Bears vs. Steelers Prediction |
Dustin Riese
· · 2 hours ago
It's hard to believe that we are in the stretch run of the NFL Regular season. Yet, here we are, as week 12 is officially underway, with the First Place Chicago Bears looking to keep rolling after improving to 7-3 with a victory over the Vikings last week.
At this point, Chicago is starting to think about the postseason, as they have an excellent opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time since the Matt Nagy era. For that to happen, the Bears need to take care of the business in front of them, as their schedule is about to get a whole lot tougher for the final six games. That's not to say the Bears are going to drop all six games or anything like that, but the bottom line is that Chicago will have arguably the most demanding schedule in the league over the final six games, and at the very least, the toughest schedule within their own division. Should Chicago find a way to get through that stretch at 3-3 or even 2-4, you would take that as a success, but at 2-4 over their final six, would that be enough to reach the postseason? Here are some things to look for ahead of this week's matchup with the Steelers.
As mentioned, the Bears' schedule is about to get tough, so getting wins when you can will be crucial for this team to make the playoffs. On paper, the Bears are going to be the favorites in two of their final seven games, with one of those games coming this week against the Steelers. This is a game Chicago has to have, as they need to win the games they are expected to win, with the hopes of picking up a surprise win down the stretch. That's not to say this game will be easy or anything like that, as the Steelers are in a tight AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens, but still hold the top spot in the AFC North with a 6-4 record. Two historic franchises battling for first place in their respective divisions this late in the season, what more could you ask for?
As good as the Bears have been this season, one has to wonder where this team would be had they been at full strength this season. In fact, when you look across the league, Chicago has been one of the more injured teams in the NFL, especially on defense, and yet here they are sitting at 7-3. Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles deserve a ton of credit for that, as Poles has built up plenty of depth to make up for these injuries, while Johnson continues to go about his business on the sidelines to get the most out of his players. Injuries aside, the Bears have seen their depth put to the test, but there could be help on the way in the form of Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, who have been designated to return from the IR. Two of the Bears' top secondary players, Gordon and Johnson, have been dealing with leg injuries all season, with Johnson being hampered with a groin injury since week two and Gordon going down in week five with a hamstring. Gordon appears to be a week away from returning and could target the game against Green Bay as his return date, but Johnson, at the very least, could make his season debut this weekend. Johnson has been steadily increasing his intensity at practice this week and appears ready to go this weekend should the Bears feel he is 100%. How much of a role he will play will depend on what Dennis Allen and Johnson feel his health is at, but just getting Johnson back on the field will help this defense as the Bears' secondary has had some issues this season. His return couldn't come at a better time, as the Bears are entering one of their more challenging parts of the schedule while the team has surged into first place. You want to be as healthy as possible late in the season, and the Bears are getting to that point.
Will he play or won't he play remains to be the question ahead of this weekend's game. For those who may have missed it, this refers to Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is pushing to play on Sunday despite breaking a bone in his non-throwing wrist last week. Had this been any other quarterback or any other game, there is no way Rodgers plays this week, but this is the Bears, and everyone knows his history against Chicago dating back to his time with Green Bay. Remember his famous line, "I Own You," after rushing for a game-winning touchdown a few years ago? The definition of owning someone is what Rodgers has done to the Bears, as he is 26-5 all-time against Chicago. That includes an NFC Championship game win at Soldier Field as part of his lone Super Bowl win, as Rodgers has haunted the Bears for years. Healthy or not, Rodgers is going to push to play, and it will be interesting to see if he still owns this team or if a lot of that had to do with the Packers organization and the overall talent around him.
This is quietly one of the better games of the week, as it pits two first-place teams against each other. Not only that, but it is two of the more iconic franchises in the Bears and Steelers, with a first ballot Hall of Famer who has had plenty of success against Chicago in the past. Not a bad set of storylines for a late-November game. When it comes to both teams, wins are crucial for either side, but Chicago needs this game more than the Steelers do at this point, especially when you look at what is to come for the Bears and their schedule. Expect this to be an extremely sloppy game with a classic black-and-blue feel, but look for the Bears to continue doing what they do best as they hold off the Steelers for a 21-17 victory.Keep stacking the wins
Help is on the way in the secondary
All eyes on Aaron Rodgers
Prediction: Bears win 21-17
