My final Pittsburgh Steelers thoughts as the team heads to Chicago to take on the Bears at Soldier Field.
1. HARD TO IMAGINE AARON RODGERS WON’T PLAY
After suffering a left wrist fracture near the end of the first half against the Bengals last Sunday, QB Aaron Rodgers missed the second half of the game. Benefiting from a lead and a strong performance from the defense, back up Mason Rudolph played well to help secure the win. According to Mike Florio, Rodgers tried to go back in but he was kept out of the game by the coaches and medical staff.
Constant reporting throughout the week has been limited as far as details on the actual injury but it is clear that Rodgers wants to play this game. He was a limited participant in practice on Thursday and Friday and has a designation as “questionable”. This could potentially be gamesmanship by the Steelers to keep the Bears guessing which quarterback they will see but I doubt it. Rodgers has given every indication that he wants to play if he can do it safely and Mike Tomlin has said the same.
If it comes to playing through pain, Rodgers can handle it. He has played the better part of a season with a broken thumb in 2022 and a fractured index finger in his first year as a starter at Cal, and both of those injuries were on his throwing hand. Yes, that is a bulky looking brace, but based on practice photos, Rodgers seems able to grip the football. He has owned the Chicago Bears over his years with the Green Bay Packers and the only way he misses this game would be a decision from the coaches or medical staff.
2. RODGERS WON’T BE THE ONE ON A SHORT LEASH
Over the past two weeks, CB James Pierre has been playing some solid football in place of Darius Slay, who missed time due to a concussion. Slay has now been cleared to return. Speaking to the media, Tomlin was asked whether Slay would return to his role as the starter. While the head coach confirmed that Slay would return to the starting lineup, he added that he would keep Pierre involved.
Slay has struggled in coverage at times this season. He is third on the team for missed tackles and allows an average of 14.1 yards per catch and a quarterback rating of 126.
Tomlin’s answer was purposely vague. He has said many times that his starters won’t lose their jobs due to injury and he surely wants to be respectful of the talented veteran. Slay will probably be on the field for the first series but it’s safe to assume that he will split time with Pierre. Maybe Tomlin will use the excuse of keeping players fresh. And there is no doubt that if Slay is having a rough outing, Pierre will be the one to finish the game.
3. JACK SAWYER HAS EARNED THE COACHES’ TRUST
With Alex Highsmith ruled out for last week’s game due to a pectoral injury, I assumed that the Steelers would shelve their three-OLB package. Instead, rookie Jack Sawyer proved the Steelers mantra of “next man up” to be valid. He played 19 defensive snaps, including plays with Nick Herbig and TJ Watt on the field, generating pressure on Joe Flacco.
If the outside linebacker group had been healthy all season, Sawyer would probably have been limited to special teams snaps and the rare play on defense. Instead, he has been a factor on the defense. The coaches clearly have confidence in his development. Highsmith will be sidelined again this week, and Sawyer should be a part of the defense’s plan this week once again.
4. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE RUN GAME
The Bears have the second ranked rushing attack in the league, averaging 146.6 yards per game on the ground. Not bad for a team that was dead last in 2024 for total offense. Credit their new head coach Ben Johnson for the turnaround. The Steelers defense will need to find a way to limit the Bears run game if they want to stay alive in this game.
For the Steelers offense, the run game will be a key as well. They will have the pleasure of facing a Bears defense that is missing their three starting linebackers. This could be a huge opportunity for the Steelers to pound the ball on the ground. It would be a refreshing change to see them control the time of possession for the second time this season. And the best way to slow down a powerful Bears offense is to keep them off the field.
5. THE RAVENS ARE A CONSTANT THREAT
No, the Steelers aren’t playing the Ravens this week. They won’t head to Baltimore for two more weeks and they obviously shouldn’t be looking ahead to future opponents.
At this point in the season, however, it is clear that the battle for the AFC North championship will come down to the Steelers and the Ravens. The Steelers currently sit on top with a 6-4 record. The Ravens have struggled back from a dismal 1-5 start, going on a four game winning streak, and now lurk one game behind Pittsburgh.
It’s logical to assume that the Steelers won’t win all of the games remaining on their schedule. And if they had to lose one, a road game against an NFC team would be the least problematic. I would rather see the Steelers maintain that lead over Baltimore, who will be hosting the Jets at home and will likely add to the win column.
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