After playing in a windy environment that might have affected the passing attack in Week 11, the Pittsburgh Steelers now head off to the real Windy City for a Week 12 matchup with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
While it might be windy, one team is riding in red-hot. That would be the Bears, who sit at 7-3 on the season and have won seven of their last eight, including three in a row. They’re one of the stories of the season in the NFL and have quite a bit of hype surrounding them, particularly second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.
Meanwhile, there’s the great unknown with the Steelers, a team that has been inconsistent all season long. They look good one week, then take a step back the next. The injury to Aaron Rodgers raises questions about the offense, too.
Following what we did last year here at Steelers Depot, myself, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, Scott Brown, Troy Montgomery, Jake Brockhoff and Dr. Melanie Friedlander will answer four key questions weekly, previewing the games.
Let’s talk about the Steelers’ Week 12 matchup at Soldier Field against the Bears.
QUESTION 1: WHO IS THE STEELERS’ X FACTOR AGAINST THE BEARS?
Josh Carney: ILB Payton Wilson. The Bears run a lot of misdirection offensively, so the Steelers inside linebackers will be tested sideline to sideline with spacing and speed. Fortunately, Wilson has elite range and can really fly around. He’s been playing some good football as of late, but the Bears are going to attack the linebacker position. Wilson needs to let his athleticism shine in this one and make plays.
Joe Clark: TE Darnell Washington. Washington has cemented himself as Pittsburgh’s TE1, and the Bears are banged up at linebacker. Washington is hard to cover no matter who is on him given his size, but Sunday presents an opportunity for him to really take advantage and have a true breakout game.
Ross McCorkle: TE Pat Freiermuth. With all three of the Bears’ top linebackers out, the Steelers’ tight end room should have a field day. Freiermuth is due for a game where he is featured, and this feels like a good time for him to feast in the middle of the field.
Scott Brown: LB Patrick Queen. The quarterback of the Steelers’ defense will be challenged pre-snap by a Bears offense that aims to cause more confusion than the tax code. Then there is the matter of blunting a rushing attack that churns out 146.6 yards per game. In short, the Steelers need Queen to play his best game of what has been an up-and-down season for him.
Troy Montgomery: WR Roman Wilson. Wilson saw his usage increase in Week 11. He significantly out-snapped Calvin Austin III, being the Steelers’ number two receiver. While he didn’t have a ton of production, that could change this week. DK Metcalf will likely receive most of the attention, as he has been. He’s getting opportunities to prove himself. On the road this week with a shaky quarterback situation, this would be a great week for Wilson to step up.
Jake Brockhoff: RB Kenneth Gainwell. In the second half against Cincinnati, the Steelers spent a lot of time without either their starting quarterback or running back. But the offense managed to keep rolling, in large part due to Gainwell. He was dynamic with the ball in his hands, and he’ll need to be this week. Jaylen Warren will likely return this week, but he’s just a week removed from that ankle injury. With some key players banged up, Gainwell may need to find a way to ignite the offense once again.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander: The Steelers’ quarterback. As of Friday, we still don’t know who will get the start. Will Aaron Rodgers be taking snaps with his wrist injury? Or will backup Mason Rudolph get his first start of the season? There are reasons each could give the team an edge. If Rodgers is cleared by the medical team, there is no doubt he will be playing. Then the biggest factor on the field is whether he can perform at a high level. If Rodgers sits, Rudolph becomes the player who can make or break the team’s chance to win.
QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE MATCHUP TO WATCH IN STEELERS-BEARS?
Josh Carney: Bears WR Rome Odunze vs. Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. The Bears are one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL so far this season, so there will be a lot of focus up front. But the matchups on the boundary are crucial. Chicago is loaded with weapons, and maybe the best one is Odunze. He’s a height/weight/speed guy that can do it all. He’ll line up outside or in the slot. Joey Porter Jr. is playing some good football as of late, and will find himself in a physical matchup at times. That one could really determine things.
Joe Clark: Bears WR Rome Odunze vs. Steelers CBs Darius Slay and James Pierre. We don’t know who is going to get the bulk of the snaps, and I’m on record being much more comfortable with this matchup if it’s Pierre primarily covering Moore. I’m not a big believer in Moore, and I think he’s more or less just a guy at this point, but he has speed. If Slay is on him, he’s going to use that speed to his advantage. The Steelers can’t allow Moore to beat them. He hasn’t been productive the last few weeks, and if the Steelers turn to Slay to play the majority of snaps and he can’t hold up, that’s coaching malpractice.
Ross McCorkle: Steelers iOL vs. Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett. This is for two reasons. With all three starting linebackers out, the Steelers should be able to feast if they make it past the first level of that defense. They also can’t afford for Aaron Rodgers, if he plays, to take immediate interior pressure with that wrist injury.
Scott Brown: RT Troy Fautanu vs. DE Montez Sweat. Fautanu is having a nice season, and the second-year man faces arguably the biggest challenge up front Sunday, at least when it comes to keeping his QB upright. Sweat leads the Bears with 5.5 sacks. Neutralize him and a middling Bears defense becomes one that is dependent on blitzing. And susceptible to big plays on the back end of it.
Troy Montgomery: Bears OT Darnell Wright vs. Steelers OLB T.J. Watt. The Bears’ offensive line has done a great job protecting Caleb Williams this year. He’s only been sacked 16 times. That comes after he was sacked 68 times last year. Watt battling Wright should be a fun matchup to watch this week. Wright was the Bears’ first-round pick in 2023, and he’s coming into his own. However, Watt is getting paid like one of the best players in football. Wright being a good player shouldn’t stop Watt from making plays.
