After lighting up the scoreboard in week one, the Chicago Bears are generating headlines and catching the attention of the NFL world.
Week one of the season is always full of surprises, and this week was no different.
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Beyond surprising results like the Chargers losing to the Cardinals or the Giants beating the Cowboys, bigger storylines emerged.
Scoring was way, way up. And the Bears were part of it.
We know the Bears are going to move up the ranks after such a headline-grabbing performance. And they were assisted by the likes of some of the week one national darling teams laying eggs (shoutout Green Bay!).
Let’s see where Chicago lands this week.
WCG – Aaron Leming
7. Chicago Bears (1-0)
Initial Week 1 Thought: The offense’s Year 2 jump under Ben Johnson is evident, but the defense might keep them from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Bears must find some defensive balance, and it must happen in a hurry. Better health will help, but for now, the offense will face continued pressure to produce 30-plus points per game.
The Athletic – Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
4. Chicago Bears (1-0)
Last week: 10
Sunday: Beat Panthers 59-37
What we learned: Best offense in the NFL?
Ben Johnson told our Dan Pompei this offseason that he wanted to build the highest-scoring offense in league history. It seemed outlandish at the time. Then the Bears hung 59 on the Panthers in Week 1, and suddenly anything seems possible. The defense carries plenty of questions, but that offense was unbelievable.
Yahoo Sports – Frank Schwab
10. Chicago Bears (1-0, LW: 11)
The Bears are going to be fun to watch. The offense was fantastic against a Panthers defense that isn’t great but not that bad (22nd in defensive DVOA last season). They put up 59 points, a franchise record for a season opener, and 552 yards. That’s great. They also allowed 37 points and 478 yards against a Panthers offense that was 25th in DVOA last season. Every game might be a pinball machine. And the Bears’ offense might be so good it doesn’t matter how much the defense allows. It’s why they’re not higher in the top 10.
NFL.com – Nick Shook
8. Chicago Bears (11)
Ben Johnson stated his intent to rewrite the offensive record books with his team in 2026. After one week, the Bears are on pace to do so. They detonated the Panthers in a style that mirrored their 2025 success, running the ball authoritatively and letting Caleb Williams make superstar plays in an incredible offensive explosion. The one drawback: They gave up 37 points, a concern tied to a defense that still might be a persistent weakness.
CBS Sports – Pete Prisco
9. Chicago Bears (15)
Maybe Ben Johnson is right and this team will break the single-season scoring record. They looked unstoppable in rolling up 59 points against the Panthers.
USAToday – Nate Davis
4. Chicago Bears (5): The Windy City Cowboys? The Bears barely played a lick of defense Sunday in Charlotte but nevertheless looked like a team very much capable of making a run to Super Bowl 61 − especially with Caleb Williams, fresh off his first game with multiple TD passes and runs (even he’s not Allen-esque … yet), at the helm.
What do you think of this week’s rankings? Are the Bears getting the respect they deserve following their win?
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