 turnovers per game, yet they can still remain stout against the run and avoid giving up big plays through the air.

Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall

The Bears offense has looked pathetic at times this year. 

The offensive line still is shaky, and Jay Cutler sometimes is running for his life.

In many games, the unit has not started moving the ball until the defense has scored touchdowns to give them comfortable leads. 

Despite all of this, stars Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall have performed very admirably.

Forte has carried 107 times for 539 yards (5.0 YPC) with three touchdowns and also has 179 yards despite missing some time early in the season with an ankle injury. Marshall, in his first year with the Bears after being reunited with Jay Cutler, is playing at an All-Pro level with 59 catches for 797 yards and seven touchdowns.

Marshall's play has bolstered an offense that has lacked a big-time receiver for years.

Things have been out of sync for this offense on several occasions this year, yet Forte and Marshall have provided stable production to support a defense that is playing out of its mind. 

Deficiencies of Other NFC North Teams

All four NFC North teams are at .500 or above, but they are not without flaw.

The Packers are 6-3 and rolling with four straight wins. However, the defense still has cracks, and Green Bay is battling the injury bug.  Additionally, the Packers have struggled to establish a consistent run game for the entire year, averaging only 99.7 yards a contest.

Greg Jennings is still out with a groin injury, and Jordy Nelson and Clay Mathews are nursing ankle and hamstring injuries, respectively. 

Fortunately, Aaron Rodgers' bunch has a bye week to rest up and get well with a fairly difficult schedule to finish. 

The Minnesota Vikings have been the surprise contenders in the NFC North at 5-4. Their defense has been solid, Adrian Peterson has returned from another terrible knee injury with freakish production, and Percy Harvin has proven to be one of the most dynamic talents in the NFL.

The Vikings, however, still have to play Green Bay and Chicago twice apiece as well as Houston. 

Quarterback Christian Ponder has struggled mightily in the past three games, throwing for only 372 passing yards and two touchdowns while tossing four interceptions in that stretch.

Outside of Peterson and Harvin, the Vikings lack another consistent force on the offensive side of the ball.

The Detroit Lions are back in the mix at 4-4 following consecutive wins, but they still have to take on Green Bay twice, Atlanta, Houston and Chicago.

While the defense has improved in recent weeks, the team's secondary still can be exposed, and the team hasn't made significant moves to address that.