By Keith
Thronson
Thursday, November 29th, 2001
The Bears and the Steelers are bad to the bone this year. Both are sporting
a good solid defense, though both offenses have a lot to improve on. The
last time these two teams met in the regular season was in 1998. Pittsburgh
won that contest 17-12 at home.
It's fun to imagine how a game between the Bears and the Steelers would turn
out. Would it be a low scoring affair, a high scoring affair, or a lot of
turnovers? Can't really say. But let's compare the two and see who wins on
paper. Both teams are 8-2, and both lead their respective divisions at the
time of publishing.
The Chicago Bears finished the 2000 season 5-11 and Pittsburgh finished 9-7.
A lot of people believed the Steelers would improve this year, but not many
believed the Bears would see any light at the end of the tunnel.
The Bears so-called "quarterback of the future", Cade McNown, was so ineffective
that the Bears gave up on him and traded him at the beginning of the season.
Also, the Bears lost their best receiver Marcus Robinson to injuries earlier
this season.
Now in 2001, both teams have a very good defense, as stated earlier. The
Steelers rank first in rushing defense, giving up an average of 74.8 yards
per game, and Chicago ranks third, allowing 77.9 yards per game. Pittsburgh
ranks fourth in passing defense and the Bears rank dead last in that category.
Pittsburgh ranks first in total defense, while Chicago currently ranks 18th.
Steelers linebacker Earl Holmes leads the teams in tackles with 84. He has
played quite well this season. LB Kendrall Bell is second, with 57. Cornerback
Chad Scott leads the team in interceptions with four.
So how does Chicago match up to the Steelers' defense, overall? Linebacker
Brian Urlacher, out of New Mexico University, has 73 tackles, three
sacks, and two interceptions, to his credit so far this season. Linebacker
Warrick Holdman has 70 tackles, which includes 65 solo tackles, as well.
Safety Mike Brown has four interceptions on the season, and has returned
two for touchdowns.
Okay, so both teams have an above average defense. You want to pin a medal
on them? Or are they just doing their jobs? I think they want to win and
hit hard out there.
The Pittsburgh offense is led by running back The Bus himself, Jerome Bettis.
Bettis has rushed for 991 yards already this season and has scored three
rushing touchdowns. Bettis is the heart and soul of this team.
Quarterback Kordell Stewart still has a lot to learn, but is very effective
at times. Stewart is very effective in running with the football. He has
rushed for 377 yards and scored four touchdowns.
Wide receiver Hines Ward is his favorite target. Hines has caught 66 passes
to lead the Steelers so far this season.
The Bears are led by quarterback Jim Miller. Really never heard of him before
this year, have to say. Behind him is Shane Matthews, an eight-year NFL veteran
who played his college ball at the University of Florida, under head coach
Steve Spurrier. Matthews has been ineffective most the time in the pros.
The most dangerous weapon the Bears have on offense is receiver Marty Booker.
He has caught 64 for 738 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a threat to score
a TD every time he catches a pass.
How about rookie running back Anthony Thomas out of Michigan? He has had
a pretty good year so far. He has rushed for 638 yards on 150 carries and
scored four touchdowns. Behind him, is veteran James Allen, who has rushed
for 350 yards on 105 carries.
Autry Denson, out of Notre Dame, is the return man. He has returned kicks
for 298 yards on 13 attempts. That's over 22.0 yards per attempt.
Still I haven't answered my own question. Who would win between these two
teams, if they met this coming Sunday? Could Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher
stop running back Jerome Bettis? Could the Steelers defense find a way to
slow down wide receiver Marty Booker? Nobody can really answer that, but
it's fun to imagine.
In closing, I think the team that had home field advantage would probably
win in this one, but what if it was played at a neutral site? I just don't
know. Is there a real possibility of these teams meeting in the Super Bowl?
Sure, there is. I think Pittsburgh has a slight edge, because of Jerome Bettis,
and a better receiving corp all together. Also, I think Pittsburgh has the
edge on the quarterback position. Stewart can hurt you in the air or on the
ground. The Steelers have a slight edge on defense, too. Just imagine who
would win.
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