Final Score: Bears 31 Steelers 28
The Bears now boast an impressive 8-3 record after fending off the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field this Sunday. Chicago has won 4 in a row and 8 of its last 9 games. It still sits alone utop the NFC North after a tough-fought game out of a very banged up defense and a great job from Caleb Williams. Aaron Rodgers, Jaylon Johnson, and Kyler Gordon were not able to suit up, but fans were still treated to an entertaining, high-scoring affair.
Bright Spots
Offensive Line Shined Against Stout Pass Rush
The offensive line did a phenomenal job against the daunting Steelers pass rush. Apart from the devastating strip sack that Williams took in the endzone, the maulers up-front for the Bears didn’t allow any sacks to a defense that was averaging over 3 per game. With left tackle Theo Benedet injured, 2nd-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo made his first NFL start in his stead. Trapilo played every snap at LT and did much better than anyone could have hoped for, finishing 4th among all offensive linemen in the NFL in PFF pass block grade. On the other side, Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt is the most dangerous player. Despite his huge strip sack that led to a touchdown, he was held to his lowest pass rush grade of the season.
Following this game, the Bears rank 4th in PFF pass block grade and 5th in PFF run block grade. It is clear that the combination of the new offensive line coach, new offensive play caller, and new additions through both free agency and the draft have combined into one of the most stout protection units in the league. The importance of this cannot be overstated, without protection up front, nothing works on offense. The turnaround from last year is insane.
Offense is Improving, But is Still Enough to Win High-Scoring Affairs
The offense still has a lot of work it can do. There are many areas where things can be smoothed out, but the encouraging part is that is is already good enough to win games. With all of the injuries that the defense is dealing with, the Bears needed the offense to carry the load this week. Despite its issues in the first half, Chicago put up 31 points and continues to generate some of the best offensive numbers in the NFL.
Glaring Issues
The Bears are a Walking Infirmary
The injuries just keep on coming. This week, the team was down LBs TJ Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Noah Sewell, and LT Theo Benedet. On top of that, LB Ruben Hyppolite II got injured just 13 snaps into the game, LG Jonah Jackson missed 20 snaps, and CB Tyrique Stevenson only made it 12 snaps before reaggravating his injury. It is starting to get ridiculous. On the bright side, however, we could be looking at returns from both Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon next week in Philadelphia.
Standout Performers
Montez Sweat
Sweat’s big game was huge for the defense this week. Tez was able to take down Kyle Rudolph twice, including once for a strip fumble that eventually led to a Chicago touchdown. Sweat received a game ball from Ben Johnson after the game, and it was for good reason. The Bears need him to keep his foot on the game pedal on a pass rush unit that has been far too quiet this season.
DJ Moore
Moore had a great bounce-back week against the Steelers, snagging two touchdowns. Although he is no longer WR1, it is nice to have him as an option for Caleb Williams that pops off every few weeks.
Nahshon Wright
After being thrust into action due to a plethora of injuries in the Chicago secondary this season, Wright has improved drastically. While he started the season as the weak link, Wright has transformed into a more-than-adequate cornerback. This week he snagged another insane interception, placing him next to fellow Bear Kevin Byard and Carolina’s Jaycee Horn at 1st in the NFL in interceptions (5). He played every snap and finished 5th among all NFL CBs this week in PFF coverage grade, and 21st in overall defensive grade among all defensive players in the league.
Key Drive of the Game
The most significant drive of the game came late in the 3rd quarter. Thanks to a Montez Sweat strip sack, the Bears took possession set up on the 46-yard-line. With only a 3-point lead (24-21), Chicago needed to capitalize on both the momentum and the great field position that the takeaway created. It did just that. The offense took 9 plays (only 3 of them being passes) to march easily down the field and eventually into the endzone on the back of RB Kyle Monangai. The score put the Bears up by two scores in the 4th quarter, which became even more important after the Steelers put up 7 of their own on the next drive.