Steelers should keep on rolling upon facing Chicago

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently on a three-game win streak, and their home matchup with the lackluster Chicago Bears should extend it.

When judging teams on a week-to-week basis, the Pittsburgh Steelers look the part and the Chicago Bears do not. In fact, the same can be said when looking at the last three weeks.

Pittsburgh has not lost a game since they faced the Green Bay Packers on the road (the latter is now the best team in the league, sporting a 7-1 record headlined by a win over the Cardinals in Arizona).

Since then, the Steelers have bested the Broncos, Seahawks, and Browns, respectively. After the win in Cleveland, I noted the return of Pittsburgh’s physicality that had led them to victories in the past. That’s not a bad place for a team to sit by any means.

Chicago’s execution, however, is currently sailing in an entirely different boat. The Bears have not only lost their last three games, but they have done so by an average of just under 19 points each time.

The last week that Chicago showed remotely any promise was the one where they took on Derek Carr‘s Las Vegas Raiders on the road and prevailed by a score of 20-9. For reference, the Raiders are now 5-2 on the season, having not lost since that day. So to say that Chicago was capable of playing formidably would be an understatement.

But for whatever reasons, the Steelers and Bears have changed drastically since those two days, one for much better, and one for much worse. Now, they will meet at Heinz Field on Monday night in what should be a battle of strength.

Both powers are known for their physical play (especially on defense), along with them each having a strong football IQ on the sidelines. However, that does not necessarily mean that the two will appear as equals on the gridiron.

The Steelers were visibly better than the Browns last weekend, yet they only won by a score of 15-10. That is in no way awe-inducing, but it gets the job done nonetheless; expect a game like that this time around as well.

While Pittsburgh probably has the capabilities to beat Chicago into the ground, they are rarely that type of team; their main goal is to wear you down and win in brutal fashion. And with impact players within the Bears arsenal looking questionable for this matchup (i.e. Khalil Mack), doing so will be all the easier.

Again, expect a physical victory over Chicago on Monday night, not an insane one. In my opinion, an accurate score prediction for this battle should lie somewhere around 23-16 in Pittsburgh’s favor. If such an outcome unfolds, the Steelers will then have a respectable record of 5-3, while the Bears will have been outmatched for a 4th-consecutive week.