Since there is no Thursday night NFL game this week, SB Nation Chicago's random number selections for the season's final week will be posted by Friday, instead of the Wednesday date that's been traditional since the Thursday night game began in November.
↵↵Instead, today, let's have a look at various power rankings of NFL teams -- our selections all have the Bears ranked sixth, which seems just about right.
↵↵The mothership at SBNation.com has that sixth-place ranking up two slots from last week, just behind the Falcons. Personally, I don't see the Ravens ranking as high as third, the way they have them, but Baltimore is a team that can sneak up on you.↵↵Speaking of the Falcons, our compatriots at SB Nation Atlanta have their Unbiased Power Rankings which also rank the Bears sixth -- this time, just behind the Steelers in fifth. SBN Atlanta anticipates the Bears losing to the Packers on Sunday -- which would give Green Bay the last NFC playoff spot. We'll see. Packers/Bears games are always a fight, no matter where the teams are in the standings.
↵↵SI.com's Don Banks also has the Bears sixth, just behind the Saints. Here's a telling comment from Banks:
↵↵The Bears locked up a first-round bye Tuesday night when the Vikings upset the Eagles, and Chicago's charmed season just keeps getting better all the time↵↵
"Charmed season". That's what it feels like, doesn't it? Let's hope that charm lasts a few more weeks.