The Morning After...the Bears' close win vs. Steelers in Week 12

The Chicago Bears defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-28, to improve to 8-3 on the season. It marked their fourth straight win and eighth in the last nine games as they retain sole possession of first place in the NFC North for a second straight week.

After mounting a league-best five comeback wins this season, the Bears finally proved they can preserve a fourth quarter lead. Chicago managed to hold off an Aaron Rodgers-less Steelers squad amid a laundry list of injuries, including their top three linebackers and two best cornerbacks. The Bears offense posted 31 points, Chicago's defense forced two turnovers and held Pittsburgh to seven points in the second half and Ben Johnson's team continues to roll.

There's plenty to discuss from this game, including Chicago's success in close games, overcoming the mass influx of injuries, especially on defense, as well as the rise of the rookies. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts on the Chicago's Week 12 win against the Steelers.

Alyssa Barbieri

At this point, I wonder if we'll see the Bears win a game comfortably again this season. But as long as they keep winning games, who the hell cares. It's a small price to pay for the fun that Ben Johnson's first season has been. Chicago remains atop the NFC North at 8-3, which is just one less win than I predicted for the entire season, and they're a true playoff contender. And the scary thing is they've yet to play good football.

No linebackers? No problem. The Bears continue to find ways to win especially when people are doubting them. Chicago has dealt with injury struggles all season, but losing your top three linebackers while also being down your two best cornerbacks wasn't exactly ideal. And yet, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen continues to find ways to have his guys prepared to answer the call. Yes, the Bears allowed 28 points (seven of those came after a Caleb Williams fumble was recovered in the end zone). But when you look at their second-half performance, where they allowed just seven points, it's even more impressive considering the circumstances. Although, one thing remains the same: When this defense is forcing turnovers, good things happen.

While the offense put up 31 points, they weren't necessarily the big story here. Caleb Williams had some accuracy issues at times, but he made some impressive throws and accounted for three of the team's four touchdowns. The run game was held in check for the first time since late October, which was their last loss, totaling 99 yards. The Bears also committed two uncharacteristic turnovers, including a Williams strip sack that was recovered for a touchdown. But, in the end, they did enough to win (with some help from the defense).

The big story here is the performance of the 2025 rookie class, whose footprint was all over this game. Tight end Colston Loveland had four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown while wide receiver Luther Burden III continues to flash his playmaking potential with three catches for 46 yards and one rush for 15 yards. On a day where the run game struggled, Kyle Monangai led the team with 48 rushes on 12 carries, averaging four yards per carry, and a touchdown. Ozzy Trapilo made his first NFL start at left tackle in place of the injured Theo Benedet, and he did a great job against a dominant Steelers pass rush, allowing just one pressure. Ruben Hyppolite II made his first NFL start with all three starting linebackers sidelined with injury, and he was solid (totaling two tackles) before exiting the game with a shoulder injury. Even guard Luke Newman stepped in for an injured Jonah Jackson for a short time, and there was no interruption along the interior.

Now, is this a sustainable, winning format? Probably not. Are the Bears headed for a couple of losses in this rough stretch? Perhaps. Regardless of how this season turns out, it's been a fun ride in Ben Johnson's first season. And if this is the Bears' floor, there's no limit to just how high the ceiling for this team can be moving forward.

Brendan Sugrue

I’m afraid that I have become accustomed to winning and cannot go back to the old ways of life. Two four-game winning streaks in one season is extremely impressive, and this victory, dare I say, is the best one up to this point. We all knew the issues the Bears were facing on defense, having lost all three starting linebackers in addition to the other starters that have been out. The blueprint was set up for the Steelers to have success, and they had their moments.

But everyone stepped up on that side of the ball for the Bears and did what needed to be done, even if it didn’t look pretty all of the time. From Nahshon Wright’s constant ability to make big plays to Montez Sweat playing like the difference-making pass rusher the Bears envisioned, everyone took turns contributing. Pittsburgh could only dink and dunk so much until they ran out of time.

As for the offense, Caleb Williams keeps stepping up his game and is able to overcome any mistakes he makes. The strip sack in the end zone is a learning moment, and a few of his passes still aren’t placed accurately, but he’s becoming much better in the pocket and fired a number of strikes to Colston Loveland, DJ Moore, and Rome Odunze. He’s even added a convincing hard count to his repertoire, getting the Steelers to jump offsides multiple times.

Going into this weekend, I followed Barstool Big Cat’s seven-game series mentality for the rest of the Bears’ season. In order to make the postseason, the Bears would need to win four of their final seven games. This was a big “Game 1” against a well-coached opponent—even if they were missing their starting quarterback. And speaking of the Steelers quarterback, I’d like to wish Aaron Rodgers a happy trip back to the Steel City. The Bears may never get that final chance for revenge, but getting closer to postseason football means more than defeating their arch nemesis.

Mike Pendleton

It may be cliche right now to say “not the same old Bears” but it feels real good saying it, and it is very true. Another one score game, another victory for the Bears? Who are these guys? More than anything, it’s incredibly impressive to feel that the team is not only “alive” in the fourth quarter of close games, but they have more than a fighting chance to win the game overall.

This win over the Steelers is without a doubt all due to the coaching staff, with all due respect to the players on the team. Yes, Caleb Williams and DJ Moore were on fire and played well in leading the offense, but with injuries on both sides of the ball, the coaches had this team ready to play.

The defense did what they’ve done all season, getting two more takeaways with one beautiful interception from Nahshon Wright and a ferocious strip sack by Montez Sweat. With all three of their starting linebackers ruled out for this game, their replacements stepped up, and when those players were injured, their replacements stepped up as well.

As much as this game was won in an impressive showing by the players on the field, it was equally as won by the coaching staff.

Vinnie Parise

The Chicago Bears did it again. They found a way to win a football game. It wasn’t pretty, especially early, but they left the game with the higher scorer and moved to 8-3 on the season. They will continue their run of being in first place all by themselves going into Week 13.

Aaron Rodgers didn’t suit up for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Mason Rudolph did as well as he could as a backup to give his team the chance. It was the Bears getting what they needed from certain players at the right time that allowed them to win.

There are no apologies for being 8-3 and in first place. Now, after one side of Pennsylvania traveling to Chicago, the Bears have to move onto the other side where they will face the Philadelphia Eagles.

Beating the defending champions on Black Friday is not going to be easy, but this is their chance to take down one of the best teams in the league. This is a huge measuring stick game.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Steelers: Morning After Chicago's close Week 12 win