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The Chicago Bears (7-4) fell 25-20 to the Oakland Raiders (7-4) in Week 12, but the real issue is whether experts have lost faith in backup QB Caleb Hanie.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports has released his Week 13 NFL Power Rankings, and the Chicago Bears have moved down four spots to No. 12. The move leaves them as the sixth-best team in the NFC, above the No. 13 Detroit Lions, but behind the No. 9 Dallas Cowboys and the No. 8 Atlanta Falcons.
Prisco isn't completely down on Caleb Hanie and the Bears:
The Caleb Hanie era didn't get off to a good start, but it wasn't a total disaster. He made some nice plays, but just not enough of them.
Here are the best and worst in the league according to Prisco:
Top Five
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Houston Texans
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Bottom Five
28. Arizona Cardinals
29. Minnesota Vikings
30. Jacksonville Jaguars
31. St. Louis Rams
32. Indianapolis Colts
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie, making his first NFL start on the road in Oakland, wasn't good enough to lead the Bears to victory over the Raiders. Heck, he was probably the reason they lost the game. The team will look to bounce back with a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but do the experts think the Bears are still a favorite to win an NFC Wildcard berth?
SB Nation's Joel Thorman has released his Week 13 NFL Power Rankings, and the Bears have fallen one spot to No. 9. Thorman is just as confused about Caleb Hanie as everyone else:
Like the Texans (and Chiefs), the Bears are playing without their starting quarterback. They might need 10 wins to snag the wildcard. Can Caleb Hanie do it?
Here are the top and bottom five teams in the NFL, according to SB Nation's rankings:
Top Five Teams
1. Green Bay Packers (11-0, LW: 1)
2. New Orleans Saints (8-3, LW: 4)
3. Baltimore Ravens (8-3, LW: 3)
4. San Francisco 49ers (9-2, LW: 2)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3, LW: 6)
Bottom Five Teams
28. Arizona Cardinals (4-7, LW: 28)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8, LW: 26)
30. Minnesota Vikings (2-9, LW: 31)
31. St. Louis Rams (2-9, LW: 30)
32. Indianapolis Colts (0-11, LW: 32)
Will the experts from around the web see it the same way? SB Nation Chicago will have updates on the Power Rankings from around the web as they are released throughout the day. For more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Week 13 NFL Power Rankings: ESPN, FOXSports Lower Chicago Bears To Double Digits
The Week 13 Power Rankings are starting to filter in, and the news for the Chicago Bears is not good. Gurus all across the spectrum have begun drop their support of the Midway Monsters following the monstrous quarterback play in their 20-25 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
According to ESPN's power rankings, the Bears can finger only Caleb Hanie for their drop from No. 7 to No. 12:
Meanwhile, the analysts at FOXSports have dropped the Bears from No. 5 to No. 12 -- and have a word or two for the play-caller, Mike Martz:
In total, the NFL Power Rankings see the Bears like this:
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears, be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Nov 29 1:01p by Bradley Woodrum