Even as the Bears enjoy somewhat of a resurgence, there’s no doubt they miss All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith. In a brutal two-day span last year, general manager Ryan Poles offloaded Smith to the Ravens and sent a second-round pick to the Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool.
The red flags on both were the other party. It was curious that the Steelers, one of the most respected organizations in sports, were so eager to drop Claypool. It was equally concerning that the Ravens, also highly respected, were so eager to get Smith and quickly agreed to his contract demands.
Smith said the trade saved his career from “going down the drain” on a team that wouldn’t be competing for a championship soon, and now he’s the centerpiece for the Ravens as they take a shot at the Super Bowl.
They enter Week 15 as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and there’s little reason to doubt them. They’re No. 2 in scoring defense, No. 4 in offense, they’ve got a perennial MVP candidate at quarterback in Lamar Jackson and they’ve been consistent. Their next three games are against the Jaguars, 49ers and Dolphins — an opportunity to solidify themselves as the AFC favorite.
Smith, by the way, is fourth in the NFL with 136 tackles with five tackles for loss and a forced fumble as he cruises toward a likely All-Pro selection for a second consecutive season.
While Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa, rookie C.J. Stroud and even Brock Purdy grab the attention, Jackson quietly is having his best season since 2020 with a 97.7 passer rating, 225.7 passing yards and 49.5 rushing yards per game and is on track for arguably the most efficient passing season of his career with a 66.8 completion percentage and 1.6 interception percentage.
† Prescott vaulted himself to the top of the MVP race by leading the Cowboys to a 33-13 blowout of the Eagles, but it’s still hard to trust Dallas. The Cowboys have a lot of seasons like this that end up going nowhere. They went 12-5 each of the last two seasons and still were early exits in the playoffs.
† The Eagles are in a slump, but that’s not necessarily cause for alarm. In their last three games, they needed overtime to beat the Bills, then lost decisively to the 49ers and Cowboys. But every team hits a lull at some point. Don’t let three weeks outweigh everything this team has shown for two seasons.
† The Bears own the Panthers’ upcoming first-round pick, and ESPN Analytics gives it a 95% chance of being No. 1, a 99% chance of being in the top two and a better-than-99% chance of landing third or higher. The three-win Patriots and Cardinals, however, still have a shot at sneaking in if the Panthers pull off a couple of surprises. The remaining schedule signals a strong possibility the Patriots and Cardinals will lose out to finish 3-14.
† Speaking of Claypool, he did not play a snap on offense in the Dolphins’ last two games. In the 11 games since the Bears traded him, he has been inactive six times and caught one pass for 15 yards.
Here are the latest NFL power rankings with four games left in the season:
1. 49ers (10-3)
There’s no liability on this team, which is now the NFC favorite.
2. Ravens (10-3)
Their three losses came by a total of 12 points.
3. Eagles (10-3)
They’re in a rut with back-to-back blowout losses, but don’t write them off.
4. Cowboys (10-3)
They’re the only team with two wins against the Eagles over the last two seasons.
5. Chiefs (8-5)
It’s hard to believe the Chiefs have an elite defense and aren’t better than this.
6. Dolphins (9-4)
The Dolphins had a Bears-like collapse against the Titans after leading big late.
7. Bills (7-6)
We’ll find out if the Bills are serious when they visit the Cowboys on Sunday.
8. Lions (9-4)
Even with their recent struggles, the Lions still lead their division by two games.
9. Browns (8-5)
They’ve allowed the fewest yards and the 14th-fewest points and are 10th in takeaways.
10. Jaguars (8-5)
They’ve been looking shaky — and they play the Ravens next.
11. Texans (7-6)
C.J. Stroud played the worst game of his career in their loss to the Jets.
12. Broncos (7-6)
The Broncos have beaten several playoff contenders on their way from 1-5 to 7-6.
13. Vikings (7-6)
Their 3-0 win over the Raiders was the worst game of the NFL season.
14. Bengals (7-6)
Backup quarterback Jake Browning has a 113.4 passer rating in three starts.
15. Steelers (7-6)
They’ll start Mitch Trubisky again this week against the Colts.
16. Packers (6-7)
Losing to the Giants on Monday might cost them a playoff spot.
17. Buccaneers (6-7)
There’s a three-way tie of sub-.500 teams atop the pitiful NFC South.
18. Colts (7-6)
Their offense, led by Gardner Minshew, is keeping them in the hunt.
19. Rams (6-7)
The Rams are 11-19 since winning the Super Bowl in the 2021 season.
20. Seahawks (6-7)
A four-game losing streak put a big dent in their playoff hopes.
21. Saints (6-7)
They got booed at home in a win over the piddly Panthers.
22. Falcons (6-7)
The Falcons could have a lot at stake when they visit Soldier Field.
23. Jets (5-8)
Who predicted quarterback Zach Wilson playing the game of his life in his return?
24. Chargers (5-8)
It’s time for the Chargers to tank, but Brandon Staley can’t take that risk.
25. Bears (5-8)
Sunday was the best they’ve played, and they’re still behind a lot of teams.
26. Raiders (5-8)
No team has thrown more interceptions than the Raiders’ 18.
27. Titans (5-8)
Will Levis is having the second-best rookie season among quarterbacks.
28. Giants (5-8)
It has been ugly, but the Giants have won three games in a row.
29. Commanders (4-9)
They have a minus-134 point differential; only the Panthers are worse.
30. Patriots (3-10)
The Patriots opened as 9 ½-point underdogs at home against the Chiefs.
31. Cardinals (3-10)
Kyler Murray can protect his job by leading them to wins down the stretch.
32. Panthers (1-12)
They’re closing in on clinching the No. 1 draft pick — for the Bears.
