Kovacevic: No excuse for not contending in this division or conference

Bears 50, Steelers 5.

Oh, come on, would anyone be surprised after what we just witnessed on this NFL Sunday?

All right, maybe just a little.

But I'll maintain, now more than ever, my long-held stance that there's no such thing as an upset in this league, and nothing could be considered one tonight at Heinz Field, either. Because, in a league that routinely sees the Bills being buried in Jacksonville, the Titans blowing up the Rams without Derrick Henry, the Bengals and Joe Burrow getting embarrassed by the Browns, the Broncos doubling up the Cowboys right after dumping Von Miller, the Giants spilling the Raiders despite 110 passing yards from a petrified Daniel Jones, the Ravens escaping Lamar Jackson's OT interception against the Vikings, and the Jets winning ... well, ever ... everything's to be expected and nothing assumed.

And the same absolutely will apply once the football flies in this matchup pitting a 4-3 team that's won three in a row against a 3-5 team that's lost three in a row while getting outgunned, 95-37.

Don't think for a second that very thing wasn't stressed all week long on the South Side. As Mike Tomlin worded it the day before the first practice, "We’ve got to get better in some areas. And while we do that, we better turn our attention and focus to the Chicago Bears and what they're capable of."

Most of that focus, apparently, was on fleet-footed rookie quarterback Justin Fields. And not without cause. He's fresh off a career-best 103 rushing yards in the Bears' 33-22 loss to the 49ers eight days ago, and he's made a step up with each performance, not least of which was this absurdity from that game:

That's evil incarnate, my friends. Like Darkseid-level.

"I think it's just another great challenge," T.J. Watt would say over the weekend. "And that's the beautiful thing about the National Football League. There's just so many great players and a guy like this who's a top pick in the NFL Draft, a guy who's so mobile and can throw the ball. They have a great running attack to help him out a little bit. And anytime a quarterback is able to move around the pocket and create escape lanes, it creates a certain type of challenge for the rush men, myself included."

Consider it a challenge, then. And do so in the proper context: This outcome tonight is about legit contention.

If the Steelers do what they should, they'll be 5-3 and tied for the AFC's third-best record behind the Titans and Ravens, both of whom are as battered by long-term injury as any team in the league. They'll also pull within a game of Baltimore atop the division, even as they pull away from the two Ohio teams, both having been exposed of late as the phonies I'd presumed from the outset.

Who else is there?

Someone feel free to share a favorite for top seed in the conference. Please. I'm all ears. But don't say the Chiefs without looking hard at whatever's melting away Patrick Mahomes. And don't dare mention the Bills, because even Josh Allen wouldn't agree. The Chargers might be this week's darling, with Justin Herbert completing an eye-popping 32 of 38 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns yesterday in edging the Eagles by a field goal ... except that the Eagles get smoked every other week ... and the Chargers were held to six points by the Ravens ... and the Chargers gave up 47 points to freaking Baker Mayfield.

If Tom Brady were to make it back to Foxborough this winter, the AFC might have a favorite again. Otherwise, this is it. And it ain't much.

Gradually, though still often painfully, the Steelers have made progress. All facets, too. Even the offensive line, which looked like it'd pull down the whole Jenga puzzle through October, has looked stout, even physically dominating in recent weeks. They're far from perfect. But the position in which they've put themselves is, if we're being honest, almost as attractive as their sinking surroundings.

Carpe diem 'n' at.

• No individual breakout would benefit the Steelers more than one from Chase Claypool.

Lost in the broader outcome in Cleveland was that Ben Roethlisberger didn't connect on a single deep ball. Yeah, there was a 50-yard pass play to Diontae Johnson, but that was a quick slant in which the Browns were set up hard to stop a late and seemingly obvious run. Ben's longest completion covered only 15 yards in the air. The three attempts that were longer all fell incomplete.

Claypool's got by far the best chance of stretching the field, which really needs to happen sooner rather than later. But in the two games since JuJu Smith-Schuster went down, he's got six catches on 12 targets for 62 yards. That's it.

Now, in fairness, he's been targeted on only 16% of Ben's throws, so he's still not getting the opportunities one might've reasonably envisioned. But then, catching half the targets doesn't inspire confidence in any quarterback.

This script needs to change. The Chicago secondary stinks. This will do.

• For all the fatalists who'd forecast before this season that the Steelers would have, like, seven wins, know this: If they beat the Bears and Lions -- and again, no guarantees -- they can go .500 the rest of the way and still finish 10-7.

That's what makes these two games so big.

• One forecast I've got for this one: Najee Harris will own it. Not so much because the Bears allow 125 rushing yards per game, ninth-most in the league, but because Najee's there. He's ready for prime time, and Monday night meets that definition in every way.

• If Alex Highsmith can seal his side on the run, Fields won't get far. This defense's M.O. forever has been to close off scrambling quarterbacks within the same spirit they rush the passer. And since, as Keith Butler took pains to stress this week, Chicago's coaches aren't utilizing many designed runs -- maybe two or three a game -- these approaches can be identical.

So if T.J. does what he does, and Highsmith can keep an extra eye out for the run -- something he didn't always do as a rookie -- the Bears will be grounded.

• Here's a vote for the offensive line to remain unchanged. Meaning no Zach Banner yet.

It's hard to conceive of the logic inherent in taking three months to get this group to be cohesive, then unsettling not one but two vital positions in a single swoop. Because if Banner's starting, he's the right tackle, and Chuks Okorafor slides to the left -- where he'd be making his NFL debut -- and Dan Moore's being benched ... a week after he was challenged to take on Myles Garrett one-on-one.

See what I mean?

And, like last week, it's iffy as to whether it's worthwhile to give Banner a helmet at all. He can only back up at right tackle, whereas Joe Haeg can back up at both.

Best to leave well enough alone.

• Ramon Foster shared some strong views on this in our talk yesterday:

• Just curious: Which was everyone's favorite of the one assisted tackle Melvin Ingram made yesterday despite partaking in 47% of Kansas City's defensive snaps?

Can't decide?

All right, then, which of his zero sacks, zero quarterback hits or zero quarterback hurries?

Let our city long wear the stain of ever having made an issue of anything that a 32-year-old backup linebacker had to say on any subject. My goodness.

• On the more significant side if discussing departures, James Conner had quite the day in the Cardinals' 31-17 victory over the 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., rushing 21 times for 96 yards, catching all five targets for another 77, and totaling three touchdowns. He's now got a league-high 11.

Also, he's healthy.

For me, that plus Najee's potential leaves no regrets on this front. Just wishing a good man well.

• Next time I offer so much as a syllable of anything positive about the Bengals, slap me into submission. They are who the late, great Dennis Green thought they were.

• Thanks for reading, as always. It's never taken for granted.