Jake Brockhoff: Bears DL Gervon Dexter Sr. vs. Steelers interior offensive line. Montez Sweat is the most notable pass rusher the Bears have, but Dexter is no slouch either. He’s currently second on the team with four sacks and second in tackles for loss with four, as well. He’ll line up over both the left and right guards, and will stunt inside and rush the center. Dexter has a nice bull rush and a few solid moves in his pass rushing bag. Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick and Isaac Seumalo will have their hands full.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander: Steelers RB Jaylen Warren versus the Bears linebackers. Chicago has been decimated by injury in the linebacker group. The Bears were already tied with the Bengals for 29th in the league on yards per carry allowed and they are allowing well over 100 yards per game rushing. Their lead tackler, Tremaine Edwards, has now been ruled out for this game, along with their other two starting linebackers. This could be a good day for the Steelers to focus on their run game.
QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO THE GAME FOR THE STEELERS?
Josh Carney: Be disciplined with pass rush, keep Caleb Williams stationary. Williams is playing some good football right now, and he’s a magician at creating after the play. He’s very mobile and can create out of structure as plays break down. The Steelers’ pass rush is heating up, but this week they need to be disciplined, not try to do too much and make sure they keep Williams hemmed in the pocket. Do that, force Williams to beat them like a traditional QB. That could lead to some mistakes from the young QB.
Joe Clark: Stop the run. The Steelers have been so iffy when it comes to defending the run this year, and Chicago has a good running back duo with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Limiting the ground game and forcing Williams to beat them will be paramount for the Steelers to escape Chicago with a victory.
Ross McCorkle: Commit to the run. The Bears’ run defense is vulnerable, and even more so with their top three linebackers out. The best way to protect Aaron Rodgers (or Mason Rudolph) is to run the ball 30 times. Arthur Smith said the best way to get Kaleb Johnson involved is if they are able to run the ball 40 times in a game. Could this finally be that game?
Scott Brown: Force Caleb Williams beat them with his arm. The Steelers have to make the Bears one-dimensional. And keeping Williams in the pocket is also a key component of limiting Chicago, which statistically has the second-best ground game in the NFL. Williams is uber-talented but is still young with 10 interceptions in 27 NFL games.
Troy Montgomery: Protect the football. The Bears’ defense leads the NFL in takeaways with 22. Much like the Steelers, the Bears’ defense thrives off of forcing turnovers. The Steelers’ offense hasn’t been great in recent weeks. However, it didn’t turn the ball over last week, and that was key to the team’s victory. That will need to continue this week.
Jake Brockhoff: Win the turnover battle. Each of these teams have won a lot of close games, which makes it no surprise that each are excellent at forcing turnovers. The Steelers will need to make life hard for Caleb Williams, and try to force the young quarterback to make some mistakes. The Steelers have been solid protecting the football offensively for the most part, and that will have to continue this week.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander: Protect the football. The Chicago Bears lead the league with a +16 turnover differential (the Steelers are tied for fifth with +8). Even without their starting linebackers, the Bears have an opportunistic secondary. Whether Rodgers or Rudolph is under center, the Steelers quarterback needs to avoid throwing interceptions and giving the Bears a short field and extra opportunities.
QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR STEELERS AT BEARS?
Josh Carney: I just don’t know what we’re getting from this team week-to-week. It’s very inconsistent, and the injury to Aaron Rodgers muddies the waters a bit more. Chicago is on a heater right now, but they’re winning a bunch of last-second games. Something has to give. Steelers 24, Bears 21
Joe Clark: I really can’t tell if this Bears team is for real or they’re pulling magic out of their hat late in games against below-average teams. But it’s hard to call a team a fluke when they’re on top of the NFC North at this point of the season. Still, I think the Steelers match up well with the Bears. The pass rush shouldn’t let Williams extend plays, and I think the Steelers win in a game dominated by defense. Steelers 20, Bears 14
Ross McCorkle: It’s still very hard to trust this Steelers team. They have a knack for letting everybody down after a nice outing. Their history in Chicago is bad, and historical stats have held up pretty well for this team for whatever reason. I think we could see Pittsburgh’s first overtime opportunity this year, but a narrow loss. Bears 24, Steelers 21.
Scott Brown: The Steelers’ run defense has been…better. Will it hold up at Soldier Field? I have my doubts. And if the Steelers lose Sunday, it could turn into a one-step-forward-two-steps-back scenario with the Bills waiting for them on the other side of this game. Bears 24, Steelers 20
Troy Montgomery: The Bears have been great in close games this year. Their last three games were all one-score wins. However, Mike Tomlin’s Steelers have thrived in those situations. They’ve pulled out wins in plenty of close games over the years, including this year. I don’t feel confident about it because of the way their offense has played, but I’ll take Pittsburgh this week. Steelers 20, Bears 18
Jake Brockhoff: Neither of these teams are strangers to close games, which this one should be. But the Bears have been terrific in close games, and Ben Johnson’s offense is working pretty well, considering he has a second-year quarterback, and it’s his first year in Chicago. The Steelers will keep things close, but with a banged up quarterback it might be tough to get the offense rolling. I’ll go with Chicago in a close one. Bears 27, Steelers 21
Dr. Melanie Friedlander: The Steelers have an odd consistency when if comes to following historical trends, like the 0-7 record against division rivals on the road on Thursday Night Football. While the Steelers haven’t played at Soldier Field many times in recent years, they haven’t won there since 1995. Then again, Aaron Rodgers has a much better record against the Bears. I would have picked the Bears, but I think their injury report has given me hope that Pittsburgh can come away with a victory. Steelers 24, Bears 14
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