16. Chicago Bears (4-3)
This was a hugely disappointing loss for the Chicago Bears if we’re being honest. Despite not having Lamar Jackson in this game, the Ravens were solid on both sides of the ball, and the Bears four-game winning streak has now been snapped.
If nothing else, a first-year head coach orchestrating a four-game winning streak is very impressive, and this loss does not really change the big picture - the Bears appear to be building down the right path with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams.
I would guess that most of the investment this coming offseason would be on the defensive side of the ball, as the offense feels a bit more stable than the defense. Now at 4-3, the Bears are still very much in the thick of things in the NFC, and there is a path for this team to make the playoffs, but they have to regain some of the momentum that they lost in Week 8.
15. San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
This was a pretty bad loss for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8. They lost to the Houston Texans in Houston and now drop to 5-3 on the season. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are both on their bye in Week 8, so the Niners drop to third place in the NFC West right now, and this team has had to overcome a ton of injuries this year.
They do feel like an average team at this point - they haven’t had their starting QB in the lineup in weeks, and the defense is obviously missing Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, which isn’t ideal. Despite the injuries, San Fran is still on pace for nine or 10 wins this year and do have an easier schedule.
This would be one of the more shocking playoff teams this year, as it doesn’t feel like the bad injury luck is going to get any better this year. The 49ers drop to no. 15 in our power rankings.