The Chicago Bears are one of a handful of NFC teams consistently mentioned when predicting which squad will represent the conference in the Super Bowl, but it appears confidence in this roster may be waning as training camp approaches.
At least it looks that way in the latest NFL power rankings from USA TODAY.
Chicago barely rates inside the top 10.
9. Chicago Bears (13): Defense as good as anyone’s, but there will be plenty of scrutiny on coordinator Chuck Pagano as he takes baton from Vic Fangio. Lots of eyeballs on QB Mitch Trubisky and whomever winds up kicking, too.
The good news is the Bears are moving in the right direction, according to USA TODAY. They ranked 13th shortly after the 2019 NFL Draft.
Still, there seems to be a lot of doubt in whether Pagano can fill the void left behind by Fangio, which feels like a major reach. Sure, Fangio is a schooled defensive coordinator with a history of success in the NFL, but so is Pagano. In fact, I’d argue Pagano’s more aggressive style of play suits the Bears better.
The silver lining in rankings like this one is it will assist Matt Nagy in his effort to make sure Chicago doesn’t become complacent after one successful season. Power rankings mean very little once the games get underway, but a low ranking like this will absolutely light a fire in the Bears’ locker room.
