Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears
Final Score: Bears 31, Steelers 28
Writer: Matthew Bevins (MattBQBList on Reddit)
The Chicago Bears have some semblance of hope for the first time in a long time as Caleb Williams is slowly revitalizing the Bears faithful amidst a stellar start to the season, with an 8-3 record, propelling them ahead of division rivals and potential surging squads, including the Packers and Lions. While the division is anything but settled, the Bears took this win home. They started a long line of questioning for a Steelers team that’ll head back home barely outpacing .500 and dealing with a dramatic and deteriorating quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. What good can we find in this one? Let’s dive in.
Three Up
- D.J. Moore — The search party was ongoing for Moore, but it seems we may finally be seeing this offense syncing up at the right time, while also adding a couple of new weapons for the season in Moore and Luther Burden III.
- Jaylen Warren — The running game was a bit of a wasteland for a few years, with Najee Harris staying firmly entrenched at the top, while Warren hunted for scraps. Warren has now become a mainstay No. 1, while also being able to be available if receptions are needed. Warren finished one off with a rushing touchdown Sunday, and while Kenneth Gainwell has proved he’s more valuable than he always has been, Warren continues to hold value.
- Luther Burden III — Burden was a draft darling, showing up on many dynasty lists as a top-three receiver in this class, one that touted Tetairoa McMillan and Emeka Egbuka. Williams has admirably stuck with his longer-in-the-league receivers, but is now starting to open up some more opportunities for Burden, and Burden has performed admirably. This game wasn’t a huge game of receiving yards, but it continues to show he can have standard value and also has upside to uncork something very soon.
Three Down
- DK Metcalf — The career of Metcalf has been a long-running joke, waiting for the man built like Hercules to show up, and continues to play out games without leaving early, midgame, or pulling up on a route early due to lack of desire in it. We have yet to see a full season of reliable Metcalf, and I don’t think we’ll see it until something changes. Don’t see it here in Pittsburgh. Bench him if you can. He’s a flex at best. So far this season, he’s surpassed 60 yards just three times. On a team with no other Type 1 receivers, it’s crazy to think he’s continuing to be valued on many rankings in the top-20 WR group.
- Olamides Zaccheaus — This may just be one game, but if you were watching Zaccheaus this year, he was showing some sneaky WR3 value in a season where it was very hard to find reliability. A player who wasn’t drafted in even 12-team or more leagues, he had more than six targets in five of 11 games. While he’s been a bit of a consistent checkpoint when needed for Williams, players like Burden and Colston Loveland are now pulling all of those targets away from him, and he’s on the bench for low-flex value or the waiver wire all over again.
- D’Andre Swift — Swift has been a long-running gag, almost similar to Metcalf, but with more value in the end. The Bears had some games without Swift and relied on Kyle Monangai, only to find out that Monangai may be a better overall back already, and games like Sunday are helping confirm those thoughts. Swift had four fewer carries, and many fewer yards, and it seems like the tide may be turning on who’s the No. 1 back in this backfield.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Mason Rudolph: 24/31, 171 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 3 Carries, 7 Yards
Mason Rudolph drew the start with ancient sage Aaron Rodgers needing the game off (wrist injury), and Rudolph stepped in admirably, and underwhelmingly, holding them close in a game where he didn’t really do much. Rudolph spread the ball out, finding eight players as targets. Rudolph is the quintessential backup in the NFL, someone you love to see on your bench, but never really want to start, and while he didn’t do much to keep the Steelers from winning, he certainly didn’t help them win the game. Rudolph benefited from his reliable options like Kenneth Gainwell and Calvin Austin, but was much more involved in a dink-and-dunk offense, with his average yards per completion at 7.12, which would be below the top 25 in the NFL. He was able to keep the ball from the Bears for the most part, but Rudolph is just not a player you want to see in your fantasy lineup, and should remain on your wire.
Running Back
Jaylen Warren: 18 Carries, 68 Yards, 1 TD
Kenneth Gainwell: 10 carries, 92 Yards | 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 30 Yards
Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell have both found themselves a role here in Pittsburgh, and it seems as if this may be the one facet of this squad that can give you fantasy value. Warren has become the 1A in the backfield when he’s available and was returning from an injury, which could speak to his split of carries thus far. In every game he’s been active, he has passed the 10-carry threshold, and up until this week, he had at least two receptions out of the backfield (zero Sunday). Before Gainwell had shown up, he was the de facto Swiss army knife, and has now ceded that role to Gainwell. Warren was able to get himself in on a 1-yard rushing touchdown opportunity, where he was able to essentially fall into the end zone, but that could’ve easily gone to Gainwell, too.
