The Chicago Bears made one of the biggest jumps in NFL.com’s Week 9 power rankings, climbing six spots to No. 3 after a 34-17 win over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks on Monday night. Nick Shook had Chicago at No. 9 a week ago, but the Bears’ latest performance pushed them behind only the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers.
What changed the picture so quickly was the way Chicago’s defense showed up in Seattle, and Shook pointed straight to Jeffery Simmons as the catalyst. In his debut, Simmons helped lift the entire front, and his presence forced the Seahawks into a tougher night than they wanted. That opened the door for Montez Sweat to get after quarterback Sam Darnold.
Simmons filled the stat sheet, too, finishing with six tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, and a pass defended. The Bears held Seattle to 252 total yards and limited the Seahawks to one conversion on 11 third downs. That kind of control gave Caleb Williams enough possessions to do his part, and he became the only quarterback to throw for over 200 yards against Seattle this season.
Chicago’s offense kept the pressure on as well. D’Andre Swift scored three rushing touchdowns in Seattle, giving him a league-leading 10 on the season, and the Bears have now scored at least 30 points in each of their last three games.
Still, the ranking comes with a little reality check. Even after the leap to No.
3, Chicago remains half a game behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North and has not won a division game yet this season. Power rankings can reward what just happened, and right now the Bears have earned that spotlight.
The standings, though, are a different story.
That next test arrives quickly, with Tampa Bay coming to Soldier Field on Sunday night. Another primetime win would make this ranking feel a lot less like a reaction to one strong night in Seattle and a lot more like a true reflection of where the Bears are headed.
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Ben Johnson Sees One Bears Problem Three Straight Wins Can't Hide
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The timing matters because the Bears are trying to build something more sustainable than a hot streak. Johnson also pointed to the possible return of rookie Kyle Monangai as a way to help the backfield, and his presence could give Chicago another option as it tries to smooth out an offense that has flashed, but not yet settled in. [Read more 🡒]