Impact of Justin Fields Is Evident
Never underestimate the power of the quarterback to impress over what the team can do.
It's a highlight league now and if a quarterback can do what Justin Fields did on Sunday, wins and losses don't seem to matter as much.
This was certainly the case with the Bears this week in the top power rankings, as there were weeks when they played well or better overall and couldn't move up, but in all but two polls this week they moved up after Fields' flashy play and NFL quarterback rushing record of 178 yards.
Who knows what would have happened if they had actually won the game?
Top half of the league?
There were a few who were unconvinced and one was Sports Illustrated.
However, in their skepticism one fact was revealed. The Bears are actually ranked six spots higher now than they were in Sports Illustrated's poll in the preseason, and this after compiling a 3-6 record. Apparently people thought they'd be 1-8.
Sports Illustrated: 24th
Sports Illustrated was the only poll dropping them in ranking for the loss to Miami. They are 24th, down three spots, in what was labeled as their "mid-season power rankings," although it's past the mid-point, which occurred in the middle of last practice week. The Bears were lauded for realizing Fields could run and letting him. Uh, it's been going on for quite a while now.
USA Today: 24th
An interesting note about Fields after they moved up from 27th to 24th. He is on track to be the third quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards and has a shot at Lamar Jackson's record (1,206). But it's also pointed out how he's been sacked 33 times.
The Athletic: 25th
The Bears are up to 25th after being 28th and Bo Wulf said they feel better at any point about their quarterback situation since the selection of Mitchell Trubisky. He could probably have gone back much, much farther.
ESPN: 25th
ESPN moved them up to 25th from 26th and the theme for the week was who each team's MVPs is aside from quarterbacks.
CBS Sports: 30th
The Bears are 30th but only two behind the collapsing Packers now and up one spot from last week in this poll. Pete Prisco compliments Fields, even if the low ranking doesn't back up the nice words. "He can run it, but he's throwing it better as well."
NBC Sports/PFT: 21st
The Bears moved up one spot to 21st and Mike Florio says that if they keep using Justin Fields the right way, which they are, they might soon "figure out how to take over the NFC North, as soon as 2023." Actually, he should have said "take over the North," to use Ryan Poles' famed quote.
NFL.com: 21st
The Bears attained a lofty 21st ranking after being 24th last week with Dan Hanzus doling out the compliments for Fields. In one he wrote, "In a season that's been defined in part by poor quarterback play in places you'd least suspect it, it's refreshing to watch a young player like Justin Fields make the leap in such profound fashion."
Bears fans will be happy to know Hanzus also went after the officials for the blown pass interference penalty on the next-to-last Bears pass directed at Chase Claypool.
The Ringer: 26th
The only poll where the Bears kept the same ranking, at 26th. Austin Gayle had a good news/good news comment with the best news being that "...losing in Week 9 only benefits where the rebuilding Bears will pick in the 2023 NFL draft..."
The Sporting News: 25th
Vinnie Iyer paid the Bears a compliment you don't often see associated with them when he moved them up one spot to 25th, writing they have "...a diverse, versatile and explosive offensive-minded team for a change."
Don't tell anyone else this or he'll become a candidate for the Colts head coaching job after Jeff Saturday flops.
Yahoo Sports: 25th
Frank Schwab has the Bears moving up to 25th from 26th and says despite everything, "...If they can keep seeing that improvement over the last eight games it will be a successful season for the Bears regardless of their final record."
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