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We take our weekly trip around the interwebs to see where various NFL "experts" rank the Chicago Bears in their NFL Power Rankings.
No Jay Cutler, Kyle Long or Zach Miller for the rest of this season for the Bears.
No Alshon Jeffery for three more weeks and no Jerrell Freeman for the next four due to PED suspensions.
We found out this week that Kevin White isn't coming off IR this season.
Josh Sitton and Bobby Massie may not play this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Also Leonard Floyd is in concussion protocol, so he's probably not playing this week. But after that scary collision that compressed his neck, this is considered good news.
Just when we think it can't possibly get any worse for the Bears, it gets worse. So for those fans that feel they are watching rock bottom, just relax, there's still 6 more weeks for the Bears to get lower.
Here's how a few reputable sites around the interwebs have the Bears ranked. The skinny if from each site unless other wise noted with a "~ Lester" in which case that's me chiming in.
| PUBLICATION | THIS WEEK |
LAST WEEK |
THE SKINNY |
| WCG* | <3 | <3 | Ken is taking a much needed break** from his Power Rankings this week. ~ Lester |
| SB Nation | 29 | 29 | Why are the Jags ranked lower than the Bears? ~ Lester |
| Pro Football Focus | 28 | PFF has the Bears' O ranked 25th and their D ranked 17th. That's not bad for a 2-8 team is it? ~ Lester | |
| NFL.com | 28 | 28 |
More of the Jay Cutler era was on display in New York on Sunday. Witness his brilliant throw, on a line, in between two defenders to Zach Miller in the end zone. Don't want to go all Old Milwaukee in a Bears blurb, but it just doesn't get no better than this. Cutler threw another beauty to Miller down the seam, as well. Then, almost as if on cue, he couldn't produce any points in the second half. After displaying his arm on a laser to Josh Bellamy to get the Bears within shouting distance of tying the game, Cutler gave it away. He held the ball for nearly five seconds before letting Jason Pierre-Paul close and knock it out. On the next down, Cutler stutter-stepped on his back foot and heaved an ill-advised throw into double-coverage. Ballgame. And now he and Miller are both hurt. (UPDATE: On Tuesday, it was reported that Cutler is likely to miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum.) |
| ESPN | 29 | 29 | Kevin White, Zach Miller and Leonard Floyd are all injured. Alshon Jeffery is suspended. It has been a rough season in Chicago, as the Bears are off to their worst 10-game start since 2002. The Bears host the Titans on Sunday. |
| CBS Sports | 29 | 29 | Injuries have crippled this team, but they battled at New York. That means they haven't quit. |
| USA Today | 31 | 31 | If it turns out Jay Cutler's last throw Sunday -- an interception forced into coverage -- was his final play as a Bear ... how appropriate. |
| Yahoo | 30 | 30 | It’s not a good sign for the Giants that the Bears put an upset scare into them because the Bears are a mess. Now linebacker Jerrell Freeman is suspended four games for PEDs, like Alshon Jeffery was last week. Oof. |
| FOX | 29 | 29 | The Bears played the Giants tough for much of the game until tight end Zach Miller went down with a foot injury. However, football games aren't won in three quarters - they're won in four. It may be time for the Bears to pack it up and look toward 2017, when Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery could be - or at least they should be - playing elsewhere. |
* The reason Ken's WCG rankings usually drop a day later than most is he actually watches all the games.
** Except this week.
What do you guys think about the Bears' ranking this week?