Bears power rankings roundup: Where Chicago lands in Week 13

The Chicago Bears are slowly becoming one of the best teams in the NFL. There are some warts, but an 8-3 record and alone in first place of an excellent NFC North division warrants respect.

In our weekly power rankings, the Bears moved from No. 11 up to No. 10, which is the first time they've been in the top 10 in a long time. The skepticism comes from how they have won some of their games and who they've beaten.

To that, it is fair to respond with the fact that it is hard to win every single game in the NFL; there are no free passes. This isn't college. Also, you can only play those who are on your schedule. The Bears came into the season with one of the hardest schedules, but the narrative has flipped due to other teams' problems.

So where does Chicago rank among other power rankings? We rounded up five of the most popular for you to see here:

USA Today

Link to Article

Current Ranking: 15

Last Week’s Ranking: 16

Author: Nate Davis

Author’s Take: "How balanced is this offense? It has four players (D'Andre Swift, Rome Odunze, Kyle Monangai, and DJ Moore) with at least 500 yards and four TDs from scrimmage."

Our Take: This stat is a reflection of multiple different things. For one, all of those guys, and Caleb Williams, deserve a ton of credit. This is Ben Johnson's offense at work. He has schemed it in such a way that everyone is dangerous at all times. This will never be a one-dimensional group with him leading the way. Nate Davis still has trust issues with the team overall by his placement, keeping them in the middle of the pack once again.

The Athletic

Link to Article

Current Ranking: 12

Last Week’s Ranking: 12

Author: Josh Kendall

Author’s Take: "Caleb Williams had one of the ugliest plays of any quarterback this season — yet also threw for three touchdowns on Sunday. The defense also let the Steelers convert more than half of their first downs, raising legitimate questions about how real this eight-win team is."

Our Take: This week's ranking in The Athletic is asking one big question about each team, and Josh Kendall's for the Bears was easy. Everyone's big question with the Bears is whether or not this is sustainable. The Bears keep finding ways to win with all of their defensive injuries, and that's all that matters right now.

ESPN

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Current Ranking: 11

Last Week’s Ranking: 12

Author: Courtney Cronin

Author’s Take: "The Hall of Famer racked up 244 yards from scrimmage (20 rushes for 137 yards; four catches for 107 yards) and two touchdowns at the Silverdome. The Bears turned the ball over five times, but they pulled off a 31-14 win because of Payton's dominance. Once he hauled in a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bob Avellini in the third quarter, the Bears didn't lose the lead again."

Our Take: ESPN went with a lighthearted theme this week for their power rankings, a Thanksgiving memory. Courtney Cronin remembered a 1977 Thanksgiving game in which Walter Payton dominated for Chicago.

NFL.com

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Current Ranking: 11

Last Week’s Ranking: 14

Author: Eric Edholm

Author’s Take: "Sunday wasn't a work of art, but the Bears battled some adversity against the Steelers, took control of the game, and finished it off. That's all you can really ask. The defense keeps forcing takeaways, minus two top DBs and without five linebackers by game's end. Caleb Williams had some funky misses but also some clutch throws. The run game didn't cook, but the Bears kept on schedule and produced a touchdown in all four quarters. It was pretty good complementary football, even if we were robbed of Aaron Rodgers facing his old foes in Chicago. I'm still not ready to vault the Bears to the NFL's upper reaches, but they've shown enough late-game clutchness in their DNA to earn proper respect."

Our Take: Eric Edholm put the Bears in 11th ahead of Week 13. He respects them as a viewer, as he should, but is skeptical about putting them with the best.

NBC Sports (PFT)

Link to Article

Current Ranking: 7

Last Week’s Ranking: 7

Author: Mike Florio

Author’s Take: "The biggest test yet is waiting in Philly on Friday."

Our Take: Mike Florio has them at No. 7, which is the highest on this list. He claims their biggest test is Friday against the Eagles, so will one loss to the defending champions drop them a lot? That would not be fair. Losing to them would not take away from all that they've built so far.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears power rankings roundup: Where Chicago lands in Week 13