The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the gold standards to strive for in the NFL, but they are not unbeatable. The Steelers just this year lost to the Bengals and Raiders, two teams that the Chicago Bears had their way with. With that in mind, anything is in play for an upset.
While the Steelers have stars such as Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Minkah Fitzpatrick, this time also lacks a bit of depth that made them Super Bowl contenders of the past. If the Bears can expose these three matchups, they could walk away with a win.
3. Chicago Bears run game vs. Steelers run defense
Khalil Herbert has been a spark to the run game in a big way. It is funny to note that since Herbert has entered the lineup the Bears run-blocking grades keep shooting up, and the team’s yards per before contact metric is better than it has been in years.
It may be that the line is gelling, but the reality is that Herbert hits the holes hard, and with the zone blocking scheme can find holes without getting touched.
The Steelers defense is great, but almost too reliant on their pass rush. If Watt and Heyward do not win, they become beatable. This shows with a run defense that has been carved up in recent weeks.
The Pittsburgh run defense is 24th in second-level rush yards allowed, and 31st in open field rushes. They also rank 27th in explosive rush rate. The issue for them is that Stephon Tuitt, and Tyson Alualu are injured and they are relying on names such as Chris Wormley to step in.
The Bears have been one of the most run-heavy teams in the NFL, and that includes going through a three-game losing streak where you would expect passes. If the Bears leave Justin Fields back to get hit by the pass rush, they will get blown out, but this week a run-heavy game plan should work.