NFL Power Ranking after the Bears week 1 loss

These power ranking round-ups are depressing enough to put together each week after the Chicago Bears lose, but it’s even worse after a blow out loss. The silver lining in that 34-14 beat-down at the hands of Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams is that it could have bene much worse. Chicago’s defense only forced one punt, and besides L.A.’s two possessions at the end of each half, every other time the Rams got the ball they scored.

Some fairly methodical offense from the Bears helped in holding on to the ball, and some solid running from David Montgomery gave us a glimmer of hope for this O moving forward.

But let’s check in what the power ranking analysts have to say this week, and notice the common theme flowing through all their remarks.

NFL.com has the Bears at 26 after being 21 before the season started.

All summer, the huddled masses begged Chicago not to put Andy Dalton on Sunday Night Football. The Bears didn’t listen, but it wasn’t Dalton’s fault Chicago was blown out by the Rams. Only one offense in the league ran fewer plays than Los Angeles in Week 1, but the Rams still tallied 34 points and more than 350 total yards against a backpedaling Chicago D that’s regressed considerably in recent years. The Bears need Justin Fields to do more than just serve as an upgrade over Dalton in the starting lineup. They need their first-round pick to give the team something that it’s lost in recent years: an identity.

Here’s how the Sporting News has it.

24. Chicago Bears 0-1 (22)

The Bears ran into a difficult situation on Sunday night, on the road against the Rams with many offensive limitations in relation to their opponent. Their defense isn’t the daunting force it was a couple seasons ago so they will need a lot more out of the offense, whether it’s more of Andy Dalton now or a lot of Justin Fields sooner rather than later. David Montgomery’s running as the centerpiece won’t do it.

Here’s how Pro Football Network sees it this week.

27) Chicago Bears

Andy Dalton and Chicago’s offense will struggle. Their offensive line is a mess, and Dalton is not mobile enough to survive. Matt Nagy must cultivate an environment for him to succeed. Furthermore, the Bears need to keep games close early, or else Dalton will be teed off on. We are all awaiting the arrival of Justin Fields.

Dalton and the Bears lost to the Rams 34-14. Dalton played fine from a completing passes standpoint, but he averaged just 5.4 yards per attempt and his longest completion was just 19 yards. Fields threw 2 passes and completed both, but his rushing touchdown is what got everyone excited. Nagy is going to keep hearing he’s wrong about starting Dalton. He needs to pull the ripcord, or the front office might pull his.

The Bears drop from 22 to 26 according to ESPN, and they give their top week 1 rookie while doing it.

Top rookie: RB Khalil Herbert

Slim pickings for the Bears. Herbert far and away outperformed the rest of Chicago’s rookies with four kickoff returns for 106 yards. He opened the game with a 50-yard return that gifted the Bears great field position — only to later see Andy Dalton throw an interception in the end zone. It was that kind of night for Chicago. — Jeff Dickerson

Yahoo Sports has it like this for the Bears.

26. Chicago Bears (0-1, LW: 23)

Matt Nagy is coaching himself out of a job. His insistence on starting Andy Dalton is weird. Dalton was exactly what you’d think: He wasn’t bad, but he surely wasn’t good. And he won’t be. There’s no real reason to start him over Justin Fields. Add in the Bears’ multiple breakdowns on defense, and it looked like a team without a lot of hope. At least until Fields takes over at QB.

CBS Sports dropped the Bears down 1 spot to 24.

The offense isn’t good enough with Andy Dalton, who didn’t throw it down the field at all. It has to be Justin Fields time soon.

And that’s enough for this week...