NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: Chiefs gripping No. 1 tightly and the Jets won a game
. . Previous: 19th. Chicago Bears. 15. team. 57
On the heels of losing six straight games after starting the season at 5-1, we were all ready to pour dirt on the Chicago Bears. That seemed even more true given the fact that an injury to Nick Foles put them in a spot where they were forced to start Mitchell Trubisky once again. But lo and behold, the Bears are still alive in the NFC playoff race.
In Week 15 as they went on the road to play the rival Vikings, the Bears submitted an impressive performance. Running back David Montgomery was the star of the show, rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns on the day. But Trubisky also played well enough as he went 15-of-21 for 202 yards with a score and an interception.
It should be noted that the concerns about the Bears’ viability weren’t exactly quelled with this performance. Chicago jumped out to a 20-7 lead in the first half but then allowed Kirk Cousins and the Vikings to climb back into things with a fourth-quarter touchdown making it 30-27.
Next week’s matchups against the Jaguars should be a win for the Bears that will move them to 8-7 and keep their thin playoff hopes alive. But really, this all feels like it’s building to the Packers putting the final nail in Chicago’s coffin for the 2020 season in Week 17, a real salt-in-the-wound situation.