Bears move up 1 spot in NFL.com Power Rankings despite loss to Vikings

It appears more than just Chicago Bears fans found some positives in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Dan Hanzus, the author of NFL.com’s NFL Power Rankings, did too.

In his Week 6 power ranking of all 32 teams, the Bears moved up to No. 29.

Sure, it’s a terrible ranking. But, hey, improvement is an improvement.

“Sometimes a loss can feel like a win,” Hanzus wrote. “That’s how Bears fans could optimistically look at a 29-22 setback to the Vikings that also served as a hopeful jumping-off point for Justin Fields. The quarterback, who had struggled mightily through the first four weeks of his second season, caught fire in the second half, finishing 12 of 13 for 135 yards and a touchdown in the final two quarters. He added 36 rushing yards and had a long TD run negated by a penalty.

“Fields” hot streak allowed Chicago to erase a 21-3 deficit and put a serious scare into the NFC North leaders. “I think we took a step forward, for sure,” Fields said. “A lot of teams in this league would have just laid down and stopped playing.” It’s a start.”