The Bears turned a 21-21 halftime tie into a 48-24 rout of the Detroit Lions, running their record to 3-1 as expected. Jay Cutler had his third straight game with a 100+ QB rating, the first Bears QB to do that since 1970. Matt Forte reversed his underwhelming performances in the first 3 weeks with a 121-yard effort, averaging over 10 yards per carry. Rookie WR Johnny Knox caught 5 more passes and turned the game in the Bears favor with a 102-yard TD kickoff return to open the 2nd half.

There were plenty of other heroes in the Bears win on Sunday, but the bottom line is the Bears are where I expected them to be as they go into their bye week. I was hoping they would be 4-0, but I knew they might lose to any one of their first 3 opponents.

Either the Vikings or the Packers are going to lose on MNF, which will either leapfrog the Bears into a tie for first place in the NFC North or help them put ground between them and Green Bay, a likely contender for the playoffs. In any case, with Dallas, Arizona and Carolina looking weaker than expected, the Bears are in a solid position to continue pushing for a playoff spot. I should add that the NFC North is looking like the strongest division in the NFC right now, if not the entire NFL.

The Bears have suffered a few injuries, but beyond Urlacher there aren't any that are devastating. Devin Hester (shoulder) and Johnny Knox (sprained knee) should both be fine after a week of rest during the bye. As long as Jay Cutler and Matt Forte stay healthy, this offense appears ready to hang with New Orleans and the Giants as the best in the NFC (well, nobody can really hang with New Orleans, but still). The Bears special teams has to be considered an integral part of this prolific offense, as they may be the best special teams from top to bottom in the NFL.

After the bye, Chicago faces a well-rested Atlanta team on the road, then moves on to play Cincinnati and Cleveland. I would be surprised if the Bears aren't at least 6-2 after November 1, and 7-1 is entirely possible. Looming in the future is a showdown with the Vikings (on the road) on Thanksgiving weekend, which will give one team or the other a leg up on the division crown.