Gainwell wasn’t so lucky, as he had a 5-yard rush end just before the end zone, and also had a receiving touchdown on a trick play that was reversed that could’ve given him an even bigger game. While Gainwell has spent the majority of his career as a No. 2 rusher on his own team or worse, he’s showing more and more what made him a compelling player in the first place, as he’s a lot more akin to a Darren Sproles than a failed RB1. Gainwell actually may be the more intriguing backfield option for the remainder of the season, and has a big-play capability that Warren doesn’t possess this season. Gainwell showed on his called-back plays alone that he could’ve left this game with a line more similar to a Saquon Barkley than a top-20 RB. Gainwell in the game had one more snap, and ran 12 more routes than Warren. If anyone doesn’t believe that this is becoming a Gainwell majority backfield, strike now.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DK Metcalf: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 22 Yards | 2 Carries, 12 Yards, 1 TD
Calvin Austin: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 36 Yards
Jonnu Smith: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 21 Yards | 2 Carries, 7 Yards
Pat Friermuth: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 19 Yards
Ben Skowronek: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 21 Yards
Roman Wilson: 2 Targets, 0 Receptions
Darnell Washington: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 22 Yards
This wide receiver crew is just what-ifs and why-nots, and there isn’t really much here to be gained starting any of them. Calvin Austin has shown bright spots and continues to convert on his targets. Austin came into the season as a potential second in command behind DK Metcalf, and has put himself firmly in that No. 2 position, but the real thought here is if there is a No. 1 above him anymore. Metcalf came in and commanded the most targets, and saved his game with a rushing touchdown, one of his two trick carries, but this game was a bit of a lie compared to what the season has shown us. While it’s nice to see Metcalf score, there isn’t any reliability in these game expectations. Metcalf has five touchdowns on the season, and will likely be the leading target for all remaining games, but the box scores don’t really seem to be matching what our hopes are. The No. 1 and 2 have been cemented, but the remaining targets are a mix of anybody who steps onto the field, and can’t really have their watch set to them.
Pat Friermuth ended up catching a touchdown pass from 3 yards out, where the running game was nixed a touchdown due to a penalty (yeah, it was that kind of game for Gainwell). Friermuth is continuing to feast in the touchdown conversation, and seems to see consistent looks when this team gets into the red zone, but that’s something so far that shouldn’t be fully relied on. The tight end position has been very erratic, so Friermuth could be speculatively added for matchup or bye week usage, but there isn’t much depth to it beyond that.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: 19/35, 239 Yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs | 4 Carries, 21 Yards
Caleb Williams is starting to heat up, and the stigma that is some USC QBs carry may be less of an issue for Williams. Williams has rushed for over 20 yards in six games this season, and is now starting to add an ability to attack vertically as well as an option. While he was only able to convert 19 passes in this game, the ability to pass for an average of 12.58 yards per completion, which is in line with their season numbers, and actually would lead the league in average yards per completion thus far this year. While trying to figure out what Williams can do in his second season, Ben Johnson has gotten the Bears to get deeper on their routes, and their receptions are averaging at a level much higher than other teams. As the season goes on, it’s possible that box scores will continue to tiptoe back from the line with that expectation, and we could see Williams’ rushing numbers actually go up a bit as well. Williams is not yet a top-10 quarterback, with his inability to get consistent passing numbers, but it could be something that next year, we’re looking at Williams with the same sort of upside we looked at Drake Maye having this season.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: 8 Carries, 15 Yards, Fumble (LOST) | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Kyle Monangai: 12 Carries, 48 Yards, 1 TD
If you were expecting a big season for D’Andre Swift (I recall many thinking he could be a sleeper for the year), it’s time to get off the hype train before it hits right into the side of the tunnel. Swift has shown this season that he is the ultimate boom-or-bust rusher on the year (122.25 all-purpose yards in the four games that he’s gone off this season, 56.66 in the games he hasn’t), and it’s starting to seem that the team now has two running backs that they can alternate between, depending on who starts out of the gate hot. If the other isn’t moving well, they’re able to switch very quickly. Kyle Monangai is showcasing that he has the chops to be a No. 1 back, and while he didn’t have a huge game this week, he still averaged a higher yards per carry, and also had the lone rushing touchdown for the Bears. Swift will have some games where he is the No. 1 option, but it’s not something that anyone can really expect every week.
Monangai will continue to be the leader in this backfield, and the team is quickly pulling away from the need to humor Swift as the No.1 back as they continue to win games and can’t afford to give him extra chances when he’s not playing the best. Monangai looks better, rushes quicker to the point, and can force himself into the end zone against tough defensive play-calling.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DJ Moore: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 64 Yards, 2 TDs
Rome Odunze: 9 Targets, 3 Receptions, 53 Yards
Luther Burden: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 46 Yards | 1 Carry, 15 Yards
Colston Loveland: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 49 Yards, 1 TD
Olamide Zaccheaus: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Durham Smythe: 1 Target, 1 Reception,4 Yards
Cole Kmet: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
The Bears, for the first time in a very long time, have almost too many options in their receiver room. Going into the season, attached to Rome Odunze as their No. 1 receiver, and Cole Kmet as their top tight end, it is now a receiver room that is alternating between the options of Odunze as their No. 1, and DJ Moore returning from a space where he was their No. 2. Cole Kmet was a very good receiving option for this team last year, but they now have a new coach who didn’t draft him, and a new love in Colston Loveland, who seems to be the Pokemon evolution of what they always wanted Kmet to be. Loveland had another touchdown this week and is starting to really find himself in a pairing with Williams, who trusts him to make big plays even as one of the biggest and not necessarily fastest options on the field.
This team now has its reliable options in Moore, Odunze, and Loveland, and they likely will continue to be reliable starts, but Odunze was seeing a trajectory of targets similar to someone like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and is now seeing his targets cede alternately to some mixture of Moore, Loveland and others, and this could make Odunze a much less exciting option than what many expected before the season started.