Yahoo Sports NFL power rankings: Where experts have the Bears in Week 16
It's hard to argue that there's a single team in the NFL that's worse right now than the Chicago Bears. With that said, there are about six or seven teams in this league that probably feel the same way.
There are more awful teams right now than outstanding ones. There are also many "mid" teams in the league right now which makes it difficult to power rank. We ranked the Bears 26th in our weekly power rankings and that seems fair enough. After losing eight straight games, it is plausible to put them even lower but again, the teams below them also don't win much.
Across media, power rankings come out every week and everybody seems to have different thoughts. Here's where experts ranked the Bears in Week 16:
USA Today
Current Ranking: 24
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
Author: Nate Davis
Author’s Take: "On the losing end of eight in a row, Caleb Williams is in the midst of the coldest stretch for a rookie quarterback drafted No. 1 overall in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) … save Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, who dropped 11 straight with the 1989 Cowboys."
Our Take: Davis is looking to make all of Chicago happy with this nugget. If Caleb Williams became as successful as Troy Aikman did, he will be the king of Chicago for a long time.
ESPN
Current Ranking: 24
Last Week’s Ranking: 25
Author: Courtney Cronin
Author’s Take: "Caleb Williams threw for 93 yards in Chicago's Week 1 win over the Titans before he had multiple interceptions in back-to-back losses. After finally getting on track and leading the league in QBR in Week 6 (90.8), he experienced struggles that were sorted out only when Thomas Brown took over playcalling duties. He has now thrown 286 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, which is the longest streak by a rookie. While the Bears' passing attack is statistically worse (31st, 181.9 yards per game) than it was a year ago, his gradual development is a welcome sign."
Our Take: ESPN's theme this week is "biggest improvement." It wouldn't take much to say that someone came to Chicago and was an improvement at the quarterback position but that has been the case with Caleb Williams. He still has a lot to learn, but he doesn't turn the ball over, which is a great start. How the Bears went up in the ranking, however, despite losing eight straight is a mystery.
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 24
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
Author: Eric Edholm
Author’s Take: "Thomas Brown's two games as interim head coach have been pretty rough. The Bears were stopped on downs once on their first drive Monday night, then again late in the second quarter. In between, they sandwiched a strip sack of Caleb Williams and a quick punt. Rookie third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie, who has barely played since October, got his first start at left tackle -- and it didn't go so hot. He allowed Jonathan Greenard a free shot on Williams on the strip sack and later was called for a hold that wiped out a first down, preceding D'Andre Swift getting stuffed on fourth-and-1. Speaking of Swift, he appeared to score a game-changing touchdown in the third quarter, but extra offensive lineman/fullback Doug Kramer forgot to report, and the substitution penalty took the TD off the board, with Chicago eventually settling for a field goal. Another Amegadjie penalty stalled a red-zone drive in the fourth quarter, the Bears took another field goal, and it was pretty much lights out up north. Chicago kept fighting, but the mistakes ultimately dug too deep a hole."
Our Take: The fact that the Bears continue to hover around 24-26 again despite their eighth straight loss tells you everything you need to know about the teams below them. There is a lot of bad in the NFL.
NBC Sports (PFT)
Current Ranking: 24
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
Author: Mike Florio
Author’s Take: "The Bears aren’t who we thought they were going to be."
Our Take: Enough said, Mike. Enough said.
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 25
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
Author: Josh Kendall
Author’s Take: "Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus may regret whatever part he played in getting Johnson a four-year, $76 million contract this offseason because it was Johnson who led the locker room in a testy conversation with Eberflus on Thanksgiving, a day before his firing. That probably will turn out to be a good thing for the Bears, though. On top of that, Johnson is Chicago’s most talented player."
Our Take: Jaylon Johnson hasn't had as good of a year as he did in 2023, but he is still amongst the most important pieces that the Bears have.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFL power rankings: Where experts have the Bears in Week 16
