Here's What We Learned During The Bears' 23-17 Victory Over Steelers

The Chicago Bears got their first win of the season and first September win under John Fox overall in a wild, and ultimately surprising, 23-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field. Playing with only four active wide receivers on the roster, the Bears got just enough scoring to upset a Steelers team that had every opportunity to steal this game despite being outplayed most of the day. The Bears are 1-2 and will be no worse than one game out of first place in the NFC North at the end of this week. Here’s what we learned about the Bears during their first win of the season:

Defense

1. The Steelers just missed making a loud statement on their first offensive snap. Martavis Bryant got behind the defense Ben Roethlisberger’s pass just bounced off his fingers. That should have been an easy touchdown to take control early. Luckily the Bears straightened themselves out after that.

2. The run defense did just fine against arguably the best running back in the NFL. Le’Veon Bell ran for just 61 yards on 15 carries, and the Steelers finished with 70 yards on the ground overall. Good tackling by the linebackers in the run game certainly helped.

3. I don’t understand why Vic Fangio drops Leonard Floyd into coverage so often. I get it for certain plays. But Floyd is supposed to be your best pass rusher. Let him get after the QB, please. Especially next week against Aaron Rodgers.

4. Kyle Fuller might be the Bears’ best cornerback right now. It’s pretty crazy to think about given how last year went, but he was great in coverage – especially on a crucial third down late in the fourth quarter where he tipped a pass intended for Antonio Brown. Securing some interceptions is the next step.

5. Marcus Cooper, despite an idiotic play on special teams at the end of the first half (more on that later), played very well overall. He must finish plays (he dropped a potential INT in the third quarter), but he helped contain the Steelers passing attack.

6. Welcome to the Bears, Prince Amukamara. He broke up a potential TD pass in the end zone as part of his debut.

7. Hello, Pernell McPhee! Good to see him get a sack on a critical third down.

Offense

1. Jordan Howard, what a performance. He was unstoppable, running hard and punishing tacklers all game long. That too, playing with a bum right shoulder. A heroic performance for the Bears’ hero, winning the game on a 19-yard run in overtime. He looked like 2016 Jordan Howard today. That’s a great sign. Now let’s hope that shoulder heals quickly.

2. Also, Tarik Cohen. What a football player. He is by far the Bears’ best weapon on offense, and he is ridiculously fun to watch. A couple plays before Howard’s winner, Cohen lit up Soldier Field with one of the more incredible runs of the season, temporarily setting off a celebration until they ruled him out of bounds. I don’t think they got that call right, but it was a joy to watch regardless.

3. Mike Glennon continues to suck. I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but he continues to suck. No thanks to Glennon, the Bears built a lead, and eventually coughed it up because Glennon contributed to a stagnant offense. And a turnover. As I wrote last week, the entire point of Glennon is no turnovers, and that still isn’t enough. He is an anchor. The Bears have a real shot at a salvageable season. You just need a real quarterback. You might have one in Trubisky. Find out. Play the kid, damn it.

4. The offensive line played a solid game, despite losing Josh Sitton before the game and Hroniss Grasu during it. They helped the Bears run for over 200 yards against the Steelers when everyone in the building, at home, and on the Moon knew Chicago would run the ball all day. Impressive performance.

5. Drops continue to plague this team. Despite his many flaws, Glennon did throw a few good balls that should have been caught. When the suboptimal quarterback finally does give you a chance, these pass-catchers must capitalize.

Special Teams

1. I’ll just leave this here to describe the Marcus Cooper blocked field-goal return at the end of the first half. I don’t think anything else needs to be said.

2. Connor Barth missed a field goal that could have put the Bears up 10 early after a big strip-sack of Roethlisberger. It was only Barth’s first miss of the year, but this team needs to capitalize on chances to pile on. They don’t get many.

3. Roy Robertson-Harris wiped out an incredible punt return by Tarik Cohen with a penalty before the Bears’ final drive of regulation. The return would have given Chicago amazing field position to try to win it in regulation itself, but the penalty cost them 38 yards. Ouch.

Up Next

The Bears are just one game out of first in the NFC North with a Thursday Night showdown against the Green Bay Packers coming up at Lambeau Field. Laugh if you will, but the Packers don’t look great, and it’s a short week. The Bears have a team that can compete. But unfortunately, they have a quarterback that will kill any chance of progress. Chicago’s defense runs out of gas late thanks to overuse. Early Prediction: Packers 29, Bears 10