Bears tumble in NFL power rankings after Week 2 loss to Vikings

And it's reflected in the first batch of NFL power rankings entering Week 3.

Sharp Football dropped Chicago three spots from No. 13 to No. 16 following Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Bears now sit directly behind Dallas at No. 15 and one spot ahead of New Orleans. More importantly, all three of Chicago's NFC North rivals are clustered around them: Minnesota is No. 14, Detroit is No. 13, and Green Bay is No. 19.

It's probably a fair representation of where the Bears stand after two wildly different games.

Bears have shown two completely different teams

Trying to evaluate Chicago through two weeks requires reconciling performances that don't look like they came from the same offense. The Bears opened the season by scoring 59 points against Carolina. Seven days later, they didn't score a touchdown.

Chicago still outgained Minnesota 297-246 and possessed the ball for more than 32 minutes Sunday. But the Bears turned the ball over twice, committed eight penalties for 58 yards, allowed four sacks and had a field goal blocked.

Caleb Williams finished with 138 passing yards before leaving with a hamstring injury.

Chicago's defense, meanwhile, produced exactly the type of response it needed after allowing 37 points in Week 1. Minnesota managed only 246 total yards, converted three of 13 third downs, and never reached the end zone.

Week 1 suggested Chicago might have one of the NFL's most explosive offenses and a problematic defense. Week 2 essentially flipped the script.

Caleb Williams injury complicates Bears evaluation

There's also an obvious variable hanging over any assessment of the Bears right now. Williams is week-to-week with a right hamstring injury.

Ben Johnson said Monday that he doesn't expect Williams to practice this week, though he stopped short of ruling him out against Philadelphia. If Williams can't play, Tyson Bagent would be in line to make his first NFL start since 2023.

Bears get immediate opportunity to change perception

One encouraging part of falling in the rankings this early in the season is that Chicago can change the conversation almost immediately.

Philadelphia is No. 12 in Sharp's rankings and enters Monday Night Football at 2-0. A Bears victory — particularly if Williams can't play — would carry more weight than beating a struggling opponent.

That's also why No. 16 doesn't feel outrageous. The Chicago Bears have shown enough through two games to believe they can be a contender by the time the playoffs roll around. They just need to stack a few good games in a row to really feel like they belong in the Super Bowl conversation.

Monday night against the Eagles should tell us considerably more about what direction this team is headed.