The NFC North has been setting itself up to be the best division in football, evidenced by how well the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers have played through

The Lions and Packers both secured wins on Thanksgiving and improved to 11-1 and 8-3, respectively. That puts pressure on Minnesota to take care of a good Cardinals team on Sunday, get to 10-2, and maintain its spot in between those two rivals heading into the final five weeks of the season.

The playoff simulator at The New York Times tells the story. For starters, the Packers currently have a 99 percent chance of making the postseason. They are 9-3 and have a three-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,