NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Bears keep sinking after 8th loss in a row

Every week it seems like the Chicago Bears have hit rock bottom as an organization, only for the franchise to grab a bigger shovel and dig even deeper. On Monday night, in front of the whole NFL world, the Bears looked like they didn't even belong on an NFL field for the second straight week. No one expected the midseason firing of Matt Eberflus to save Chicago's season, but the staff Eberflus left behind is clearly and completely unready to lead a team.

The good news for Bears fans is that the season is almost over. Three more weeks of misery, and they can forget about the Bears for a while. The bad news? I don't know where the team goes from here. They already need a new head coach, but a new General Manager may also be on the docket. We're in Year 3 of the Ryan Poles era, three years since he promised to "take back the North and never give it back", and this team appears to be moving backwards. He should not feel secure in his position as January approaches.

Caleb Williams is the lone bright spot for the team, and even that light has dimmed in recent weeks as he's played more like a typical rookie quarterback and less like a generational talent.

That's about enough of a recap of the Bears' week. It's too depressing to talk about further, so let's get to the power rankings.

1. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 2)

I think we all just saw a preview of this year's Super Bowl as the Bills defeated Detroit in a wild shootout, with the two teams combining for 90 points and 1,080 total yards. Josh Allen, in particular, has all but locked up the MVP award this year, which would be his first.

2. Detroit Lions (Last week: 1)

The only cause for concern in Detroit right now is the growing list of defensive starters joining the IR list. That could end their season in the playoffs, however there is a glimmer of hope as stud pass rusher Aiden Hutchinson might be able to return in time for the Super Bowl, should Detroit make it that far.

3. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 4)

It's crazy to think that Lamar Jackson is having the best season of his career to date but likely won't be the league MVP this year after winning the award twice already. At any rate, I'd bet Jackson would trade both of those trophies for a Super Bowl ring, which he has a very real chance of getting this season.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 3)

I didn't want to drop the Eagles after a win, but I like Baltimore just a little bit more right now.

5. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 5)

At 13-1, I would be shocked if the Chiefs play Patrick Mahomes against the Texans on Saturday, given his injury. They need just two more wins to lock up the #1 seed for the playoffs, and backup quarterback Carson Wentz should be able to take care of business for one game.

6. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 7)

What Kevin O'Connell has done for the Vikings this year is incredible. Minnesota was supposed to take a step back this season but instead have now won 12 games for the second time in O'Connell's three seasons as head coach, and they've done all of this with a quarterback that was widely regarded as an irredeemable bust.

7. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 8)

The Packers never gave Seattle a chance to breathe on Sunday Night Football, crushing their four-game winning streak in its tracks. Matt LaFleur has to be considered a front-runner for Coach of the Year, as he's now into six years of head coaching excellence.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 6)

The Steelers are a very good team, but I think we've seen enough by now to know they are not a true title contender this year. Despite keeping the game against Philly close in the first half, the Steelers were shutout for the final thirty minutes.

9. LA Rams (Last week: 10)

In arguably the worst Thursday Night Football game of the season, the Rams played just slightly worse than the 49ers to escape with a win. They get a small bump, but they must hope this performance was just a fluke.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 13)

Offensive coordinator Liam Cohen put on another clinic in Tampa Bay's 40-17 shellacking of Jim Harbaugh's Chargers. He will be a top candidate for teams who need a new head coach this offseason.

11. Houston Texans (Last week: 11)

The Texans won, but this game was devoid of any excitement on offense as CJ Stroud's sophomore slump continues. Unlike Liam Cohen, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik's star is dimming, and he may not receive a single interview for a head coaching opportunity this time around.

12. Denver Broncos (Last week: 12)

Like the Texans, the Broncos won a sloppy game that was more due to mistakes made by the Colts than anything the Broncos did well. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw three interceptions, including a horrendous throw into triple-coverage, as he returned back to Earth after a few good games in a row.

