Bears approaching league's basement in latest NFL Power Rankings
Week 1 is officially in the books and the Chicago Bears shouldn’t be happy with where the team stands in the league rankings. The first set of NFL Power Rankings from Sports Illustrated for the 2023-24 season has been revealed and here's what Conor Orr had to say about the Bears. 30. Chicago Bears (0-1) "That […]
Week 1 is officially in the books and the Chicago Bears shouldn’t be happy with where the team stands in the league rankings.
The first set of NFL Power Rankings from Sports Illustrated for the 2023-24 season has been revealed and here's what Conor Orr had to say about the Bears.
30. Chicago Bears (0-1)
"That Lukas Van Ness sack, and some of the plays that preceded it in the second quarter, show just how much effort Justin Fields is going to have to go through if he wants to continue to play as freely as he did a year ago. Fields did a nice job when Chicago schemed his immediate targets open, but we’re seeing how most teams are going to play him now. Nearly every team has athletic, off-ball defenders. It’s time for the Bears to evolve."
The national reaction seems warranted according to the consensus reaction from Bears' fans after Week 1. In all actuality, most would’ve expected to see their team ranked even lower.
As Orr noted, it's clearly time for the Bears to evolve with the rest of the league. What was shown on the field against the Packers on Sunday resembled many of the same issues the Bears put on the field last season.
The offense felt stagnant without any juice besides what was created from the legs of quarterback Justin Fields. The 24-year-old led the team in rushing with 59-yards and more than doubled the production of their second leading rusher.
On defense, the Bears failed time and time again to create a stop and get off the field as the game progressed. None of the defensive additions the Bears made to the roster this offseason resulted in any real contributions, which should sting even more.
Chicago was ranked just above the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals after Week 1. It's not good company. The Texans only managed to score on three field goals during a 25-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens while the Cardinals fell 20-16 against the Washington Commanders.
Improvements are needed to be made this week if the Bears have any hope of climbing up the ladder this season. Chicago will have their first chance to do so as they get set to face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Bears are ‘all on deck to improve’ after disappointing loss
Changes will need to be made this week.
Featured image via: Mike De Sisti-USA TODAY Sports
