NFL Power Rankings, Week 9: Biggest risers and fallers after Week 8

14. Chicago Bears (4-3)

Probably the most brutal way to lose a game if you ask me.  The Chicago Bears took the lead late against the Washington Commanders, and then gave up a game-losing Hail Mary.  It was caught by WR Noah Brown in the back of the end zone, and something that was just insane to witness.  Chicago drops to 4-3 on the season, but they are still in a decent spot if you ask me.  Rookie QB Caleb Williams still looks fine and the team is still above .500.  A brutal loss like this can’t be over analyzed too much.

In the long-term, I’m sure Bears’ fans won’t remember this if the team ends up being good for the long-term.  They do fall to last place in the NFC North, but it’s not their year anyway.  I would expect at the very least that Chicago’s defense can still keep them in most, if not all games.  The offense is still going to have to take their lumps from time to time, but the Bears will be fine.

13. San Francisco 49ers (3-4)

As I type these words, the San Francisco 49ers are playing the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, and I do believe the 49ers will end up winning this one.  The Niners would improve to 4-4 on the season, and they’d join the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks at 4-4.  The Los Angeles Rams are still lurking at 3-4, so this division could very much come down to the final week or so, which is interesting.

The 49ers have dealt with a ton of injuries this year, and most notably, RB Christian McCaffrey has not yet seen the field, which is a huge blow to San Francisco’s offense.  The 49ers’ window also seems to be closing, so them being able to instill a new era of 49ers’ football is going to be interesting to witness in the coming months and years.