There doesn't figure to be any snow fall for this one, but the Steelers can only hope that a matchup against the Bears at Heinz Field has the same effect one did against them in 2005.
A struggling team that had rolled to a division title the previous year by winning 14 consecutive games to go 15-1 with a rookie quarterback, only to be ousted from the playoffs as a favorite in the AFC Championship by the Patriots.
The 2005 Steelers had lost to the Bengals the previous week to fall to 7-5 and out of the AFC playoff race with four games to go. But a 21-9 win over the Bears Dec. 11, punctuated by a legendary 5-yard touchdown run by Jerome Bettis in the third quarter in which he ran over fellow future Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher at the goal line, sealed the deal and sent the Steelers on an eight-game winning streak that ended with them raising the Lombardi Trophy in Detroit.
Ben Roethlisberger is much closer to 40 than he is to 20 as he was then. And many of his teammates hadn't even yet started grade school when that game happened. But that doesn't mean he hasn't brought it up this week as the Steelers prepare to face the Bears again -- likely for the last time in Roethlisberger's career.
"Jerome?" Roethlisberger said when I asked him if he remembered the 2005 game. "I was just telling someone that story the other day and I don't remember who it was. I think it was out here at practice and I was explaining the story to them. And the picture’s obviously a famous picture. You can see it all happening. That was pretty cool. It might have been Naj(ee) Harris because he was worried about the cold, and I was telling him about the snow. I forget. But it was pretty cool. That was a pretty neat memory I'll always have."
And the Steelers (4-3) can only hope that a win in this game against the Bears (3-5) can get them rolling in similar fashion, though they've gotten on a nice roll before this, winning their past three after a 1-3 start.
"It did. That was big," said Roethlisberger, who cropped up on the injury report with a right shoulder issue late in the week but will play in this game. "We needed that one. It got us going. In that moment, probably did too."
The Steelers could look similarly at last week's 15-10 win over the Browns if they go on to have success this season. There are a lot more games remaining in this season, but with so many teams positioned well to compete in the AFC playoff race -- and an extremely competitive AFC North -- every team in the division currently has four or five wins -- each week figures to be a big one from here on out.
It didn't look like these Steelers would be in the mix early. But after barely averaging 300 total yards and just 16.8 points in their first four games, in their last three, they've improved that to 368.7 yards and 21.7 points in their past three. That includes the game last week against the Browns, when they only scored 15 points while playing without placekicker Chris Boswell the entire second half after he suffered a concussion.
Improved play from a young offensive line have been the key.
"It's timing. It's meshing," said guard Trai Turner, the most veteran player on that young line at 28 years old. "Sometimes when we have some rough days, we've got to stay out longer (at practice) and do a little bit more to correct some things. Something I didn't understand when I first got to the league is something the older coaches would talk about, the timing, how we don't have much time and I never understood that. I was like we have a lot of time. The older you get you understand to be detailed.
"To have everybody on one page, five different guys thinking one thing at all times, whether it be 55-60, 70-75 plays. It's not something that's easy, and it's something that does take time. It's something that takes gelling and continuity, and we are still in that process."
But it's getting better. And the Bears (3-5) will provide some challenges in that regard, though they'll be without former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack (foot), former All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson (hamstring) and possibly inside linebacker Alex Olgetree (ankle).
The only problem for Chicago's defense this season is that it has spent too much time on the field and in tough spots because of an offense led by rookie quarterback Justin Fields that ranks dead last in the NFL, averaging 264 yards and 15.4 points per game.
But it's also a Monday Night Football game. The Steelers are 27-5 in Monday night home games since the 1970 NFL merger and they're 6-1 in their color rush jerseys, which they'll wear for this game.
It all sets up for what should be the Steelers' fourth win in a row -- if they take care of business.
"It's Monday Night Football for us. We respect that," said Mike Tomlin, who would move past Bill Cowher for second place on the team's all-time wins list with 150 with a victory. "Playing in that time slot and what it means, getting an opportunity to perform in front of an international crowd and our peers is something that we respect, but we show respect for that through preparation leading up to it.
"That's exciting."
Even Roethlisberger, in Year 18, still gets excited for games such as this.
"Still pretty cool. It's just another game, but it is something special," Roethlisberger said. "I remember as a kid, there weren’t all these games. It was like Monday Night Football was all you had, and if I was nice, if I didn't ask too many times, my dad might let me watch the first quarter. But most of the time, I had to go to bed, so now it's just like, man, I get to be on the field and there's some kid somewhere that’s gonna watch the game. So that makes it pretty cool."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers (4-3) vs. Bears (3-5)
• When: 8:15 p.m., Monday
• Where: Heinz Field
• Forecast: 50°, 9% rain, 7 mph wind
• TV: WTAE, ESPN (National)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: Sirius XM 388, online 826
• Media notes: Steelers | Bears
THE INJURY REPORT
Steelers: TE Eric Ebron (hamstring, out), OL B.J. Finney (back, questionable)
Bears: QB Nick Foles (personal, out), TE JP Holtz (concussion, out), LB Khalil Mack (foot, out), RB Damien Williams (knee, out), S Eddie Jackson (hamstring, doubtful), LB Alex Olgetree (ankle, questionable), WR Darnell Mooney (groin, questionable)
THE KEY VARIABLE
The Steelers have gotten their running game going the past three weeks, averaging 127 yards rushing over their past three games after topping 62 yards just once in their first four games.
