Bear Digest

NFL Power Rankings, Week 2: Bears hold steady after tough loss to Vikings

Despite a disappointing Week 1 loss, the Chicago Bears' standing in Week 2 NFL Power Rankings remains unchanged.
Bryan Perez|
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The bad news is the Chicago Bears are 0-1 after losing a game they very much should've won against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

Caleb Williams was a roller coaster ride; Ben Johnson didn't bring his A game; the defense collapsed when it mattered most.

But that's all in the rearview mirror now that preparations for Week 2's road game against the Detroit Lions have begun. And, well, there's (sort of) some good news.

Despite what many view as the Bears absolutely choking in Ben Johnson's debut, the NFL Power Rankings folks at Pro Football Focus haven't sounded the alarm. Chicago remains in the same slot they were at the start of the season: No. 18.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson before the game against the Minnesota Vikings
David Banks-Imagn Images

"The Bears had real control of their Week 1 game against the Vikings until they didn’t," PFF's Thomas Valentine wrote. "The offense struggled to put the contest to bed, even if Caleb Williams earned a 77.1 PFF overall grade, and the defense allowed 21 points in the fourth quarter in an eventual 27-24 divisional loss against the Vikings."

A big part of Williams' 77.1 grade was his rushing -- he led the Bears with 58 yards. Had he been a bit more clutch with some of his throws in the second half, maybe the outcome would've been different.

And if the Bears had won the game, the narrative around this team would be very different, too. They'd be the 'new' Bears, the 'Ben Johnson' Bears, the rebirth of the Monsters of the Midway would be upon us.

Those, of course, would be overreactions. As is the doomsday commentary that surrounds Williams, Johnson, and the one-week Bears.

Remember: that was a Brian Flores defense that Caleb Williams faced. A defense that will put even the most-schooled veteran QBs brains' in a blender. Williams was far from perfect, but he wasn't a disaster, either.

Were there passes he'd like to have back? Sure. But he's not the only starter who'd like a few redo reps.

So, here we are, at the start of Week 2, in a very similar place as Week 1. The Chicago Bears are a team that still has a lot of unknowns and are ranked inside the top 20 in NFL Power Rankings.

Bring on the Lions.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.