Bears vs. Steelers live updates: Pittsburgh, Chicago locked in tight battle with Aaron Rodgers out

Score: Steelers 21, Bears 17
Total yards: Steelers, 211-175
First downs: Bears, 12-11
Third down: Steelers 2-4, Bears 4-7
Fourth down: Steelers 1-2, Bears 1-1
Red zone: Both teams 2-2 
TOP: Bears, 15:40

Rudolph: 10-11, 86 yards, INT, 0 sacks
Williams: 10-21, 120 yards, 2 TD, 1 sack; 22 yards on 3 carries (Bears leading rusher)
Gainwell: 5 carries, 73 yards
Warren: 8 carries, 40 yards, TD 
Steelers: 125 yards on 16 carries; Bears: 65 yards on 15 carries
Burden: 46 yards on 3 receptions 

The Steelers go for it again on fourth down, but this time, they get a 55-yard run by Kenneth Gainwell out of the tush push formation. Gainwell's long run set up Jaylen Warren's short TD run with 1:19 left until halftime. 

Rudolph and Williams have played to a stalemate so far, but the Steelers have also had a lot of success on the ground with 125 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. 

After back-to-back turnovers, the Bears responded with a game-tying scoring drive that is capped off by Williams' second TD of the game, a play-action completion to TE Colston Loveland with 3:56 to go before halftime. 

Bears TD drive was set up by their defense's fourth-and-1 stop. 

Williams gets a first down on a fourth-down run, but gets hit as he was going out of bounds by Jalen Ramsey. Several Bears didn't appreciate the hit, though, and let Ramsey know about it when he was on their sideline. 

Bears stuff the Steelers tush push attempt on fourth-and-1 after the refs had initially given Pittsburgh a first down on the previous play. The Steelers were in field goal range but they decided to go for it. The Bears' defensive line didn't allow Connor Heyward to make any process on his fourth and short attempt. 

Making matters worse is DK Metcalf is questionable to return with an ankle injury. Metcalf hobbled off the field during that last drive. 

Pittsburgh forces its second turnover in as many possessions after rookie Yahya Black comes up with the ball after the Steelers gang tackled D'Andre Swift. The Steelers' offense will take over around midfield with just under 12 minutes left until halftime. 

The Steelers' defense has been very good this year against some of the NFL's best teams in terms of forcing turnovers. They forced five in their Week 3 win over the Patriots and six during their Week 9 win over the Colts. 

T.J. Watt's strip-sack of Caleb Williams is scooped up by Nick Herbig, giving the Steelers a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter. Watt has now passed big brother JJ Watt on the all-time sack list with 115 career sacks. 

Rudolph flips the ball to Metcalf for the touchdown, capping off a 95-yard drive (Pittsburgh's longest since Week 1 of the 2023 season).It was a really nice play design; Metcalf going in motion and following the blocking of Pat Freiermuth for the TD. 

Rudolph went 7 off 7 on the drive after his opening drive pick. 

Rudolph has calmly moved the Steelers into Bears territory. He's found the rhythm that he had throughout the second half of last week's game over the Bengals. 

Rudolph has been spreading the ball out and giving his wideouts chances to make plays with yards after the catch. 

Wright's pick sets up the game's first TD, a five-yard strike from Williams to D.J. Moore, giving the Bears a 7-0 lead with 8:28 left in the opening quarter. 

The drive got started with a nine-yard run by Williams on a second-and-10 play. They they got two solid runs by Kyle Monangai before Williams hit Luther Burden III on a 17-yard strike. 

After a nine-yard run on first down, Rudolph decided to test Nashon Wright with a deep sideline pass to DK Metcalf. Rudolph had a man open short, but he decided to give Metcalf a shot and Wright made him pay with an impressive catch while staying in bounds. That's Wright's fifth pick of the year, most in the league. 

Rudolph's pass was under thrown, but still, an impressive play by Wright, who recorded the Bears' 23rd turnover of the year, an NFL best. 

After two runs netting just four yards, Kyle Dugger breaks up Caleb Williams' third-down pass that was then nearly picked off by Brandin Echols. 

Steelers' first drive will start at their own 21-yard-line. 

Pittsburgh won the toss and deferred to the second half. Bears to start the game with the ball on a very sunny Chicago afternoon. 

Cam Heyward on the field for the Steelers despite being seen in a walking boot following Friday's practice. 

T.J. Watt is a sack away from passing big brother J.J. Watt on the career sack list. T.J. 31, has 114 career sacks. He has six sacks through 10 games this season. 

With each of the Bears' starting linebackers hurt, backups D'Marco Jackson, rookie Ruben Hyppolite II and five-year veteran Amen Ogbongbemiga will receive elevated roles today. 

Expect the Steelers to attack the middle of the Bears' defense with runs and quick passes. Rudolph specifically had success last week on quick, short completions across the field to DK Metcalf. 

The Windy City hasn't been the most hospitable environment for the Steelers, who are 1-12 lifetime in Chicago. The Steelers' only win in Chicago took place in 1995, when Pittsburgh recorded a 37-34 OT win behind Neil O'Donnell's 341 yards passing and a defense that picked off Erik Kramer three times. 

Mason Rudolph

PIT • QB • #2

CMP%77.8

YDs139

TD1

INT0

YD/Att7.72

View Profile

Mason Rudolph is one of the most experienced backup quarterbacks in the NFL. 

Now 30, Rudolph has won each of his last three regular season starts for Pittsburgh, which each of those occurring late in the 2023 season. The Steelers were 7-7 and was in the midst of a three-game losing streak before Rudolph held lead them to three straight wins to clinch a playoff berth. He then became the first QB since Ben Roethlisberger to start in a playoff game. 

In his second season, Rudolph went 5-3 as Pittsburgh's QB1 after Big Ben suffered a season-ending injury. He started just two game between 2020-22: a gamely albeit losing performance against the Browns in Week 17 of the 2020 season and an uninspiring effort in a tie to the Lions in 2021. 

Rudolph spent the 2024 season with the Titans (going 1-4 as their starter) before re-signing with the Steelers this past offseason. Last week, he helped the Steelers' offense eclipse 300 yards for the first time since Week 7. 

Chicago is hurting at LB and will have a new starting LT today in rookie Ozzy Trapilo should make his first-career start at the spot today. The second-round pick will have the daunting task of going up against Herbig and Watt. 

LB T.J. Edwards 

LB Noah Sewell 

LT Theo Benedet 

RB Travis Homer 

DT Jonathan Ford 

QB Case Keenum 

WR Jahdae Walker

Along with Rodgers, Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith is also not playing today. Nick Herbig, who currently leads the Steelers with 6.5 sacks, is slated to start opposite T.J. Watt. Promising rookie Jack Sawyer will also get more reps today with Highsmith out. 

Steelers inactives 

QB Aaron Rodgers (wrist) 

OLB Alex Highsmith (pec) 

OL Andrus Peat 

DL Brodric Martin 

DL Logan Lee

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to CBS Sports Evan Washburn just a few minutes ago: "I'll provide you with complete clarity: He's not going to play today.''