Inter-conference matchups are always intriguing. They force coaches, players, and even fans to dive deeper than usual, studying a rare opponent with unfamiliar tendencies and fresh challenges. Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers face exactly that kind of puzzle this weekend as they travel to Chicago for a showdown with Ben Johnson and the 7–3 Bears.
Their record is impressive on its own, but the production behind it demands even more respect.
Most Steelers fans naturally expect the defense—the famed Steel Curtain—to walk into Soldier Field and impose chaos on a young quarterback like Caleb Williams. Normally, I’d agree with that storyline. But this year’s Chicago offense is different.
Williams is leading his unit with far more stability and confidence than he showed during his turbulent rookie season. His raw production may mirror last year, but the outcomes certainly don’t. Williams currently ranks 13th in passing yards (2,329) and has thrown only four interceptions. He’s managing Johnson’s high-tempo system with poise, and that steadiness comes from one central source: the ground game led by D’Andre Swift.
When we talk about the Chicago Bears, Swift is rarely the first name that comes to mind. But he should be.
Chicago’s defense has earned plenty of praise this year—and deservedly so—but ignoring their rushing attack would be malpractice. Especially for a Steelers defense that has struggled against determined, downhill runners all season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must eliminate D'Andre Swift in Week 12
Over their last three games, the Bears have averaged an astonishing 198 rushing yards per contest, a pace that should make every coordinator in the league pay attention. For Teryl Austin’s unit, which ranks 13th in run defense (allowing 106.7 yards per game), that’s a looming problem.
Pittsburgh has surrendered more than 100 rushing yards in seven different games this season. It’s been frustrating to watch at times, but it doesn’t mean the defense is incapable. Just earlier this month, the same group held MVP frontrunner Jonathan Taylor to 45 rushing yards on 14 carries—a reminder that when locked in, they can erase elite talent.
Swift may not be in Taylor’s tier, but overlooking him would be a mistake.
He ranks 16th in rushing yards (634) and 19th in carries (134). His stat line doesn’t jump off the page, but his impact does. Swift has been Chicago’s stabilizing force, their tempo-setter, and their security blanket when opposing defenses try to overload against Williams. His patience, vision, and explosive cuts have turned routine plays into chain-moving gains that keep Johnson’s offense on schedule.
And in a Week 12 matchup that the Steelers must win to stay firmly in playoff contention, Swift becomes the true X-factor.
If Pittsburgh wants to control the flow of the game, it must win on the ground defensively. Limit Swift, force Williams into long yardage situations, and pressure him into the kind of mistakes he’s largely avoided this season. The formula is simple. Execution, as always, is the hard part.
Because in Chicago, the player the Steelers can least afford to overlook isn’t the quarterback. It’s the quiet engine behind him. D’Andre Swift.