Here are the week 18 Bears power rankings from various sites around the web:

ESPN.com: #6 (Last week: #6)

Analysis, “The Bears better hope “Bad Jay Cutler” doesn’t show up for the playoffs.”

SI.com: #7 (Last week: #6)

Analysis, “I’ll grant you that a No. 7 ranking is fairly low for a No. 2 seed, but the Bears aren’t a dominant team as much as they are an opportunistic one. Of the four teams with first-round byes, the Bears rank a distant fourth in terms of scoring differential, with a +48 margin spread out over their 11-5 record. Compare that to New England (+203), Pittsburgh (+143), and Atlanta (+126), and you get the idea. A lot has to go right for Chicago to wind up in Dallas, and its margin of error is fairly slight. Then again, a lot already has gone right for Lovie Smith’s team this season, and maybe that mojo will keep on flowing in an NFC field that looks wide open.”

Yahoo Sports: #8 (Last week: #8)

Analysis, “Yo, Lovie Smith – was it really worth getting your quarterback pummeled to try to knock your rival out of the playoffs?”

Pro Football Talk: #7 (Last week: #6)

Analysis, “If the Bears face Atlanta for the NFC crown, it’s going to be hard not to pick the road team to win.”

WEEI.com: #7 (Last week: #6)

Analysis, “The Bears’ makeshift offensive line is very shaky. Jay Cutler was sacked more than any quarterback in the NFL — 52 times. They’ll enjoy a first-round bye but it will be difficult for Cutler and the Bears to be successful in the playoffs against teams like the Packers, Eagles, Saints and Falcons if the offensive line continues to play poorly into the postseason.”

CBS Sports: #5 (Last week: #3)
Analysis, “They have a week to rest after earning a first-round bye. The key for the playoffs is eliminating turnovers.”

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Here are the week 17 Bears power rankings from various sites around the web:

ESPN: #6 (Last week: #8)

Analysis, “Bears are tough to beat when they’re averaging 39 points in the past two games.”

SI.com: #6 (Last week: #8)

Analysis, “Having already locked up their playoff berth and passed out the NFC North championship hats and T-shirts in Minnesota the week before, it would have been easy for the Bears to suffer a letdown last Sunday against the Jets and not play with full intensity. But that was not the case, and that’s a very good sign for a Chicago team that’s obviously still hungry for more, and not just happy to be invited to the postseason party. The Bears locked up a first-round bye Tuesday night when the Vikings upset the Eagles, and Chicago’s charmed season just keeps getting better all the time.”

CBS Sports: #3 (Last week: #4)

Analysis, “Jay Cutler now has four consecutive seasons with at least 20 touchdown passes. He has 23 this season. Anybody still doubt him?”

WEEI: #6 (Last week: #8)

Analysis, “There must have been much celebration in Chicago when the unthinkable happened Tuesday night: the Vikings upset the Eagles. Philadelphia’s loss gives the Bears a first-round bye.”

Pro Football Talk: #6 (Last week: #8)

Analysis, “OK, maybe the Bears have a defense that can rattle Tom Brady.”

Yahoo Sports: #8 (Last week: #9)

Analysis, “If Brian Urlacher isn’t the NFL’s comeback player of the year, is Jay Cutler?”

Here are the week 16 Bears power rankings from various sites around the web:

ESPN: #8 (Last week: #8)

Analysis, “How many people had Chicago as their preseason pick to win the NFC North? Very few.”

CBS Sports: #4 (Last week: #5)

Analysis, “They showed Monday night that they can bounce back after a tough loss. The defense was rugged against the Vikings. Two more victories and they get a playoff bye.”

Fox Sports: #8 (Last week: #8)

Analysis, “They didn’t exactly get off to a great start against the host Vikings, but the Bears hung in there and earned the convincing victory. But their path to securing a first-round playoff bye will get much harder coming up with the Jets and Packers on their schedule over the final two games.”

Pro Football Talk: #8 (Last week: 11)

Analysis, “In the end, the Bears have worn their desperation well; coach Lovie Smith has saved his job.”

Pro Football Weekly: #8 (Last week: #9)

Analysis, “Sat back Sunday and watched best scenario play out.”

WEEI.com: #8 (Last week: 10)

Analysis, “The NFC North champions now turn their focus on getting the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. If the Bears win their remaining two games against the Jets and Packers, they will have that opportunity.”

Here are the week 15 Bears power rankings from various sites around the web:

ESPN: #8 (Last week: #9)

Analysis, “Does Brian Urlacher still think the Bears are better than the Patriots?”

Fox Sports: #8 (Last week: #5)

Analysis, “Maybe the Bears aren’t as good as we thought they were? Hey, the Patriots had to play in the bad weather and didn’t have a problem scoring. The Bears still are the favorites to win the NFC North, but they certainly aren’t overwhelming anyone.”

