Can Chicago disrupt Aaron Rodgers' dominance? Discover the crucial strategies and exploit defensive weaknesses to secure a vital victory against the Steelers.
The Chicago Bears will be facing Aaron Rodgers for the first time since 2023 on Sunday.
He spent 2005-2023 with the Green Bay Packers before being traded to the New York Jets. He spent two seasons there before joining the Steelers this offseason.
In his last season in Green Bay, he swept the Bears and is 24-5 against Chicago all-time.
There is some uncertainty about whether he will play, however. He suffered a wrist injury in Week 11 and is questionable for the game. If the veteran can't play, the Bears will face Mason Rudolph instead.
While the potential of facing Rodgers adds an element of its own, the Bears have also not beaten a team with a winning record in 2025, and the Steelers are 6-4.
That hasn't stopped the Bears before; they beat the Minnesota Vikings 19-17 in their last game, their first win against a divisional opponent.
Here are my keys to defeating Rodgers and the Steelers:
Bears Can't Give the Steelers Extra Possessions
The Steelers aren't going to wow you with their offense, or even certain aspects of their defense, for that matter.
Pittsburgh averages 210.8 passing yards and 88.2 rushing yards per game. The Steelers' pass defense is the worst in the NFL, allowing 281.5 yards per game.
Where they succeed is in creating turnovers.
The Bears are leading the NFL with 22, but the Steelers are not too far off, with 18.
On top of that, the Steelers are eighth in red-zone scoring percentage, scoring touchdowns 63.3% of the time they are inside the opposing 20-yard line.
The Bears can't give the ball away to an offense that is that efficient in the red zone.
Take Advantage of a Weak Pass Defense
While it's unclear who Chicago will face at quarterback, one thing that won't change is how bad the Steelers have been at defending the pass.
Caleb Williams set a season-high 298 passing yards in the 31-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. The Cowboys have allowed the third-most passing yards per game this year at 268.4.
If he does something similar against Pittsburgh, it could be a long day for its secondary.
Don't Give T.J. Watt Time to Get to Caleb Williams
There's no doubt that T.J. Watt is one of the top pass rushers in the NFL.
Despite how good the Bears' offensive line has been this season, it will be a challenge to slow him down. He has six sacks so far and isn't showing signs of slowing down.
A good way to keep him from getting to Williams is to draw up some quick passes and have the quarterback get rid of the ball quickly. The last thing the Bears want is for Williams to be fearing for his life all day against a dynamic defensive weapon like Watt.
We'll see if the Bears can get some revenge against Rodgers on Sunday at noon CT on CBS.