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2023 Power Rankings Roundup, Week 9: Where Chargers stand after win over Bears

Here is what the national media thinks of the Chargers after their win over the Bears.

The Chargers are coming off a primetime win over the Bears.

Here is what the national media thinks of the Bolts ahead of Week 9:

USA Today: 14 (Previous: 21)

“The juice has returned to the offense, largely thanks to the life that’s returned to Austin Ekeler’s legs. Sunday night, he became the first running back in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to amass 30 TD receptions with one team.”

Touchdown Wire: 14 (Previous: 15)

“Speaking of the Chargers, if they played the Bears every week, they’d be the best team in football. If they can get to 4-4, their playoff hopes will stay alive.”

NFL: 18 (Previous: 22)

“Justin Herbert and Brandon Staley suggested after defeating the Bears that this was exactly the kind of win the Chargers needed, and I absolutely agree — from a confidence standpoint. Sometimes you need to open it up on the highway; Herbert and the passing game certainly did that Sunday night, even if the run game still lags behind. But let’s keep the big picture in mind here. The Chargers are still swimming upstream at 3-4 (and 1-3 in the conference), and I am not convinced that taking down Chicago and a Division-II rookie QB making his second NFL start was the get-right event that immediately veers the season back on course. The Bolts face mostly tough defenses from here on out (if you believe the Broncos are fixed) and will need their own defense to tighten several screws.”

CBS Sports: 14 (Previous: 18)

“That Chargers team we saw against the Bears is the one we expect to see with all that talent. But consistency is always an issue with that team.”

ESPN: 15 (Previous: 18)

Team QBR: 69.6 (4th)

“The Chargers made Justin Herbert the highest-paid player in franchise history in the offseason after three seasons that established Herbert as one of the best in the NFL at the position. But his play this season has fluctuated between spectacular and dreadful. After a fractured left middle finger in Week 4, Herbert had one of the worst three-game stretches of his career, with missed throws and career lows in yards and completions. Herbert returned to form in Week 8, a blowout win over the Bears in which he completed his first 15 passes and finished with no interceptions for the first time since Week 3.”

Yahoo Sports: 14 (Previous: 17)

“Austin Ekeler looked healthy for the first time since he suffered an ankle injury early this season. He had 123 total yards. He can add an element to the Chargers’ offense that has been missing.”

The Athletic: 15 (Previous: 23)

Something scary (for others): Joey Bosa could be getting there.

“The veteran defensive lineman hasn’t looked like himself in a while, but he had a season-high five pressures against the Bears, and his pressure percentage (23.5) was his second-highest of the season. Bosa has four sacks this year and only 6 1/2 in the last two seasons, but if he can get back to his 2020 form (10 1/2 sacks), it’ll be a boost for a Chargers defense that needs some help.”

Best photos from Chargers’ win over Bears in Week 8

Here are some of the best photos from SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

The Chargers defeated the Bears in Week 8 by the score of 30-13.

To relive the game, here are some of the best photos from SoFi Stadium.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on the last-second touchdown: ‘It didn’t matter at that point’

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer with another honest response.

Say what you will about Mike Zimmer, the Vikings head coach can be refreshingly candid in press conferences.

Zimmer has called out his kickers in the past. He called out his own team for a lack of conditioning this preseason. Sure, there was that time he said DE Danielle Hunter had a tweak, but for the most part, Zimmer speaks honestly about his team and the overall game.

So when asked about the last-second touchdown the Bears had on Monday, Zimmer delivered yet another truthful response:

“It didn’t matter at that point. I thought the game should’ve been over on the play before. It was 6 seconds on the clock. But we won’t talk about the clocks in Chicago here anymore.”

NFL fans who only caught the final score might have thought this game was close. However, Chicago QB Justin Fields found WR Jesper Horsted for a 19-yard touchdown pass to pull the Bears within six as time expired.

The Vikings had the game well in hand by then. Zimmer was right — that didn’t matter. Minnesota moves to 7-7 with the win.

Vikings vs. Bears: Which team has the advantage?

Who has the advantage on Monday night? Here’s a breakdown.

The Vikings and Bears had high hopes heading into 2021.

Neither team’s season has gone perfectly to plan. Minnesota, at 6-7, has been too inconsistent to put itself fully in the playoff picture. However, the Vikings can still compete for a postseason berth. The same cannot be said for the Bears.

Chicago, at 4-9, are basically out of the short-term picture. That said, this is a divisional game. The Bears can play spoiler to an NFC North rival.

Here is a breakdown of the advantages in Week 15:

Bears currently have all three coordinators in COVID-19 protocol

Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy could be the one calling the plays on Monday night.

The Bears have been hit hard by COVID-19 headed into their matchup with the Vikings on Monday.

Recently, Chicago had to put all three of its coordinators through COVID-19 protocol. The Bears said in a statement that the three coordinators will quarantine away from Halas Hall — Chicago’s practice facility — and participate in team meetings exclusively on a virtual basis.

What does that mean for the Bears? Well, if OC Bill Lazor, who has had the play-calling duties recently, cannot make the game, then Nagy will likely be the one running the offense on Monday night.

Nagy’s tenure as an offensive play-caller in Chicago has gotten mixed reviews to say the least. Nagy’s stock rose as offensive coordinator for the Chiefs when he called the offense’s plays. That helped him earn the Bears head coaching gig in the first place. Now, though, Nagy’s ability to call plays in the league has been called into question. Just ask all these Bears fans.

Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer remains the defensive play caller of the Vikings. Those two possibly clashing in one phase of the game is certainly an interesting matchup to watch in Week 15.

Bears dealing with COVID-19 issues themselves

The Bears, the Vikings’ Week 15 opponent, have 12 players on either the roster or practice squad who are on COVID-19/Reserve.

While the Vikings are among the league leaders in how many players they’ve placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list this year, their Week 15 opponent has their own issues regarding that.

Chicago, Minnesota’s opponent on Monday night, placed six more players on the COVID-19/Reserve list on Thursday. The Bears added tight end Jesse James, linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe, wide receiver Allen Robinson, safety Eddie Jackson, running back Ryan Nall, and practice squad wide receiver Isaiah Coulter to the list. Robinson missing time would be a huge setback for the Bears offense.

Additionally, Chicago has tackle Larry Borom, defensive end Mario Edwards, nose tackle Eddie Goldman, cornerback Artie Burns, offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson, and practice squad linebacker Sam Kamara on the list. The Bears have 12 players in total who are in COVID-19 protocol.

The Vikings have seven players on the list. Minnesota has wide receiver Dede Westbrook, running back Alexander Mattison, wideout Dan Chisena and defensive end Danielle Hunter, the last of whom was announced via the NFL transactions wire, on COVID-19/Reserve. Also, the Vikings have the following practice squad players on the list: wideout Trishton Jackson, guard Kyle Hinton and running back A.J. Rose Jr.

With Rose and Mattison both possibly unavailable for Monday, the Vikings will need running back Dalvin Cook to step up. Kene Nwangwu might need a bigger role on offense, too.

Chicago Bears cut former Georgia WR

Chicago Bears cut former Georgia WR Riley Ridley

The Chicago Bears have cut former Georgia wide receiver Riley Ridley as teams across the NFL are tasked with trimming their rosters down to 53 by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported this news.

Ridley was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He played in 10 games with Chicago and caught 10 passes for 108 yards.

Ridley surprised many when he committed to UGA in January of 2016.

At the time of his commitment, Ridley was a four-star receiver out of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and ranked as the nation’s 47th-best player at his position.

Ridley had been in talks with South Carolina, his brother was a star player at Alabama and Georgia was kind of looking in from the outside.

But when Ridley heard the news of Smart going to Athens, that changed everything.

He further discussed why he chose to commit to Georgia in this interview (above) conducted by CampusLore.

Ridley had a successful collegiate career, recording 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns during his three years. His breakout game came against his brother and the Crimson Tide in the 2017-18 national championship game where he hauled in six passes for 82 yards.

Madden 22 ratings: Chicago Bears LB Roquan Smith

The former Georgia star racked up 139 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions for the Bears in 2020.

Madden, the popular NFL video game produced by EA Sports, has released new player ratings ahead of the new edition set to hit stores on Aug. 20.

The first former Georgia Bulldog to be rated was Nick Chubb, who was given a 96 overall rating out of 99, good enough to rank him 2nd among all running backs.

Next up is former star linebacker Roquan Smith. The Chicago Bear is entering his fourth season after earning All-Pro second team honors in 2020 after racking up 139 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and seven passes defended.

Smith is rated at 88 overall, which puts him at No. 7 among all NFL linebackers.

Smith had one of the best linebacker seasons in Georgia history during the Bulldogs championship run in 2017. The Montezuma, Ga., native earned SEC Championship MVP and All-America First Team honors, was named the AP SEC Defensive Player of the Year and won the 2017 Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker.

Dec 2, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Roquan Smith (3) is awarded MVP after defeating the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Now, Smith is poised for another big season in Chicago in 2021. The Bears will kick off the year in a preseason matchup with the Dolphins on Aug. 14.

Bears exercise fifth-year option on former UGA LB Roquan Smith

The Chicago Bears have picked up the fifth-year option on former Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

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The Chicago Bears have picked up the fifth-year option on former Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

This will keep Roquan under contract through the 2022 season.

Entering his fourth season in the NFL, the former No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has recorded 100-plus tackles in each of his first three seasons.

Last season, Smith recorded 139 tackles and earned second-team all-pro honors.

Smith is set to earn $9.735 million in 2022.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson talks about Kirk Cousins hot mic moment

Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson addressed the moment he had with Kirk Cousins during the Chicago Bears game.

The Vikings were in the midst of salvaging their season, but the team desperately needed to defeat the Bears in December to have a good shot at the playoffs.

Down 13, Kirk Cousins threw the ball into the back of the end zone, missing Justin Jefferson, the intended receiver. Jefferson got caught on a hot mic voicing his frustrations to Cousins.

Jefferson recently discussed that moment with Tyler R. Tynes of GQ Magazine:

“I think people ran with it because Stefon Diggs just left for, apparently, being a diva. So, I guess them having the assumption that I’m just like that or I cry or I ask for the ball too much, whatever whatever. People fail to realize folks say this all the time. But, now with Covid and no fans, there’s hot mics. You hear everything in the stadium. I really don’t care about that type of stuff. I’m gonna say whatever I need to say on the field. If I’m frustrated, I’m going to get my point across. I’m going to show you my competitiveness and my eagerness to win is shown on the field.”

Jefferson added that he doesn’t want to be a quiet player that just sits back and goes along, he wants to win games. Asked about whether Cousins did in fact need to get the ball to Jefferson quicker, Jefferson said maybe a little bit.

“But I talked to him after and we got that whole situation settled down,” Jefferson told Tynes. “He wanted me to come up to him and talk to him instead of yelling for the TV to hear.”