SI.com: #11 (Last week: 8)

Analysis, “The Bears did just run into the New England buzzsaw at the worse possible time, but you can’t say Chicago hasn’t lived a charmed existence this season. The Bears are getting the Vikings outdoors and maybe Favre-less this Monday night in Minnesota. And that’s after the Week 1 Calvin Johnson non-catch call, facing Carolina the week Chicago was without Jay Cutler, drawing the winless Bills on a neutral field in Toronto, and lucking into Tyler Thigpen’s start at quarterback in Miami. If Chicago earns the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs, Lovie Smith should take his entire team to Vegas for the break.”
Yahoo Sports: #9 (Last week: #7)

Analysis,  “Will they root harder for the Patriots this Sunday than they played against New England last Sunday?”

WEEI.com: #10 (Last week: #7)

Analysis, “The Bears were outmatched and embarrassed at home last Sunday against the Patriots. They played horrible on both sides of the football. Luckily for them, they still have two games against divisional opponents and are able to control their own destiny.”

CBS Sports: #5 (Last week: #3)

Analysis, “What the heck happened to that defense against New England? That’s not a good sign moving down the stretch. Tom Brady carved up that defense.”

Pro Football Weekly: #9 (Last week: #9)

Analysis, “Reality is, they’re in better playoff position than when they entered week.”

Pro Football Talk: #11 (Last week: #6)

Analysis, “Thanks to Brett Favre’s shoulder and the Metrodome’s roof, the Bears have a great chance to quickly put that thrashing from the Pats behind them.”

Here are the week 14 Bears power rankings from various sites around the web:

ESPN: #8 (Last week: #7)

Analysis, “QB Jay Cutler is shaking his “loser” label with a 9-3 start.”

SI.com: #8 (Last week:  8)

Analysis, “The Bears defense is ranked third overall in yards (300.3), third in points allowed (16.0 ppg), second against the run (84.9), and has only given up as many as 20 points four times in 12 games. In other words, the Bears D is back and has a lot to be proud of these days. Still, if I were Chicago defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, I wouldn’t have my guys watching too much video of Tom Brady’s surgical destruction of the Jets in preparation for Sunday’s visit from the red-hot Patriots. It could be a morale killer, and not conducive to their mental health.”

Yahoo Sports: #7 (Last week: 7)

Analysis, “Now that Jay Cutler has clinched his first winning season since his days at Heritage Hills High, will he hurl a football through the glass ceiling and take his team deep into the playoffs?”

Fox Sports: #5 (Last week: 6)

Analysis, “Chicago is one of the teams this season that many believe isn’t worthy of their gaudy 9-3 record. However, Chicago is the NFL’s healthiest team in the NFL at this point, and health is a huge key when you look at the top five teams on this list.”

CBS Sports: #3 (Last week: #6)

Analysis, “Jay Cutler hasn’t thrown an interception the past two weeks. The Bears are 9-3 and still in the hunt for home-field advantage in the playoffs.”

Pro Football Weekly: #9 (Last week: #7)

Analysis, “Earl Bennett has been the man since they sped up the passing game.”

Pro Football Talk: #6 (Last week: #7)

Analysis, “With their last four games against the Patriots, Vikings, Jets, and Packers, the Bears could still miss the playoffs.”

WEEI.com: # 7 (Last week: #7)

Analysis, “The Chicago offensive line has certainly stepped up its game during the Bears’ five-game winning streak. Jay Cutler is getting more time in the pocket and is making better decisions with the football. Since the Bears’ bye in Week 8, Cutler has thrown just three interceptions and been sacked 14 times, and the team is 5-0. Before the bye week, Cutler had seven interceptions and had been sacked 27 times.”

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Here are the week 13 Bears power rankings from various sites around the web:

ESPN: #9 (Last week: #12)

Analysis, “Big win over Philadelphia proves Chicago is a legit threat in the NFC.”

Yahoo Sports: #7 (Last week: #12)

Analysis, “Isn’t it time to start giving offensive line coach Mike Tice some serious credit for his unit’s dramatic turnaround?”

Fox Sports: #6 (Last week: 9)

Analysis, “Say what you want about this team, but last week’s win over the visiting Eagles was very impressive. And look no further than their defense for being the reason for Chicago’s success this season.”

CBS Sports: #7 (Last week: #12)

Analysis, “The Jay Cutler-Mike Martz combination isn’t so laughable now, is it? The Bears are the team to beat now in the NFC North.”

Pro Football Weekly: #7 (Last week: #10)

Analysis, “Jay Cutler’s best performance as a Bear? It might have been.”

Pro Football Talk: #7 (Last week: 11)

Analysis, “If Rod Marinelli continues to beef up the Chicago defense, the Lions might hire him to be their head coach again.”

WEEI.com: #7 (Last week: 11)

Analysis, “In a battle between two first-place teams, the Chicago Bears played their best overall game of the season. The defense played well again and forced a key interception in the red zone. Jay Cutler benefited from some great protection and threw four touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Matt Forte also enjoyed the great performance from the offensive line and exploded for 117 yards.”