Bears, Lions in NFC North battle.

• Author: Wilner, Barry
• Position: Sports

Byline: Barry Wilner

Chicago (3-0) at Detroit (2-1): First place in the NFC North is at stake today, and the Green Bay Packers will be nowhere in the vicinity.

Instead, it's the Bears, one of seven 3-0 teams, against the Lions at Ford Field. A victory for Chicago would give it a stranglehold on the division through one-fourth of the schedule.

The Bears have been impressive under new coach Marc Trestman, showing a knack for clutch plays on both sides of the ball. They have a league-high 11 takeaways, are making good decisions, and Devin Hester is averaging 38 yards per kickoff return.

But they also have some injuries, with defensive end Henry Melton (knee) gone for the season and star cornerback Charles Tillman hobbled but saying he will play. Tillman normally would match up with the Lions' top threat, receiver Calvin Johnson.

''He's a big, strong, physical corner,'' Johnson said of Tillman. ''He's smart. He's seen a lot of football, so he understands some of the concepts probably that we do on offense, so we've got to throw different things at him to get him off balance.''

Detroit (2-1) is winning the close ones -- the Lions have outscored the opposition by only 13 points. Their passing attack is second in the league, but they lost a key piece when receiver Nate Burleson was injured in a car accident.

The Lions got some good news: Running back Reggie Bush has recovered from the left knee injury that sidelined him in last week's win over Washington.

''He's a very valuable part of our offense and he affects the way defenses play us,'' coach Jim Schwartz said. ''If we can get him back on the field, that will be a big plus for us.''

Seattle (3-0) at Houston (2-1): Under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks have been dominant at home but mediocre on the road. They began turning that around late last season, and this would be a statement win.

Carroll brings the NFL's stingiest defense, particularly against the pass, into Reliant Stadium. Houston also has a rugged D, but the Texans got pushed around by Baltimore last week and have yet to make their own statement as a power.

Pittsburgh (0-3) vs. Minnesota (0-3): Wembley Stadium has been sold out for months, and there will be three big stars on the field -- Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, the league's reigning MVP.

With the way both sides have performed so far, it might be a better idea to tour Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London. Pity the loser having...