Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Chicago Bears in Week 12 as they look to remain ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North standings by getting to 7-4. Will they be able to do it? Here is how our staff sees things playing out:
Alex Hanczar: Coming off a must-win victory over Cincinnati, Pittsburgh enters yet another crucial game, given its difficult remaining schedule. The Chicago Bears, while 7-3, have yet to prove whether they are legitimate contenders or not. First-year head coach Ben Johnson has led the club to some thrilling victories that in years past would very well have been losses.
However, Chicago has yet to play a team with a winning record at the time of their matchup in 2025. Their wins have not been all too impressive either, narrowly beating struggling teams like Cincinnati, Las Vegas, and New York (Giants). Sure, the same could be said for Pittsburgh, but they have beaten some contenders in Indianapolis and New England.
The main storyline this week; whether or not Aaron Rodgers will play. If he does, the four-time MVP has played incredibly against the Bears, similar to how Ben Roethlisberger did against Cleveland. Rodgers’ 24-4 record over Chicago indicates that he would love to get out there and continue “owning them.”
If not Rodgers, it will be veteran backup Mason Rudolph, who filled in nicely last week in the Steelers’ win over the Bengals. Regardless of who starts, this is a game Pittsburgh should win in my opinion. If not, it will be a troubled path to the postseason with Baltimore breathing down their neck in the division. Steelers, 32, Bears, 23.
Ryland Bickley: I just don’t have a great feeling about this game.
The Chicago offense is better than many are giving it credit for, and while the Bears’ defense has struggled this season (and will be without its top three inside linebackers), the Pittsburgh offense has lost momentum as of late as well.
All signs point to Aaron Rodgers playing on Sunday. He has a great career record against the Bears, but has not looked good in recent weeks, and will be playing on a slightly broken left wrist. On the road, I think the Steelers come up just short against the NFC North leaders. Bears win 25-23.
Joey Bray: The Steelers are 1-12 all-time while playing in Chicago. That’s a trend I have a hard time seeing Pittsburgh break this Sunday.
The Bears are well ahead of schedule under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, who has Chicago fourth in the league in total offense. Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams is someone I am a huge fan of, and his sack avoidance could pay dividends against a defense that relies on forcing splash plays.
I think it is inherently a bad idea to play a quarterback with any kind of broken wrist, especially when they are on the wrong side of 40 years old. Mason Rudolph did a fine job leading the offense last...
