It’s easy to predict the fall when the rise is so rapid, so fast and the follow up is such a face plant.
Now we’re getting the “maybe Chicago Bearshead coach Ben Johnson isn’t good” takes flying.
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Every week, someone is in the comments saying power rankings don’t matter.
I’m here to tell you, hot takes following one game don’t matter.
Ignore the noise. The fact is, even with the Minnesota Vikings blitzing around 80 percent of the Bears’ offensive snaps, Chicago was the only team at Solider Field to run multiple plays in the red zone.
The Bears were the only team with multiple goal-to-go plays run. Those sequences ended with zero points, due to turnovers or execution, not coaching.
With that rant out of the way, let’s look at this week’s power rankings.
WCG – Aaron Leming
13. Chicago Bears (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBA (Pending Caleb Williams‘ health)
Early reports are that Williams avoided a serious injury, and although he might miss a few weeks, the team hasn’t ruled him out for Week 3’s Monday night matchup against the Eagles. Assuming backup quarterback Tyson Bagent can keep them above water, this should be a Wild Card contender at worst. Staying “alive” over the next two games will be key, and it starts with the Eagles on Monday night at Soldier Field.
Profootballtalk – Mike Florio
Bears (No. 3; 1-1): Don’t sleep on West Virginia native Tyson Bagent.
Obviously written before the news.
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Yahoo Sports – Frank Schwab
14. Chicago Bears (1-1, LW: 10)
The fear over Caleb Williams’ injury has subsided since it seems like a fairly minor hamstring injury, and yes his extremely distressed reaction to a hamstring strain was odd. At least it wasn’t a major injury. What needs to be addressed is how the Bears’ offense was inept just one week after putting up 59 points at Carolina. The Bears scored three points against Minnesota and that was with Williams playing three-and-a-half quarters. It would have been better had it not been for a D’Andre Swift fumble at the 1-yard line and a blocked field goal. The rainy weather was certainly an issue, but it’s not like the Bears won’t be playing more bad weather games. They’re still having trouble getting Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland (14 combined catches in two games) involved. One bad game doesn’t mean the Bears are in trouble on offense, but one great game might not make them the highest scoring offense in NFL history either.
“The weather was a major factor in this game,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said, according to the team’s site. “It was the big story of this game. Both defensive coordinators did a great job making it very challenging for the opposing offense. I thought that was the tale of the tape.”
CBS Sports – Pete Prisco
12. Chicago Bears (9) The offense really struggled against Minnesota and now it will be without Caleb Williams for some time. They have problems.
NFL.com – Nick Shook
16. Chicago Bears (8) The NFL’s highest-scoring offense in Week 1 finished with just three points in Sunday’s rain-soaked loss to the Vikings. The Bears’ Week 2 experience was a nightmare that became even worse when they lost Caleb Williams to a hamstring injury. It sounds like the star quarterback avoided total disaster, but as we saw in the final minutes of Sunday’s game, if Caleb isn’t available or is physically limited, the Bears’ ceiling plunges.
ESPN – Courtney Cronin
11. Chicago Bears (1-1)
Week 2 result: Lost to the Vikings 9-3 Week 2 ranking: 7
One thing we know about the QB1: Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury isn’t serious.
The Bears dodged a major bullet with the right hamstring injury Williams sustained late against the Vikings. Coach Ben Johnson labeled Williams as week-to-week, and while the QB is expected to miss some time, Johnson is confident that backup Tyson Bagent can operate the offense. It understandably won’t look the same as when Williams is under center, but the scheme will not change. Chicago gave Bagent a two-year, $10 million extension in 2025, and his experience with Johnson in preseason games is why the coach believes “we’ll be fine.”
USAToday – Nate Davis
13. Chicago Bears (4): Seems like the real ‘Madden’ curse here is that the Bears may have to wait at least another year for their first 4,000-yard passer.
