Steelers' gritty style demands Bears' toughness. Expect a physical showdown as Chicago prepares to battle Pittsburgh's turnover-hungry defense.
The Chicago Bears will face another AFC North team on Sunday, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers coming to town.
The status of Rodgers is uncertain, as he was listed as questionable on Friday's injury report with a wrist injury. If Rodgers is unable to play, the Bears will face backup quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Regardless of whether the former Green Bay Packers quarterback plays on Sunday or not, the Bears will need to get ready for a challenging, hard-nosed game with the Steelers on Sunday.
Receiver Rome Odunze assured everyone that the Bears are doing just that in a recent interview.
"I think there's definitely an emphasis on physicality and understanding that this is gonna be a gritty game, you know?" Odunze said. "It's a very tough team, a tough division that they play in, so they bring that brand of football. I think just understanding the physicality of it and then obviously executing our plays."
Pittsburgh comes into the matchup at 6-4 but is 2-1 in its last three games. The Steelers beat the red-hot Indianapolis Colts and Daniel Jones, handing them a 27-20 loss, something not many teams could say they did in 2025.
On paper, the Steelers don't stand out offensively. Pittsburgh averages 88.3 rushing yards and 210.8 passing yards per game. Defensively, they are actually allowing the most passing yards (281.5) and 13th-fewest rushing yards per game at 106.4.
However, like the Bears they are excellent in forcing turnovers.
The Steelers are currently third in the NFL in takeaways with 18, with the Houston Texans (19) and Bears (22) ahead of them.
While the quarterback under center may be different than years past, the Steelers are still the same in their approach under head coach Mike Tomlin.
Protecting the football has to be a priority, especially against a team like Pittsburgh, which has capitalized plenty of times in the red zone. The Steelers rank eighth in the league in red zone scoring percentage, creating touchdowns 63.3% of the time.
Sunday's game with the Steelers will be no easy feat for the Bears, even if Chicago is on a hot streak right now. That's precisely the way Pittsburgh wants it to be on Sunday.
Luckily, the Bears have thrived in one-score games this season, with Caleb Williams donning his "Iceman" persona in crunch time.
We'll see how Williams responds to the fierce defense of Pittsburgh led by T.J. Watt at Soldier Field.