After just one week of NFL games, power rankings saw a few major shake-ups.
In several rankings, some teams jumped up several spots (Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills), while some higher teams fell (Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys).
Toward the back end, there were some changes but not a ton of surprises (although the Houston Texans fell in a few rankings).
As for Chicago, they didn’t see a huge swing, but they mostly dropped after a blown lead and a coaching
miscue. Plus, Caleb Williams not showing immediate improvement didn’t help things either.
Let’s get to it.
23. Chicago Bears (0-1) The start of the Ben Johnson era was promising, as the team’s first offensive drive of the game resulted in a touchdown. Then the offense started struggling, but the defense looked flat-out dominant. In the end, it all fell apart in the fourth quarter, once again leaving more questions than answers. At this point, it seems clear that this is going to be a process for Johnson and his staff to get this team on track.
18. Chicago Bears Caleb Williams’ sizzling start cooled off, but not to the point where I thought the Bears were actually going to lose the game. Once Cairo Santos missed the field goal to start the fourth quarter, though, the floodgates opened. The defense suddenly came unglued. Williams looked far more harried. The offense basically stopped functioning — exactly what we were told Ben Johnson attacks don’t do. There was plenty of blame to go around. I’ve gotta say, it was a pretty rough night for the big interior-OL trio Chicago brought in this offseason. Yeah, the Vikings brought extra pressure a number of times, but they also got two sacks on four-man rushes. Most of that heat came right up the middle, forcing Williams to start making poorer decisions and rush his throws. The defense was shorthanded, so there’s an excuse baked in, but the offense had way too many empty possessions. There’s a lot to work to do, and either the Bears or Lions will be 0-2 at this time next week.
22. Chicago Bears (21): At least QB Caleb Williams got his first career rushing TD, even if leading the team in rushing yards Monday wasn’t a great early sign for Johnson’s overhauled offense.
18. Bears (No. 17; 0-1): The Ben Johnson/Caleb Williams partnership looked pretty good. A victory always looks better.
25. Chicago Bears (20) If you’re a believer in the Caleb Williams–Ben Johnson pairing, then you’ll leave Monday night’s loss to the Vikings feeling encouraged. After a disastrous 2024, Williams looked stronger, faster, and more confident in his arm than he did against top defenses last year. When plays broke down, Williams evaded pressure and made impressive throws on the move. If this is his baseline with Johnson as his new play caller, there’s hope that Williams can have a breakout season.
Sadly, the person I just described is probably not a Bears fan who is jaded by decades of disappointing quarterback play. All the diehards will likely take from Monday night were Williams’s wild misses on throws from in the pocket and how he lost control of the offense in the second half. Chicago sports radio should be a doozy this week.
21 (16): Chicago Bears (0-1) Ben Johnson’s decision to not kick out of bounds with 2:02 left, allowing the Vikings to run the clock under the two-minute warning on the return, was a strategic mistake that cost the Bears 40 valuable seconds. Being a head coach and being an offensive coordinator are much different jobs.
21. Chicago Bears (19) They looked like two different teams against the Vikings. They blew a double-digit lead at home, which will be tough to get over. The defensive injuries were too much.
