Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger – Expect Roethlisberger to put up solid players against the Bears defense today. I don’t see the
Steelers being able to run against this defense (again). Our o-line is simply outmanned and not talented enough against most defenses of the Bears caliber. Roethlisberger will throw over 30 passes and display why he’s an elite quarterback in this league.
Santonio Holmes – With Roethlisberger throwing 30+ passes, Holmes will be the primary target of many of those. Holmes has been “lights-out” since the playoffs started last year. Holmes will have over 100 yards and a touchdown against the bears.
Hines Ward – Ward only needs 117 receiving yards to reach 10,000 for his career. What an accomplishment for a receiver in a run-oriented offense! I could foresee both Ward and Holmes going for over 100 yards yet again.
Heath Miller – While Miller won’t have huge stats, he’s one of Roethlisberger’s favorite targets. I expect around 50 yards receiving and a touchdown this week. It’s also possible that given the Steelers offensive line struggles especially against good defenses, Miller may see more action as a “safety net” for Big Ben.
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Chicago Bears
Matt Forte – Even given the Steelers great defense, Matt Forte would be a solid pick this week because he does so many things in both the passing and rushing attacks. Forte is a very underrated back with a good combination of speed and power. However, don’t expect Forte to get 100 rushing yards this week against arguably the best running defense in the league. I would say that he will have 100 all-purpose yards
Jay Cutler – Cutler is “hit or miss” in this matchup. Last week he struggled with 4 interceptions and had an overall poor performance. If he plays like that again, the Steelers defense will make it a miserable day. If Cutler is on target, he could pose some challenges for the Steelers secondary. Cutler torched the Steelers defense before and he could do it again.
Devin Hester – He’s a big play waiting to happen. The Steelers secondary must respect his speed and athleticism. If he gets behind the secondary, Cutler has the arm and accuracy to take advantage of it. As proven, Hester’s punt return ability is off the charts. Special teams could play a big role in the outcome of this game.