The Chicago Bears are one of the worst teams in the NFL through two weeks of the 2025 season. The offense has been okay at times and bad at other times, and the defense has had been almost exclusively terrible for the last five quarters of play.
Being 0-2 is not a mathematical death sentence in the NFL, but it is a tough hill to climb. It makes it even tougher knowing that both of these losses came within the division. It is also a situation where the rookie head coach, second-year quarterback, new-look offensive line, and injury-riddled defense make these tough days even harder to overcome.
In our latest Week 3 power rankings, the Bears came in at No. 30. Only the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints have had worse showings through two weeks. Here's what other outlets ranked them:
USA Today
Current Ranking: 26
Last Week’s Ranking: 22
Author: Nate Davis
Author’s Take: “Last year's first-round pick is looking awfully good − an obvious reference to emergent WR Rome Odunze.”
Our Take: This was a slight shot at Caleb Williams, while also praising Rome Odunze. Both of them were first-round picks in 2024, and they need each other to be at their best to succeed. Being dropped to 26th seems to be a theme this week for the Bears, which you will see as you read.
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 25
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
Author: Josh Kendall
Author’s Take: “Rome Odunze has turned a corner. The No. 9 pick from the 2024 draft had seven catches for a career-high 128 yards and two touchdowns to provide the only silver lining to the Bears’ dark cloud Sunday. It was just the third 100-yard game of his career and his first since Week 8 last year. Odunze is tied for the league lead with three receiving touchdowns after two weeks. (We won’t talk about the No. 1 pick from the 2024 draft just yet.)”
Our Take: The Athletic's theme this week is an overreaction surrounding each team. Of course, the main one is going to be Rome Odunze, who has been one of the NFL's best receivers over the first two weeks of the season. There was also another shot at Williams in that final line, however. For one, he didn't play great, but he wasn't terrible either. Who do you think is throwing Oduze the ball to have all of that success?
ESPN
Current Ranking: 26
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
Author: Courtney Cronin
Author’s Take: “Caleb Williams is a work in progress. Williams was better against the Lions (19-of-30, 207 yards, 2 TDs, INT) after second-half accuracy issues plagued him versus the Vikings. His development in the pocket is an encouraging sign, as is his chemistry with receiver Rome Odunze (3 TDs in two games), but Williams' decision-making could still improve. There was a play against Detroit on which he needed to throw the ball away but threw an interception instead. Coach Ben Johnson said the Bears would not look like a finished product in the first month. That holds true for Williams and his mastery of playing quarterback in this system.”
Our Take: ESPN's theme this week is the biggest takeaway from each team's quarterback. Courtney Cronin's recap of Williams' game is a lot more objective. She covers the Bears closely and on a national level, so it's not that surprising.
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 22
Last Week’s Ranking: 18
Author: Eric Edholm
Author’s Take: “Even the most patient Bears fan had to look away Sunday. Chicago was nominally in the game for most of the first half, but the wheels came off quickly and never found their way back to the axle. I'm still not completely burying this team because I think it will get better. But how do you walk away from this beatdown in Detroit without some serious measure of concern? The offense had two turnovers and was stopped twice on fourth down. The Bears got themselves into a slew of long-yardage situations they couldn't find their way out of, even with Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze making some big plays. Defensively, Chicago was atrocious, allowing Detroit 15 plays of 10-plus yards. Fifteen! The Bears have two more games before the Week 5 bye, and neither one (vs. Cowboys, at Raiders) is a gimme.”
Our Take: Of everyone on this list, Eric Edholm seems to be the most lenient when it comes to his evaluations of the Bears. He refuses to see them as one of the five or six worst teams in the league right now, which is interesting. Bears fans are hoping that his optimism turns out to be true over time.
NBC Sports (PFT)
Current Ranking: 26
Last Week’s Ranking: 18
Author: Mike Florio
Author’s Take: “On Friday, Ben Johnson didn’t want to talk about the Vikings game. By Sunday night, he probably would’ve preferred it.”
Our Take: The short but sweet Mike Florio makes a great point about Ben Johnson's team being much better in Week 1 than in Week 2. His demotion of them in the power rankings speaks volumes.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears power rankings roundup heading into Week 3
