Bears will need to run the ball to derail Steelers
It doesn't get any easier for the 0-2 Bears in Week Three.
They face the 2-0 Pittsburgh Steelers in the the third of four straight games against opponents that had winning records in 2016. Not one of the Bears' first six 2017 opponents was below .500 last season, a daunting task for a rebuilding team that has already suffered a rash of injuries to key players.
In their opener, the Bears were five yards away from a game-winning score in the final seconds of a 23-17 loss to the defending NFC-champion Falcons. That effort provided some optimism.
But last week the Bears were never competitive in a 29-7 loss to the Bucs, a popular pick for this year's break-out team. Three first-half turnovers by quarterback Mike Glennon, including a pick-6, increased speculation that the Bears would be better off with rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky at the helm.
For now, coach John Fox is convinced Glennon gives the Bears the best chance to defeat the Steelers.
"After two games it's really hard to evaluate somebody," Fox said. "The truth of the matter is that right now, that's the case. We're playing arguably one of the better teams we're going to play this year at home. We're going to do everything in our power to look a little bit like we did in Week One (rather) than in Week Two. (Glennon) gives us a chance."
Maybe the strongest argument against throwing the rookie into the fray is the weak and injury-depleted supporting cast with which he would be playing. By the end of the Bucs game the Bears were without four of their top seven offensive linemen and three of their top four wide receivers.
The Steelers have no such problems on an offense replete with difference-makers such as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown. Even the Steelers' other wide receiver, Martavis Bryant, back from a one-year drug suspension, had 3 catches for 90 yards and a TD, while also drawing a 51-yard pass interference penalty in Pitt's easy 26-9 victory over the Sam Bradford-less Vikings.
In Week One, the Steelers escaped with a lackluster 21-18 victory over the Browns.
The closest thing the injury-riddled Bears have to an impact player on offense is running back Jordan Howard, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie by rushing for 1,313 yards. But Howard is coming off his worst game as a pro - 7 yards on 9 carries in the loss to the Bucs, a game that was over at halftime when the Bears trailed 26-0.
The Steelers' Bell has yet to get rolling after staying away all summer in a contract dispute. He has managed just 119 yards on 37 carries for a 3.2-yard average. The Bears' defense has been excellent against the run, allowing opponents a 3.2-yard average (181 yards on 57 carries). But in the process, the Bears have lost two of their top three inside linebackers - Jerrell Freeman and Nick Kwiatkoski - to chest injuries.
Running the ball is one of the few things the Bears did consistently well during their 3-13 season, and they outrushed the Falcons 125-64 in Week One, averaging 6.6 yards per.
They had to abandon the ground game by halftime last week, but they'd be wise to establish it early vs. the Steelers. Last year the Steelers were 2-4 in games in which they allowed 100 yards or more rushing yards.
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