Bear Digest

Bears and Caleb Williams piece together 31-28 victory over Steelers

It wasn't pretty in the first half but the Bears QB rallied them in the third quarter and Grady Jarrett's two key pass deflections spelled an eighth win in nine games.
Gene Chamberlain|
Kenneth Gainwell breaks a tackle attempt by D'Marco Jackson in the first half of Sunday's game at Soldier Field.
Kenneth Gainwell breaks a tackle attempt by D'Marco Jackson in the first half of Sunday's game at Soldier Field. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears didn't have to defend against Aaron Rodgers after all.

It seemed they had no one left healthy to defend against Steelers backup quarterback Mason Rudolph at times in the first half Sunday, but they had the next best thing.

They had an offense.

After a shaky first half, Caleb Williams bounced back in the second half with and the Bears (8-3) won for the eighth time in nine games, 31-28 over Pittsburgh behind two touchdown passes to DJ Moore and on to Colston Loveland..

Williams went 19 of 35 for 239 yards. He hit 5-of-5 for 60 yards on the first Bears drive of the second half, ending with a 25-yard touchdown to Moore, then directed another scoring drive to Kyle Monangai's 2-yard TD run for a 31-21 lead.

The Bears hung on by stopping two late fourth-quarter drives, one on Grady Jarrett's tipped pass on third down and on one by Jaquan Brisker on fourth down near midfield.

Montez Sweat's strip sack in the third quarter also loomed large.

The Steelers drew back within 31-28 with a 17-play drive and Pat Freiermuth's 3-yard TD catch with 6:27 remaining.

Down six starters already due to injuries, they lost cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in the first half to a hip injury, then lost replacement linebacker Ruben Hyppolite to a shoulder injury as the subs and subs' subs are being hit with the injury bug.

Williams was wild with his throws in the first half but did enough damage that they were within 21-17 at the half.

He hit Moore on a 5-yard TD pass and Loveland on a 12-yarder to tie it at 14-14 in the second quarter.

The Steelers' rushing yards included a 55-yard bit of trickery with Kenneth Gainwell taking a handoff 55 yards around right end on a fake fourth-and-1 tush push to set up Jaylen Warren's 1-yard TD run for a 21-14 Pittsburgh lead.

It's a quick turnaround until Black Friday and a game in Philadelphia against the defending world champions for whoever is left healthy for the Bears.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.