Gallery: 5/6
No. 7 Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a legitimately strong team this season. So legit that I feel bad putting them at No. 7 and think they deserve to be higher, but the entire group from No. 4-8 is just one big headache to sort out.
Regardless, the Bears topped the Rams on Sunday Night Football thanks to some superb defense, holding one of the NFL's most elite offenses to just six points. That alone deserves high praise, and there's something to be said about taking advantage of playing on your home field and using that advantage to defeat top teams.
Again, the Bears do deserve to be higher than No. 7, and if they get revenge from a Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers next Sunday, this team is going to skyrocket. They're the favorite to win the division and have consistently picked up big wins while sitting at 3-1 in divisional play.
Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky may not have fully reached his potential yet either, and that should terrify the rest of the league even more. Although there's been ups and downs, Trubisky has taken steps forward this year, completing 64.4 percent of his passes with 24 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 games.
Thanks to the addition of Khalil Mack and multiple other pieces stepping up and thriving, their defense is elite as well. The Bears may be 9-4 currently, but they boast a point differential (+112) that's on par with the 11-win teams.
No. 8 Houston Texans
The Houston Texans fans have a right to feel a bit disrespected here after a Week 14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. After all, they had won nine-straight games prior to that game, and the Colts were playing for their playoff lives.
Unfortunately, the teams above them are playing football that's on such a different level right now. I attempted to convince myself to bump the Texans up, but among their nine wins, only one (home vs. Cowboys) came against a clear-cut playoff team. The other victories featured some teams looking at high draft picks and they weren't overly impressive wins.
There's no knock on Houston from that standpoint, as any win the NFL is never easy to get, whether at home or on the road. This group has a lot of talent and will only continue to get better down the stretch, setting them up to be a fun postseason team to watch.
The Texans also have one of the scariest quarterback-wide receiver duos in the NFL in Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. Although the two couldn't get things going on Sunday, whoever they draw in the postseason will have a tall task. Add on a defense that's proven they can dominate in key moments, and Houston has the upside to be much higher than No. 8.
With a final stretch against two of the bottom teams in the NFL in the Jets and Jaguars, as well as a tough date with the Eagles, the Texans should finish with double-digit wins.
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