CHICAGO – The Steelers lost to another big underdog on the road when the Chicago Bears beat them in overtime, 23-17, Sunday at Soldier Field.
The loss dropped the Steelers to 2-1. Chicago, a 7.5-point underdog, won its first game and dropped the Steelers franchise record to 1-13 in Chicago.
The Bears won the toss and took over at the 26 after the overtime kickoff.
On second down at the 27, 5-foot-6 rookie Tarik Cohen ran around right end, snapped around safety J.J. Wilcox and weaved his way to the end zone. However, officials ruled he stepped out of bounds at the Steelers’ 37 and confirmed it with replay, for a 36-yard run.
Jordan Howard, who had 100 yards in regulation, then ripped off an 18-yard run to the 19.
Howard then ran around left end for a 19-yard winning touchdown. The Bears had more 220 yards rushing.
Two turnovers in the second half helped the Steelers scored 10 points to knot things up at 17-17.
The second came on an interception by J.J. Wilcox at Chicago’s 21. After two incomplete passes and a 7-yard run, Chris Boswell kicked a 32-yard field goal for the tie with 8:03 left in the game.
The Steelers, who lost points because of their own turnovers in the first half, scored a touchdown thanks to Ryan Shazier’s big play in the third quarter to close the gap to three
Shazier stripped the ball from halfback Jordan Howard and recovered at the Chicago 16. After converting two third downs, one an interference penalty against the Bears in the end zone, Le’Veon Bell scored from the one, his first touchdown this season.
That cut Chicago’s lead to 17-14.
The first half ended on a bizarre play in which the Bears blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by Chris Boswell with five seconds left. Chicago’s Marcus Cooper picked the ball up at the 26 and ran free toward the goalline, home free. However, inexplicably, Cooper slowed down at the two and stopped short of the goalline.
Steelers’ tight end Vance McDonald chased and batted the ball out of Cooper’s hand at the one. The ball rolled into the end zone and holder Jordan Berry then batted it through the end zone.
The officials at first ruled a penalty on Boswell, but no score and the half over. The Steelers went into the locker room but Chicago coach John Fox complained to the officials that they did not interpret the rule correctly.
After discussing it, referee Clete Blakeman decided that by rule, the ball should be placed at the half yardline because of the penalty against Boswell and the Bears be given one play.
Chicago lined up to run it but after a false start penalty pushed them back five yards, they kicked a 24-yard field goal to end the half ahead 17-7.
It took awhile for the Steelers’ offense to get untracked, but they finally did so in the second quarter on a 13-play, 77 yard drive that ended with Ben Roethlisberger throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown.
That tied it, 7-7 with 5:42 left in the first half.
Chicago reclaimed the lead on its next drive of 75 yards, 61 yards of it on the ground. And when the Steelers thought the Bears would run on first down at the two, Mike Glennon faked a handoff and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Adam Shaheen, wide open in the end zone since no defender dropped into coverage.
The Bears went back on top 14-7.
The Steelers got off to a ragged start, losing two fumbles, as the Bears took a 7-0 lead after one quarter.
Two things happened that turned the early part of the game right around. On the first play of the day, from the 25, Roethlisberger lofted a deep pass toward Martavis Bryant, who broke open free of the lone defender guarding him. The pass glanced off the fingertips of Bryant’s outstretched arms at the Bears’ 32.
The Steelers eventually punted, then the Bears punted. Eli Rogers, looking up into a scorching sun, fumbled the Chicago punt and the Bears took over at the Steelers’ 29. Halfback Jordan Howard ended that short drive through a big hole up the middle in the Steelers’ nickel defense for a three-yard touchdown.
It gave Chicago a 7-0 lead with 9:09 left in the first quarter.
Roethlisberger, on third down at Chicago’s 38 on the next series, held the ball too long and was sacked by cornerback Bryce Callahan. Roethlisbeger fumbled, and the Bears’ recovered at the 50.
However, the Steelers escaped that when Connor Barth missed a 47-yard field goal try.
First Published: September 24, 2017, 5:56 p.m.
Updated: September 24, 2017, 8:29 p.m.
