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We'll begin our weekly NFL Power Ranking adventure with the fine folks at SB Nation, who keep the Chicago Bears at #15 this week.
The Bears fired every bullet in their gun on Sunday, and were an overturned Alshon Jeffery TD away from edging the Lions. They now find themselves needing to rally after a gut-wrenching loss, and operating without Jay Cutler and the inimitable Peanut Tillman at cornerback. The Bears can't survive if the run game goes A.W.O.L. as it did against Detroit, and a battered defense might not have much more left in the tank.
The vanishing running game was my top concern last week. Not pulling Jay Cutler was a big deal, but if Matt Forte and the Bears o-line, were doing their jobs, a hobbling Cutler may not have mattered.
Now on to the Mile High Report for their weekly dig at Jay Cutler.
So, Josh McCown looks like a better option at quarterback for the Bears than does Jay Cutler, but knowing coaches, Cutler will start whenever he is healthy. The Bears are going to go down the same road that the Broncos did under Cutler. Excellent starts to the season, only to fade at the end. Tough break.
They had the Bears at number 20 by the way.
And to explain the "fade at the end" to you, in 2008, his final season with the Broncos, Jay Cutler gave up 52 points in week 17 to the San Diego Chargers to allow S.D. to win the AFC West. Cutler did throw two interceptions to go along with his lone passing touchdown, and 316 yards through the air, but it was Cutler's inability to stop the run that really doomed the Broncos. The Chargers rushed for 289 yards and five touchdowns in that division clinching game against Jay Cutler.
Come to think of it, maybe us Bears fans have been looking at Chicago's inability to stop the run in 2013 all wrong. It's clearly Jay Cutler's fault.
Moving along, Bleeding Green Nation has the Bears down two spots to number 11.
The Bears had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. They scored the touchdown, but the two point conversion attempt was a major failure.
Bears still in the top 10 according to The Phinsider, who have Chicago at 9.
Lots of Ls at the top of the power rankings and the loss to another top 10 team this week keeps the Bears somehow in the top 10.
Somehow Blogging the Boys moved the Bears up a spot, to number 12.
The Bears had two chances at a two-point conversion to tie the game against the Lions, but came up short on both.
I'll bet they would have come through if given a third chance!
The Shutdown Corner of Yahoo Sports has the Bears moving up one to 12.
We'll never know if they would have beat the Lions if Josh McCown was sent in earlier. But it's something that'll be really interesting to look back on after Week 17.
Brian Billick of FOX Sports is moving the Bears up two spots to number 10!
It will be up to Josh McCown this weekend against the Ravens and both teams desperately need a win to stay in contention for the playoffs.
Seriously, the Bears lose and are moving up? This is a weird season...
Bears down two, to number 11, according to ESPN.
Matt Forte's average rushing gain before being hit by a defender was seven-tenths of a yard past the line of scrimmage, more than 2 yards short of his season average.
That is an eye opening stat. The Lions d-line dominated the trenches.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports is keeping the Bears at 12, and he has a gem of an idea.
Jay Cutler didn't look right against the Lions, so maybe it's better to start Josh McCown against the Ravens.
That's why he gets the big bucks ladies and gentlemen!
Over at NFL.com, they have Chicago at 11.
We can point to several factors in the narrow loss to the Lions, but perhaps the most alarming was the complete lack of a running game for the Bears. Chicago got its butt kicked up front, rushing 20 times for a paltry 38 yards. This stood to make the offense one-dimensional, even through the air; 18 of Jay Cutler's 40 pass attempts went to Alshon Jeffery.
I have a feeling that Kyle Long and company will be fired up this Sunday. Could a 150 yard day be on the horizon for Matt Forte?
As bad as that loss was, the Bears are still in the playoff hunt. The bad thing is they are currently sitting 8th in the NFC. Only six teams will qualify for the postseason.
What are your thoughts on the Power Rankings this week?