At this point of the 2025 NFL season, the games are getting more and more crucial each week for the Chicago Bears after their surprising 7-3 start.
Under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears have turned around many areas of their team, most notably the play of the team’s total offense, and now find themselves entering Week 12 in sole possession of first place for the first time since the 2018 season.
Chicago now has the toughest stretch of their schedule, where six of their final seven opponents currently have winning records, four of those teams coming from the NFC. First up is a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are currently awaiting word on if quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be able to play after suffering an injury to his left wrist.
Here are the top three causes for concern for the Bears as welcome the Steelers to Chicago on Sunday, the first of a long-stretch against tough opponents.
Linebacker injuries
Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (groin), T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) and Noah Sewell (elbow) have missed the first two days of practice leading into Sunday’s game, and it’s quite concerning that the team’s starting linebackers are all battling injuries. Edwards has missed several games this year due to a hamstring injury, but now his replacement, Sewell, is out with an elbow injury as well. It’s even more concerning with Edmunds, who’s playing his best season in Chicago, is now among the injured. The linebackers could have a big role on defense in this game, especially in the matchup against Pittsburgh’s big-body tight end trio that they have. The question is who’s suiting up.
Pittsburgh can put up points
One of the biggest knocks on the Bears defense is that they allow their opponents to put up plenty of points against them, leading to why they have a negative point differential this season. The Bears currently sit at 26th in the league for points allowed on defense, giving up over 26 points a game, while Pittsburgh is ranked 12th in scoring offense, putting up over 24 points per game. Whether it’s on the ground or through the air, the Steelers have plenty of different ways in which they can score, and the Bears defense will have to hold them out of the end zone, an issue they have struggled with this season.
Overly prepared for Aaron Rodgers or unprepared for Mason Rudolph
Both of these situations can be true for the Bears defense, who don’t know who will be under center for the Steelers on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers carries a tremendous record against the franchise in his career, and it certainly will bring added motivation and juice to those on the team who want to silence that narrative. Getting caught up in the mystique of Rodgers and his success against the Bears could leave them open to being decimated by the future Hall of Fame quarterback once again. If Rodgers is unable to play against Chicago on Sunday, they’re going to need to be much more prepared than they were when they faced Tyler Huntley of the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season, and lost. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has to have a full plan for both quarterbacks, and the players can’t get caught up in whoever ends up taking snaps for the Steelers on Sunday.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 causes for concern for Bears against Steelers in Week 12
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
