NFL Power Rankings, Week 17: Bears stay put despite victory

The Chicago Bears handily defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16 and improved their record to 6-9 on the season. That’s the good news.

The bad news? ESPN wasn’t impressed. At least, the win didn’t move the Bears up the Week 17 NFL Power Rankings.

Chicago remains No. 24, just one spot ahead of the Tennessee Titans and one place below the New Orleans Saints.

Justin Fields. pic.twitter.com/mn6Kwf0j4Y

— Dave (@dave_bfr) December 24, 2023

The Bears are the lowest-ranked team in the NFC North, too. The Green Bay Packers (7-8) rank 19th, while the Minnesota Vikings (7-8) rank 18th.

The Detroit Lions, a legitimate Super Bowl contender, rank 4th.

Sure, the Chicago Bears’ record trails the Packers and Vikings’, but I think you’d be hard-pressed to find many NFL analysts who think they should be five or six spots lower than those teams. The Bears defeated the Vikings in their Week 12 Monday night matchup and will get a second crack at the Green Bay Packers in Week 18’s season finale.

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