Bear Digest

Bears report card for win over Steelers reflects their altered state

Grading the Bears: Losing more players doesn't seem to matter to the Bears in this run of eight wins in nine games and their high marks for resiliency continue.
Gene Chamberlain|
Another pass breakup for Nahshon Wright on a throw to Roman Wilson in Sunday's Bears win.
Another pass breakup for Nahshon Wright on a throw to Roman Wilson in Sunday's Bears win. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The phrase was repeated several times in the locker room by various players in so many words, and defensive end Montez Sweat said it again at a postgame press conference.

After a 7-3 record and six one-score victories, it probably should have been been apparent long ago even to sports reporters, but the eighth win made it more clear.

"It’s not the same old Bears,” Sweat said.

Being able to win six total one-score games after losing one to start the season indicates this is an opponent no NFL team wants to face. They have learned the art of grappling with anyone in tight games.

At least for now, it can't even be said their wins came against  teams without a winning record.

"We understand that that’s not necessarily been the story around here in the past  years I have been here," Sweat said. "We are creating a history of competing in these close games. We feel pretty comfortable in it."

Quarterback Caleb Williams came away feeling positive, even if some of his early mistakes stuck out.

"It's nice when you get to learn from wins, and you find ways when you have  mess-ups or all these different things to find ways to win, but also understand that we have so much left in the tank and we can be so much better,” Williams said.

That would include him, especially. Another game with sub-60% completions was definitely overshadowed by three TD passes, two to DJ Moore.

Personal statistical insolvency issues aside, Williams was as elated to be winning as anyone.

"I mean, we're an 8-3 team in the National Football League," Williams said. "We  feel good where we're at, but we do got to get better.

"I would say, yeah, we don't feel like we're the same old Bears. We pull through for each other when it matters most. We've got to keep getting better. Like I said, it starts with me on my side, and we'll keep growing from there."

Here are the grades for a successful, growing team for its eighth win of the season.

Running: C-

Kyle Monangai's hard running, especially near the goal line, kept this day from being a running game fiasco. D'Andre Swift's lost fumble and inability to do much on inside runs against a defensive scheme taking away the perimeter meant a day when the Bears' starter ran for only 15 yards on eight attempts. Monangai's 48 yards and 21 more from Williams kept it from being a total loss on the ground as they gained 99 yards on 25 attempts.

Passing: B

This had the potential to be something really big, but Williams' terrible play for a strip sack in the end zone, and another when he could have slid and forced the Steelers to burn their last timeout, showed his head needs to be in the game more. Fortunately for Williams, the three TD passes and a day when DJ Moore resurfaced as a big-play receiver made up for mistakes.

Run defense: C+

The 186 yards rushing were the second-most they've allowed and the most given up in a win. As Grady Jarrett said, though, that was skewed by the 55-yard fake tush push. Even without that, though, the total was too high. It also was inflated by a few screen passes that were thrown backwards and went into the books as runs and gained yards. When they stuffed a tush push on fourth down, they made up for one of their own turnovers.

Pass defense: A

From Jaquan Brisker and Jarrett knocking down passes, to Nahshon wright setting the tone by picking off Mason Rudolph's first throw, to Montez Sweat's recovery on his own strip sack to holding DK Metcalf to only 22 yards on five receptions, this was a total victory for their pass defense. Only 5.5 pass yards allowed per attempt and the solid tackling by D'Marco Jackson, Amen Ogbongbemiga and the safeties coming up to hit the tight ends and backs on catches showed they weren't backing down from a physical offense.

Special teams: A-

Cairo Santos made a 47-yard field goal and his kickoffs twice confounded the Steelers on returns, once resulting in a fumble that pinned Pittsburgh back at its 5-yard line and another time resulting in a ball bouncing through the end zone after hitting in the landing zone, putting it at the 20. They averaged their own 35 for a starting point on drives but Pittsburgh averaged only its own 24 as Taylor outperformed former Bears training camp punter Corliss Waitman. The Steelers averaged only 15.8 yards on our kick returns, a rancid number, and Taylor also had a punt downed at the 11.

Coaching: A+

Remove six starting players from any defense in the league and try to win. Yet, Dennis Allen had to do this following the injuries to Tyrique Stevenson, T.J. Edwards, Kyler Gordon, Tremaine Edmunds, Noah Sewell and Dayo Odeyingbo. Earlier this year they were without Jarrett, which makes it seven starters to miss time this season. Give credit to DBs coach Al Harris and linebackers coach Richard Smith during this run of bad luck. On Sunday, they lost two more backups who played for the injured startrs, Ruben Hyppolite II and Dominic Robinson. They also had lost defensive line rookie Shemar Turner earlier this season, and current starting defensive end Austin Booker for half a season. Ben Johnson obviously made halftime adjustments to how the passing game was attacking because Williams' passing was more crisp and accurate than when he hit on 10 of 21 in the first half. The receivers were getting wide open, obviously schemed that way.

Overall: B

A satisfying and significant win for the Bears even if Aaron Rodgers wasn't playing. But he did have to watch it all unfold and couldn't do a single thing about it on this day except flip off some people with cameras, in a really futile and stupid gesture that should surprise no one. This is his new Soldier Field legacy.

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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.