After a big win over the Vikings, the 2-0 Pittsburgh Steelers go on the road to face another NFC North opponent, the 0-2 Chicago Bears. Game time for these two is this Sunday at 1:00 EST from Solider Field in Chicago. The game can be seen on CBS in select TV markets and on NFL Sunday Ticket.
The Steelers aren’t quite firing on all cylinders offensively yet, but that’s scary to think about. After dispatching Minnesota 26-7 last week, they come into Chicago with the Ben Roethlisberger-Antonio Brown connection as fruitful as ever. They’ve also enjoyed having WR Martavis Bryant back in the lineup after being suspended all of 2016.
But Pittsburgh has yet to get RB LeVeon Bell going. Considered by some to be the best back in the league, Bell has only racked up 119 yards in his first two games of 2017, a measly 3.2-yard average. If the Steelers could only get him and Brown both going, this would easily be one of most dangerous teams in the league. They probably are anyway.
And for the Bears, they struggled mightily last Sunday vs. the Bucs, not scoring until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. QB Mike Glennon is probably not the answer at quarterback, as hardheaded as head coach John Fox might be in trying to prove so. Their running game also faltered last weekend, with only 20 yards on the ground.
The Bears are currently touchdown underdogs at home.
Chicago played a tough, focused game against the Falcons at home in week 1, and that’s influenced Vegas quite a bit. But that game was also a bit sloppy being the first full game for the offensive units, and the Falcons have certainly responded since then. We’ve also gotten a better indication of where the Bears might be all season. It’s not a very good spot.
Even though throwing QB-in-waiting Mitch Trubisky in the game now wouldn’t change a whole lot, Glennon is an average NFL QB on his best day. Though he’s usually at least disciplined, he threw two picks last week. He’s also missing Cameron Meredith, a No. 1 wideout who tore his ACL and MCL. That’s a huge target to miss.
They do play a Pittsburgh defense that’s still a little banged up, with OLB Bud Dupree, DT Stephon Tuitt, and LB T.J. Watt among the hampered defenders. They may all play, but none of them will be close to fully healthy. It may not matter against a team that could barely move the ball last weekend.
Though the DBs were probably the biggest problem—if you even want to call it that—for the Steelers this year, Glennon probably won’t be able to test them much. Kendall Wright and Tarik Cohen have done their best to step up in the Meredith’s place, but that hasn’t been enough to offset his loss. And RB Jordan Howard was a no-show the first two weeks on the ground, with Cohen having to try and add a spark in the backfield.
With their offense in shambles, look for the Pittsburgh skill players to rule the day once more. Chicago does have a way about them at home, but the Steelers have won six of their last seven road games. If they settle the crowd fast with a big play to Brown or Bryant, this game is as good as over.
The Bears have one of the worst secondaries in the league, and their defensive front isn’t much better. Though it’s not saying much, LeVeon Bell will have his best game of the year, and so will Roethlisberger if the linebackers can be held at bay. Luckily, he has one of the better lines in the game.
Pittsburgh may not roll, but they’ll be able to control the game throughout and probably win by two touchdowns.