NFL Power Rankings: Bears disrespected again

So the Chicago Bears put on a dominating performance in dismantling the best team in the NFL, and SB Nation decides to “mix up” their Power Ranking format this week and go with an even more subjective; Which teams do you trust most when the chips are down?

NFL power rankings are subjective to begin with, but at least when one team beats another, it’s standard that the loser will move up, with the winner moving down, but not this week.

Nah.

Let’s change things up so that the week 14 outcomes don’t mean diddly-squat.

Let’s move the Los Angeles Rams down to third overall (which I’m fine with), but then we’ll also move the Bears down to sixth. How can a team drop in a ranking when they win?

Let’s not even mention the Bears 15 to 6 victory over L.A. in the accompanying write up.

Let’s have the Houston Texans, who just lost to the Indianapolis Colts, ahead of the Bears in the fifth spot.

Let’s have the New England Patriots, who just lost to the Miami Dolphins, all the way up at number two.

I really hope the other power rankings aren’t as idiotic as the ones dropped by the Flagship this week.

Bears at number six isn’t my issue, but moving them down... get that bullcrap outta here.

ESPN usually has an accompanying theme with their power rankings, but they rank them first, then add in their little wrinkle. This week it’s a top wish list item. They also have the Bears at 6th overall, but that’s up from eight last week.

Top wish list item: Clinching a postseason berth for the first time since 2010 by beating the hated Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Soldier Field. The Bears will need some help to wrap up the NFC North in Week 15, but nothing would be sweeter for Chicago than punching its ticket to the playoffs at the expense of the Packers. After all, Green Bay dealt the Bears their most recent postseason loss, in the NFC Championship Game nearly eight years ago.

The USA Today moved the Bears up three places, and they have it like this.

6. Bears (9): Is there a starting 11 in league superior to Chicago’s defense? Only one that leaps to mind is Matt Nagy’s nearly 3,300-pound Santa’s Sleigh package.

The Bears moved up according to Yahoo Sports too.

5. Chicago Bears (9-4, LW: 7)

Maybe the result would be different if the teams meet in Los Angeles in January, but the Bears domination of the Rams offense was so thorough, you have to wonder if Chicago just matches up with the Rams really well. There’s no way Los Angeles wants to see the Bears defense again in the playoffs.

CBS Sports moved the Bears up two spots, to number six.

That was an impressive defensive showing against the Rams. Can that unit carry them to a Super Bowl?

The Chicago Tribune moved the Bears up to 4th overall.

4. Bears 9-4 (7). Defense is en vogue, and it resides at Soldier Field.

Brad Biggs isn’t paid by the word apparently...

The Washington Post moved Chicago up to 6th after being 8th last week.

The Chicago defense was tremendous Sunday night against the Rams, shutting down running back Todd Gurley and harassing quarterback Jared Goff into four interceptions and three sacks. That more than compensated for the three-interception struggles of Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Chicago clearly is a dangerous team, but Trubisky will have to play better if it is going to string together multiple postseason victories.

NFL.com also has the Bears at sixth overall.

Previous rank: No. 8

As detailed in last week’s Power Rankings, dominating defense still resonates in the NFL. Yes, even in this era, when the middle of the field has become a posh fairway on which tight ends can rack up fantasy points, and anything so much as breathing heavily on the quarterback extends drives. The Bears upended Jared Goff on Sunday night’s most important down. Akiem Hicks’ sack of Goff on fourth-and-4 with less than five minutes left served as the nightcap on a date with the league’s premier offense that couldn’t have gone any better for Chicago. Perhaps most encouraging was the resurrection of the Bears’ run game, which tallied 194 yards. In particular, Jordan Howard, who has been bottled up all year, ran wild (for him), gaining 101 yards on the Soldier Field grass. Nice work.

Every ranker I checked — except one — moved the Bears up after their impressive win. What are your thoughts on these rankings this week?