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:
Caleb Hanie did as expected against the Raiders, and that has to worry the Bears as they vie for a playoff spot. (Clayton)
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:
The Bears did themselves no favors with the offensive play calling on Sunday. They struggle to find an offensive rhythm when Jay Cutler has to throw it more than 30 times per game, let alone backup Caleb Hanie. Matt Forte needs many more than 12 carries, and when he gets tired, Marion Barber III can carry the load. But Hanie throwing it 36 times is absurd.
In total, the NFL Power Rankings see the Bears like this:
Site | Week 13 | Last Week |
SB Nation | 9 | 8 |
CBSSports | 12 | 8 |
ESPN | 12 | 7 |
FOXSports | 12 | 5 |
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.