NFL Power Rankings: Panthers are new No. 1 entering Week 13

Break up the Chicago Bears! Once a stepping stone riddled with mountains of question marks, the Bears are now one of the hottest teams in the National Football League. Don’t look now, ladies and gentlemen, but the Bears have won four of their last five games and possess an upcoming schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

How big was the Turkey Day win for the Bears? Well, it’s only the second time in his career that Jay Cutler took down the Green Bay Packers. It’s also the first time he’s ever left Lambeau Field without the bitter taste of defeat on his tongue. Cutler out-dueled Aaron Rodgers, and while his counterpart was hampered by bad weather appeared completely in control during the bad weather.

No one back stood out, but between Matt Forte and respendent rookie Jeremy Langford the Bears had just enough of a balanced offense to out-point the Pack. Beyond that, Shea McClellin was absolutely everywhere on the defensive side of the ball.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Thanksgiving win for Chicago was its resiliency. The Packers struck first, but the Bears hung tough. They put up 14 points in the second quarter and then impressively pitched a shutout in the game’s final 30 minutes against one of the perceived best offenses in the NFL.

Weirdly enough, the Bears still might have an outside shot at making the playoffs – their schedule sure matches up nicely.

Next: 15. Atlanta Falcons