After two solid offensive showings by the Chicago Bears, they’re starting to improve in some power rankings.
Quarterback Justin Fields has led his offense to 62 points over the last two games, with a 1-1 record. He has played the best two-game stretch of his young career, with fans getting very excited going into Week 9.
Here’s where the Bears stand in the NFL power rankings ahead of Week 9:
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 20th
Last Week’s Ranking: 24th
Author: NBC Sports Staff
Author’s Take:
Justin Fields is becoming that dude. That’s a win for the 2022 Bears.
Our Take:
Justin Fields and Luke Getsy are starting to improve together. Fields’ decision-making has changed over the last two weeks, with his only interception not being his fault. Is he really that dude or is it a good two-game stretch? Only time will tell – but it’s exciting.
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 24th
Last Week’s Ranking: 23rd
Author: Dan Hanzus
Author’s Take:
The Bears enjoyed the most impressive win of their season just over a week ago in New England, but that already seems like decades ago in the Windy City. Last Wednesday, Chicago traded star pass rusher Robert Quinn to the Eagles. On Sunday, the Bears were overwhelmed by the Cowboys in a 49-29 loss at Jerrah World. Then came Monday, and the news the team had sent star linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens in exchange for draft picks. GM Ryan Poles’ decision to sell at the deadline shows a commitment to a complete teardown in Chicago. It’s a full-measure method that — if done right — can return the storied franchise to prominence, but patience will be essential for an already-beleaguered fanbase.
Our Take:
The highest highs and the lowest lows for the Bears in their last two weeks. A massive win in New England and a huge loss in Dallas. They will finish the season without Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn – as the two were traded over the last two weeks. The Bears are rebuilding and have a lot of potential to get better in the offseason. They have a lot of money to spend in free agency and have the draft capital to rebuild quickly. This could be a fast rebuild.
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 26th
Last Week’s Ranking: 24th
Author: NFL Staff
Author’s Take:
One play in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys essentially sums up the 2022 Chicago Bears.
After Dallas edge-rusher Micah Parsons pounced on a David Montgomery fumble in the third quarter, Bears quarterback Justin Fields hopped over him. There was just one problem: No one had touched Parsons. He got up, rumbled into the end zone, and just like that, the game was essentially settled.
Fields admitted afterward that he made a mistake, but he said the team has to shake off this latest setback.
“You’re always gonna have ups and downs in the game,” Fields said. “You’ve just got to keep fighting.”
After looking great defensively last week against the New England Patriots, the Bears were scorched by Dallas for 442 yards and 49 points. But on the bright side, Fields played relatively well again, aside from being a terrible tackler. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 151 yards and a pair of scores while adding another 60 yards and a score on the ground.
“The Bears failed to string together consecutive wins after a short turnaround from their Monday Night Football win over the Patriots, but they’re fun to watch again,” Moton said. “Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has tapped into Fields’ capability as a runner, which has helped get the offense going.”
“The Bears have scored 62 points over the last two weeks,” he continued. “Unfortunately, Chicago’s porous run defense allowed 200 yards and three scores to the Cowboys in Week 8. If the Bears patch up their interior defense, they can string together signature wins in the middle of the season.”
That defense isn’t likely to get better after the Bears traded star linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. It was a tell-tale sign that Chicago is all but packing it in for 2022.
Our Take:
The Bears are likely not a playoff team this season, although their 3-5 record keeps them in the hunt. They’ve been competitive in most of their losses, even trimming the deficit to 28-23 at one point against Dallas. The wheels fell off the bus late in the second half and it turned into a blowout. They’re rebuilding and showing promise each week. The offense has looked solid the last two weeks, if the defense can get things back on track against Miami, they could win this week.
ESPN
Current Ranking: 26th
Last Week’s Ranking: 28th
Author: Courtney Cronin
Author’s Take:
Fields has shown considerable growth in Chicago’s past two games — a win at New England and loss at Dallas — and looks like a different quarterback from where he was in Weeks 1-6. That tangible improvement is something this franchise can be excited about long term, considering how well Fields has performed despite the lack of talent around him. The second-year QB posted the highest passer rating of his career (120.0) against the Cowboys and is showing the Bears that he may be their long-term answer.
Our Take:
Justin Fields has had the best two-game stretch of his career, coming off of his best career game – passer rating-wise – against the Cowboys. He’s stacking multiple good games together, which is a sign of his development improving. Are we finally seeing the 11th overall pick from the 2021 NFL draft turn into a franchise quarterback?
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 30th
Last Week’s Ranking: 25th
Author: Pete Prisco
Author’s Take:
At least the offense is coming alive a little with Justin Fields. That’s the good news. The bad news is they won’t win a lot of games.
Our Take:
The Bears might not win a lot of games this season, but their offense is getting better. The future is starting to look bright. As the team continues to play better and stay in games, things will improve in Chicago.
