The Minnesota Vikings became part of NFL history over the weekend, despite not playing a single snap.

With Minnesota (5-0) getting some well-earned rest during its bye and Green Bay (4-2), Chicago (4-2) and Detroit (4-1) all earning victories on Sunday, the NFC North became the first division since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to have every team with at least four wins through the first six weeks of a season. The NFC North has a combined record of 17-5 so far in 2024, followed by the AFC West at 13-9.

To make things even more competitive, the top four teams in the NFL in point differential so far this season are, you guessed it, all NFC North teams. The Vikings lead the way at plus-63, followed by the Lions (plus-60), Bears (plus-47) and Packers (plus-41).

The division's combined differential of plus-211 leads the NFL and is 191 points higher than the next closest division (AFC West at plus-20). No other division has more than one team inside the top 10 in the category.

Each team's next opponent will present a challenge, though. The Vikings host the Lions on Sunday in Minnesota's second division matchup of the season and Detroit's first. The Packers will host the Texans (5-1) on Sunday, and the Bears will have their bye before facing Washington (4-2) on the road in Week 8.

Minnesota's bye didn't move the team much in this week's Power Rankings, with the only change being a swap with Baltimore in one list. Here's a look at where the Vikings rank going into Week 7:

No. 1 (no change): Eric Edholm, NFL.com

Life is pretty good. The Vikings rolled into the bye at a perfect 5-0 and were able to enjoy some downtime. Head Coach Kevin O'Connell rang a big bell prior to a Dodgers-Padres playoff game, while quarterback Sam Darnold led his USC Trojans out of the tunnel for their bout with Penn State. The Vikes had earned the off-week rest and rewards, as it was a pretty wild first third of the season, with trips to New York, London and even upper Wisconsin. Now the stakes are raised. Four of the next six contests are on the road, and they kick off this next spate of games with a big showdown at U.S. Bank Stadium, hosting a Lions team that just put up 47 points in Dallas but lost Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg. The Vikings need to clean up the offensive turnovers and special teams mistakes to keep the perfect run going.

No. 2 (no change): NFL Staff, Bleacher Report

There hasn't been a more surprising team in the NFL this year than the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.

That's a whopper of an understatement. There were more folks who predicted Minnesota would finish last in the NFC North than first. But with quarterback Sam Darnold playing easily the best football of his career and the Vikings defense entering Week 6 among the league leaders in both sacks and takeaways, Minnesota has peeled off five wins a row to open the year.

While talking to reporters, Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell insisted that the Vikings are going to come out of the bye week just as aggressively as they went into it.

"I just think it coincides with what I've been kind of talking about," O'Connell said. "Long before the first win, second, third or fourth win ever came… I'm just really stating the obvious inside that locker room, confirming to them that I believe in them, I love them and we're going to ride together and we're going to stay aggressive while being smart. There's always a line there, but I'm really proud of our guys."

Week 7 will bring a stiff test for the surprising Vikings — Minnesota's first game post-bye is a home tilt with the Lions.

"Frankly, we've already seen a bit of the shine come off Darnold and the Vikings — he completed just 45 percent of his passes in London in Week 5 and had a passer rating that barely cracked 50," Bleacher Report NFL analyst Gary Davenport said. "But so far this season, Minnesota has found a way every week to pull out a win. If they can do so against the Lions next week, the Vikes won't just be in first place — they'll have the NFC North in a choke-hold."

No. 2 (no change): Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

Coming off their bye, [the Vikings] face the Lions at home, which will be a big division game. The Brian Flores defense will be challenged by that Lions offense.

No. 3 (down 1 spot): Nate Davis, USA Today

Leaders of an NFC North off to a historically hot start, the Vikes currently have the only intra-divisional win of 2024 but will get another chance to certify their (undefeated) legitimacy with the Lions coming to the Twin Cities on Sunday.

No. 1 (no change): Josh Kendall, The Athletic

Everyone is waiting for Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold to turn into a pumpkin. He has started fast before, they say, and they're right. Darnold had 1,346 passing yards in Weeks 1 through 6 of the 2018 season with the Jets. The difference? Darnold had nine passing touchdowns and seven interceptions to start that season. This year, Darnold has 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. In three of the last four seasons that Kevin O'Connell has been head coach or offensive coordinator for a team, that team has been top 10 in the league in scoring. The Vikings are sixth at the moment (27.8 ppg).

No. 3 (no change): Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated

Speaking of [Lions defensive end Aidan] Hutchinson, boy do I wish he was healthy for this Vikings-Lions matchup. This deserved to be a game that occurred with both teams at full strength, though that's not the reality of the NFL. At the bye, Minnesota is the eighth best team in the NFL in terms of dropback success rate on offense and, defensively, is the second best team in the NFL in terms of dropback success rate allowed. I wonder what Kevin O'Connell and Brian Flores have cooked up after the self-scout.

No. 2 (no change): Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

The Vikings defense and its big playmaking could only be cooled off by a bye week. They also could use better health to get players like tight end T.J. Hockenson back in the mix on offense, but with DC Brian Flores putting forth a "Coordinator of the Year" effort, this team can play with anyone.

No. 2 (no change): Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports

It's great fortune for Minnesota that it got the bye right before facing the Lions. The Vikings were resting up while Detroit lost its best defensive player. Sunday's game is massive in the NFC North race.