Bears make jump in Week 7 NFL power rankings after incredible win over Commanders

The Chicago Bears are experiencing a rare post-bye week victory, following their upset win over the Washington Commanders, 25-24, on Monday Night Football.

Now 3-2 and riding a three-game winning streak, the Bears are back in the NFC playoff conversation.

The key to the Bears' shocking win was the running game, fueled by D'Andre Swift's first 100-yard game (and 7.7 yards per carry). If Swift and Chicago's rushing attack begins to turn the corner, so too will the downfield passing game. And is Ben Johnson noted in his locker room speech after the game, one can only imagine how good this team will be once everything begins to click.

For now, the Bears still have preseason opinions and biases to overcome, which continue to be reflected in NFL Power Rankings.

Take the latest Week 7 power rankings from The Athletic. The Chicago Bears entered the week ranked 20th. Their win over the Commanders only bumped them up two spots to No. 18.

The Bears remain behind the Minnesota Vikings (No. 17) and the Atlanta Falcons (No. 15). Both teams are 3-2, but it's Chicago that's playing with the most momentum right now.

Perhaps Chicago's win over the Commanders wasn't considered a signature win for Johnson's program. And, perhaps, this team won't get the respect it's beginning to deserve until that signature win comes.

The Bears' next opponent -- the New Orleans Saints -- won't provide that opportunity.

The Saints enter Week 7 ranked 28th.

Maybe it's a good thing that the Chicago Bears remain overlooked; underrated, even. It's the kind of bulletin board material Johnson can use to his advantage as the playoff hunt heats up.

For now, the Bears will keep their focus on developing a winning program.

"Thought it was a really good team win," said coach Ben Johnson after the Commanders game. "That's a really good opponent that we went against in a very hostile environment, and I thought all three phases came through for us when needed. It was not our cleanest game. We made a number of mistakes. The penalties were an issue. But once again our team was resilient and they found a way to win. Very proud of them."

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