8. Chicago Bears
If there's one team you look at right now and you feel like they might be pulling the wool over your eyes, it's the Chicago Bears. Coming off of their bye week, we saw the Bears' offense go out and win a shootout against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals obviously don't have an elite defense, but you can't knock a team for getting the win that's been put in front of them. The Bears are 5-3 right now, and with Detroit and Green Bay also losing this past week, they've got a shot to make a little run here.
The issue facing the Bears right now is whether that defense is going to hold up down the stretch after all the yards and points we saw them give up against the Bengals. It wasn't the first time this season that they've been absolutely blown away.
7. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have battled through one injury after another, and they haven't been minor ones. They are missing their highest-paid players on both sides of the ball as well as their top playmakers on offense, and that's on top of key offseason departures like Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and many others.
The 49ers have been fantastic if we're grading on a curve, but with six wins in their first nine games, I think it's safe to say Kyle Shanahan is a viable NFL coach of the year candidate. This team has not only stayed afloat, they are in contention in the best division in football.
While the job the 49ers have done over the past couple of months is admirable, this is a team that just feels like you're waiting for the clock to strike midnight.