Chicago Bears and Other NFL Teams on the Rise

We have come to that point in the NFL season where the pretenders and contenders begin to get separated. The teams that are destined for the postseason will begin to play their best football at this time while the apparitions will disappear when the play gets to its toughest and the stakes get to their highest.

These teams have begun to showcase their true colors at the right time as they continue to strengthen their stock while making a significant push for the postseason.

Chicago Bears

Starting off the season 2-3, the Chicago Bears appeared to be left behind by the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and the up-and-coming Detroit Lions. Both teams won their first five games while the Bears hung back by taking only two wins out of the first five games that they played.

All of a sudden, the Bears find themselves contending with the Lions for the second spot in the NFC North after winning four consecutive games with the icing on the cake being a 37-13 win over Detroit to split the season series at one game apiece.

The Bears' schedule gets a lot lighter as they take on the entire AFC West in the next four weeks and then close the season with a light game at home against Seattle and roadies against Green Bay and Minnesota.

Dallas Cowboys

Constantly criticized and constantly in the media's always-watchful eye, the Dallas Cowboys have begun their playoff push with two consecutive wins after starting out 3-4 with three of those losses coming by a combined 11 points.

With Tony Romo leading the way and Miles Austin back on the squad after injuries kept him out for the first half of the season, the Cowboys are getting their bearings together and are coming off of a monumental win where they defeated a strong Buffalo Bills team by 37 points.

The Cowboys will have to deal with two games against the New York Giants as well as one more against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the rest of their schedule is cake as they take on Miami, Arizona, Washington and Tampa Bay.

New England Patriots

If there was anyone out there actually doubting the New England Patriots, then please immediately get your head checked. The Patriots started off the season with an impressive 5-1 before suffering two consecutive losses in close games to Pittsburgh and the New York Giants.

How did the Patriots respond to a possible three-game losing streak for the first time since 2002? Just by beating the tar out of the division-rival New York Jets by three touchdowns in front of a stunned Jets crowd. Tom Brady unleashed the beast on what was supposedly a top-tier secondary by throwing for 329 yards and three touchdowns.

The remaining schedule for the Patriots is an absolute joke as they take on only one team with a record over .500 with that team being the division-rival Buffalo Bills.

New Orleans Saints

Once again, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is getting work done when the team needs him most. After losing an embarrassment of a game to the 0-6 St. Louis Rams, the Saints have reeled off two consecutive wins with huge ones coming against division rivals in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and an overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons.

Only two years removed from winning a title, the Saints have just as good a chance as anyone else in the NFC to make it to the Super Bowl. Their division is considerably weaker this year and they'll see their greatest competition in the postseason come from Green Bay, San Francisco and Dallas.

The Saints will still have to play some quality ball over the next few weeks with matchups against the New York Giants, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons.

Pittsburgh Steelers

A team that knows plenty about the postseason and how the level of competition reaches new heights, the Pittsburgh Steelers will begin to make a significant push for the playoffs as they attempt to shoo away the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals from taking the top spot.

The Steelers failed to get it done against the Ravens by losing both meetings, but did make up for it with a huge win over the Bengals in their first meeting. The two teams will meet again in Week 13 where the stakes will be higher and rookie quarterback Andy Dalton might begin to face the pressure.

Pittsburgh has been winners of five of its past six games and will get the benefit of taking on Cleveland twice to end the season. Games against Cincinnati and San Francisco will also be huge as every win counts in a greatly improved AFC North.