13. LA Chargers (Last week: 9)

Despite leading at halftime, the Chargers suffered a complete collapse in the second half, reminiscent of their Wild Card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars a couple seasons ago. With the playoffs rapidly approaching, they must figure out what went wrong quickly.

14. Washington Commanders (Last week: 15)

While they had a nice run to start the season, the Commanders are showing their true colors lately. They beat the Saints, but only after nearly allowing a comeback win on a last-second touchdown pass. Even if they make the playoffs, this is still a team that is very firmly in rebuilding territory.

15. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 18)

After a promising start, Atlanta's playoff hopes are on life support. Their best chance may be to win the division, which is still doable. They're just one game behind the Buccaneers and own the tiebreaker between them. They'll have to play much better than they did on Monday, however, where they barely squeaked by the spiraling Raiders.

16. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 14)

The Seahawks have some excellent news, as it looks like Geno Smith's knee injury is not as serious as initially thought. He may not even miss any time. That's fortunate because they're going to need him if they want to have a prayer of beating Minnesota this week.

17. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 16)

I wanted to drop the Dolphins much further after one of the worst performances of this season, but I could not in good conscience place them below the other teams coming up here, so I'll chalk this one up as just one of those bad games everyone has.

18. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 19)

I'll give the Bengals a small boost for getting the win, but beating the Titans won't impress anyone.

19. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 20)

Same as the Bengals. Arizona gets a one-spot boost for beating a terrible Patriots team.

20. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 17)

As I cautioned last week, you should not have read too much into the 49ers' domination of the Chicago Bears in Week 14. Not only did they lay an egg in an embarrassing 12-6 loss to the LA Rams on primetime, but they were forced to suspend linebacker De'Vondre Campbell for three games after he refused to enter the game.

To make matters worse, they're going to be pressured to make Brock Purdy one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league this offseason, which would be a catastrophic mistake.

21. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 23)

It was nice for the Cowboys to pick up a big win, but they still have an uncertain future ahead of them.

22. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 24)

Despite losing, I had to give the Raiders a small bump. Other teams belong in the bottom 10.

23. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 22)

It may not be the popular opinion, but I liked the decision to go for two at the end of the game against Washington. When you've got nothing to lose in a season, you might as well play like it.

24. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 21)

Arguably, the most embarrassing loss of the week belongs to Indy. Running back Jonathan Taylor was about to give the Colts a 20-7 lead over the Broncos in the third quarter, but he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, resulting in a touchback. Denver got the ball and outscored Indy 24-0 the rest of the way. At this point, Jim Irsay needs to strongly consider a clean sweep of the front office.

25. New England Patriots (Last week: 27)

Even though the Patriots lost, I felt that they deserved to be above the rest of the teams in this week's power rankings.

26. New York Jets (Last week: 30)

After being held without a catch in the first half, Davante Adams willed the Jets to victory over the Jaguars in the second half, recording a monster stat line of 9 catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns. I hope you had him in your fantasy lineups this week!

27. Chicago Bears (Last week: 25)

There's nothing left to say about Chicago's dumpster fire of a season. The best case scenario at this point is getting to the end without a major injury to Caleb Williams.

28. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 26)

After a nice little run, Bryce Young and the Panthers crashed back to Earth against a bad Cowboys team, losing 30-14. Young threw a pair of interceptions to match the two fumbles he gave up in a game that got out of hand by the third quarter.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 28)

I hate to say it, given all the hype that surrounded this team just a year ago, but if you're a Jaguars fan, then you're probably rooting for losses at this point. Doug Pederson has to go, and the Jaguars need the highest draft pick they can get.

30. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 29)

The Will Levis era may finally be over in Tennessee. He was benched in Sunday's game following his third interception, and this one was taken all the way back for a touchdown.

31. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 31)

There's just nothing to be positive about if you're a Browns fan. The team is terrible. Nick Chubb suffered another major injury on Sunday, and DeShaun Watson will likely be the starting quarterback again in 2025.

32. New York Giants (Last week: 32)

Not only will the Giants be in the market for a franchise quarterback this offseason, but they may be looking for a new general manager and coach, too.