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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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NFL legend Tom Brady has placed major expectations on head coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, and the rest of the Chicago Bears this season after their impressive win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Brady, who won seven Super Bowls during his career, now works as an analyst with Fox Sports. During an appearance on their YouTube channel, he unveiled his latest NFL power rankings, with a potential surprise involving his top two teams.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback ranked the Buffalo Bills No. 2 after star quarterback Josh Allen led them to a win over the Baltimore Ravens. However, the Ravens lost Lamar Jackson in that game, and Brady suggested that took away from the matchup "everyone wanted" to see between the two AFC teams.
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The NFL legend then indicated the Bears jumped from No. 5 to No. 1 in his rankings with their impressive 34-17 win over Seattle.
"I had [the Bills] at No. 1 when I first started thinking about this list. They're definitely deserving, but I had another idea," Brady said. "Last week I asked if Chicago could go from five to one with a win in Seattle, and I'm a man of my word."
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"The Bears went into Seattle on Monday night and handled their business. ... When Seattle made it a one-score game late, Chicago answered, and oh, yeah, Jeffery Simmons is anchoring the defense from now on. No big deal, right?" Brady said.
The Bears made a huge trade ahead of their game in Seattle, sending several future draft picks, including two future first-round picks, to the Tennessee Titans for All-Pro defensive end Simmons. He had an immediate impact in his Bears debut against the Seahawks, finishing with six tackles and his first sack for his new team.
"Look, these are power rankings, not standings, and there's something about the vibe in Chicago that sold me on giving them the top spot," he said. "But with great power, comes great responsibility, right? Let's see what Caleb can do next."
Interestingly, Brady included three NFC North teams in his top 10. In addition to the Bears, the Detroit Lions were No. 6, with the Minnesota Vikings at No. 7. Those two teams played this past weekend, with Detroit handing the Vikings their first loss of the season.
There's definitely a vibe in Chicago, but Williams, Simmons, and company have some tough games remaining on their schedule. Their next matchup is at home against one of Brady's former teams, the Buccaneers, this coming Sunday on "Sunday Night Football" at 8:20 p.m. ET.
However, the Bears also have an upcoming showdown against Brady's No. 2 team, Allen and the Bills, on Dec. 19. Additionally, they'll have divisional matchups against the Green Bay Packers, Lions, and Vikings.
How they fare in those matchups could very well determine if the 6-2 Bears are contenders or pretenders this season.
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