Humble pie tastes awful.
Especially when it’s served with extra cheese from that team.
The Chicago Bears need to lick their wounds and prepare for another road game against a high-powered offense.
But before we get there, we have to look at where the pundits and analysts have the Bears ranked.
WCG – Aaron Leming
13. Chicago Bears (3-2)
Going 2-1 (so far) without Caleb Williams is something all Bears fans would have taken when he went down with what appeared to be a potential season-ending injury. That
said, recency bias exists, and a 31-7 blowout loss to the Packers is still fresh in everyone’s mind. They’ve shown that they can dominate quality teams; now they must show more consistency.
The Athletic – Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
11. Chicago Bears (3-2)
Last week: 8
Sunday: Lost to Packers 31-7
Who have you beaten? Panthers, Eagles, Jets
After raising the stakes in their rivalry with the Packers, the Bears got humbled in Green Bay. But good news is on the horizon with Caleb Williams nearing a return. It’s hard to knock the Bears too much for going 2-1 in his absence with Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent at the helm.
CBS Sports – Pete Prisco
15. Chicago Bears (8)
The run game struggled against the Packers, and because of that the backup quarterbacks did as well. But the worst part: The defense was awful.
USAToday – Nate Davis
10. Chicago Bears (10): Just throw out Sunday’s Lambeau sleep. Injured QB Caleb Williams appears on the verge of returning for a team that generally held up well without him.
PFT – Mike Florio
Bears (No. 9; 3-2): Tyson Bagent’s expiration date seems to have arrived.
ESPN NFL Nation – Courtney Cronin
13. Chicago Bears
Week 5 result: Lost to the Packers 31-7
Week 5 ranking: 8Biggest issue on defense: The secondary is more problematic than the pass rush
The Bears’ preseason belief that their secondary would be the strength of the defense has gone out the window. That unit allowed Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love to complete six passes for 25-plus yards and has been trending down since a shootout with the Panthers in Week 1. Rookie defensive backs Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad II will understandably experience growing pains, but the play of veteran cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson (77.3% of targets thrown into his coverage have been caught) and Tyrique Stevenson Sr. (allowing a 140.7 passer rating when targeted) is a major cause for concern.
Yahoo Sports – Frank Schwab
8. Chicago Bears (3-2, LW: 6)
It’s hard to rank the Bears. On one hand, they were horrendous in a 31-7 loss to the Packers. Also, they have scored 60 points in four games since scoring 59 in the opener. They’ve had two games scoring seven or fewer points. A defense that had been playing well gave up too many big plays against the Packers, who had 358 yards passing.
Of course, everything will change soon when Caleb Williams comes back. It’s unfair to judge a team too harshly when it went 2-1 with two different backup quarterbacks. And Williams is close to returning from a hamstring injury.
“He’s on track,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said, via Bears Wire. “We’ll see if that’s Atlanta [for Week 6] or after. I think it’s going to be close.”
Once Williams returns, it’ll be easier to get a clear read on the Bears.
