The Chicago Bears continue to find ways to win close games, even if it’s taking years off players, coaches and fans’ lives in the process. Chicago managed to outlast the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 31-28 win to improve to 8-3 and retain possession of first place in the NFC North.
The win is even more impressive considering the injuries they dealt with before and during the game. Chicago was down their three starting linebackers, and they lost cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, and even right guard Jonah Jackson left briefly before returning.
While Chicago has thrived coming from behind I the fourth quarter, they managed to hold off the Steelers thanks in large part to two big defensive stops. But the Bears defense did struggle stopping the run, allowing nearly 200 yards on the ground. The offense capitalized in the red zone, an area of weakness this season, and posted 31 points en route to the win.
There were plenty of standouts in this close game. Here’s a look at our studs and duds from the Bears’ close win over the Steelers:
Stud: CB Nahshon Wright
Nahshon Wright might’ve just played himself into a contract extension, where he was a dominant force in the Bears’ secondary. Wright set the tone early with a leaping interception of Mason Rudolph, which led to Chicago’s first points of the game. He nearly had a second later in the game. Wright finished with six tackles, one interception and two pass breakups. With Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon set to return, perhaps this Friday against the Eagles, there’s question about which personnel the Bears will utilize. It certainly feels like Wright earned more playing time moving forward.
Stud: DE Montez Sweat
The Bears’ pass rush has been nonexistent at times this season, but defensive end Montez Sweat really stepped up against the Steelers. For all intents and purposes, Sweat was Chicago’s pass rush. Sweat totaled two sacks against backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, including a strip sack that he recovered, and he nearly had a third sack. This was a game where the Bears needed their highly-paid stars to step up, and Sweat played a huge role in the win.
Stud: QB Caleb Williams
Don’t let one bad play fool you, quarterback Caleb Williams had another impressive outing and played a key role in the Bears’ eighth win in the last nine games. Despite his brutal fumble that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, he more than made up for it with three touchdowns of his own. He completed 19-of-25 passes for 239 yards and those three scores with a 104.3 passer rating.
Stud: WR DJ Moore
Wide receiver DJ Moore has been passed over by Rome Odunze as the Bears’ top receiver, but it’s games like this where he reminds everyone he can be a big playmaker on offense. Moore was far from perfect in this game, but he accounted for two of Chicago’s four touchdowns, including a wide open reception on a free play. He led the team with five catches for 64 yards on seven targets. Moore also surpassed 8,000 career receiving yards in this game, an impressive milestone for the veteran wideout.
Stud: LBs D’Marco Jones, Amen Ogbongbemiga
The Bears defense faced a tall order against a division-leading Steelers squad down their top three linebackers in Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell. But D’Marco Jackson and Amen Ogbongbemiga really stepped up in their place. Jackson, filling in as the quarterback on defense, led the team with 15 total tackles, including one tackle for loss. Meanwhile, Ogbongbemiga was second with 14 total tackles. All things considered, especially on the injury front, they did exactly what they needed to do to help the Bears pull off a surprising win.
Stud: The Rookies
The Bears had a handful of standout rookies in this game, and it’s quicker just to group them all together. Tight end Colston Loveland has really come alive in the last few games, and he’s becoming a favorite target for Caleb Williams. Loveland had four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Luther Burden III continues to earn more snaps and is becoming a true playmaker in this offense, totaling three catches for 46 yards and adding one rush for 15 yards. Running back Kyle Monangai continues to be key to the success on the ground, leading the team with 48 rushes on 12 carries, averaging four yards per carry, and a touchdown.
Ozzy Trapilo made his first NFL start at left tackle in place of the injured Theo Benedet, and he did a great job against a dominant Steelers pass rush, allowing just one pressure. Ruben Hyppolite II made his first NFL start with all three starting linebackers sidelined with injury, and he was solid (totaling two tackles) before exiting the game with a shoulder injury. Even guard Luke Newman stepped in for an injured Jonah Jackson for a short time, and there was no interruption along the interior.
Dud: Bears run defense
Chicago’s run defense made a struggling Pittsburgh run game look elite. The Bears allowed 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns, where Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren made them pay and kept Steelers drives going. Gainwell totaled 10 carries for 92 yards, averaging 9.2 yards per carry, while Warren had 18 carries for 68 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry, and a score.
Dud: RB D’Andre Swift
The Bears’ second-best run game struggled to eclipse 100 yards on the ground against the Steelers, who held them to just 99 yards. While Kyle Monangai had some flashes, averaging four yards per carry, it wasn’t D’Andre Swift’s day on the ground. He was tied for the third-best rusher, with eight carries for 15 yards, averaging 1.9 yards per carry. He was most effective in the passing game with one catch for 14 yards.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Studs and duds from Bears’ big win vs. Steelers
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
