ESPN NFL Power Rankings, Week 2: Bears remain in bottom 10 teams

The Chicago Bears’ standing in ESPN’s latest NFL Power Rankings didn’t change despite their upset victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Bears entered the game ranked 25th, and they’re beginning Week 2 with the same power ranking.

No. 25: Chicago Bears

“The Bears got the consistency they hoped would show up from their high-ceiling fifth-rounder who began playing defensive end only two years ago,” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin wrote. “Robinson logged 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and seven total tackles — which was the second-largest output by any Chicago defender in a 19-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers. What’s most impressive is how effective Robinson was in limited action. The defensive end was on the field for only 28 of 68 total defensive snaps.”

It’s strange to think a team with almost no one picking them to win — 95% of experts picked the 49ers — doesn’t improve their standing in the league after pulling off such an unexpected victory. The Bears outlasted a sloppy San Francisco team in a game that exposed 49ers quarterback Trey Lance as a work-in-progress and proved that Justin Fields is on the verge of superstardom.

Fields’ box score wasn’t great. He completed 8-of-17 passes for 121 yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception but had a much more significant impact on the game’s outcome than those stats would indicate. He was, at times, magical. And he was the reason the Bears came out on top.

ESPN still believes in the Green Bay Packers

Just as surprising as the Bears not moving up in ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings is that the Green Bay Packers remain a top-10 team. They dropped only two spots after an abysmal showing against the division rival Minnesota Vikings. There’s no reason why Aaron Rodgers and the Packers should remain that highly ranked.

To make ESPN’s rankings even worse, the Vikings are two spots lower than the Packers at No. 10. Truly bizarre. The Detroit Lions, meanwhile, fell one place to No. 27 after their surprisingly competitive outing against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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