Not surprisingly, that one game over 62 yards -- a 75-yard rushing game -- came in the opener when the Steelers won at Buffalo.
When the Steelers have run for 75 or more yards this season, they've won. When they haven't hit that total, they've lost.
Chicago is allowing 125 rushing yards per game this season, but has some defensive players who can cause issues in the run game, most notably linebacker Roquan Smith.
Now in his fourth season, Smith, a former top-10 draft pick, has come into his own as a player. The former Georgia star was a splash-play player early in his career, recording 11 sacks and four interceptions, but he's really come into his own this season as one of the best linebackers in the NFL.
Smith has had 10 or more tackles in six of eight games for the Bears this season and also has two sacks and an interception. He never leaves the field and is allowing opposing quarterbacks a passer rating of just 66.2 in his coverage.
"He's a factor in every component of play, in the run, in the pass, in interior plays, in perimeter plays," said Tomlin. "He's a blitzer. He's just a really rock-solid green dot in all circumstances."
It will be a big test for the Steelers' two rookie skill position players, running back Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth, both of whom will find themselves in some one-on-one situations with Smith.
Both have been bigger parts of the offense in recent weeks. Harris, the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Month for October, has had at least 25 touches in each of the Steelers' past five games. Freiermuth, meanwhile, has seen his usage improve dramatically the past two games after JuJu Smith-Schuster was lost for the season to a shoulder injury. Freiermuth has gotten 14 targets the past two games, catching 11 of them.
Both rookies have credited Roethlisberger with helping them in their acclimation to the NFL.
"Ben would always tell me you can't break every run," said Harris. "When I got here, he said you can't break every run in the NFL. Understanding how important it is to get just even two yards, or one yard in NFL is really hard. Especially with the type of guys they've got across the ball.
"Understanding that not every run's going to be a home run. A four-yard run is good because now second down is shorter, it makes it easier for the offensive coordinator and the rest of the team. Taking what they give you is really big in the NFL and I'm learning that."
Smith might arguably be the best "guys across the ball" that Harris or Freiermuth have faced to this point, and should provide a good test as to how far they've grown.
THE HISTORY LESSON
It's no secret the Bears were the first real dynasty in the NFL, winning six championships between 1932 and 1946. The Steelers? They were around in those days, but didn't even win a single playoff game in their existence until 1972.
That's why a rare visit by the Bears to Three Rivers Stadium Oct. 19, 1975 was somewhat meaningful.
The Steelers were coming off their first Super Bowl win at the conclusion of the 1974 season, but the Bears had owned the series to that point, winning the first 10 meetings between the two and going 13-2-1 against the Steelers all-time prior to their 1975 game.
The Steelers entered the game at 3-1, while the Bears were 1-3.
But after a scoreless first quarter, it was the Bears who scored first, getting a 32-yard field goal from Bob Thomas.
The Steelers, however, tied the game at 3-3 on a 37-yard Roy Gerela field goal, then took a 10-3 lead before halftime on a 1-yard touchdown run by Reggie Harrison.
The Steelers drove deep into Chicago territory early in the third quarter, but were stuffed, forcing Gerela to kick an 18-yard field goal -- yes there were such things back then.
Leading 13-3, the Steelers wore the Bears down from there, getting short touchdown runs from Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier and Terry Bradshaw to win the game, 34-3.
The Steelers ground out 157 yards on the ground on 47 carries, though Harris was limited to 44 yards on 17 attempts. Bleier had 44 yards on 11 carries, while Frenchy Fuqua had 38 yards on seven attempts.
Bradshaw completed 11 of 22 passes for 146 yards, with Lynn Swann catching 62 yards on four receptions. Future Hall of Fame safety, then a special teams ace, Donnie Shell also had one of the two receptions of his career, hauling in a 20-yard pass from punter Bobby Walden on a fake. He also caught a 19-yard pass in the team's regular season opener that season.
Gary Huff completed just 8 of 22 passes for 46 yards in the game for the Bears. Despite the complete lack of a passing game, the Bears had success on the ground, rushing for 196 yards on 30 carries.
Mike Adamie had 110 yards on 17 carries, while Roland Harper had 13 carries for 86 yards.
The Steelers would beat the Bears again, 38-3, at Three Rivers Stadium in 1980, giving them the first two-game winning streak in their history against Chicago, which leads the overall series, 19-7-1.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
The Steelers had 11 games in 2020 in which they forced two or more turnovers. They went 10-1 in those games, with the lone loss coming at Buffalo in Week 14. They went 1-5 -- including the playoffs -- in games in which they didn't force at least two turnovers.
This season, the Steelers haven't had a single game in which they have forced two or more turnovers, but have still managed to get out to a 4-3 start after winning their past three games.
Enter the Bears, who have turned the ball over 11 times, tied for fifth-most in the league this season. And it could be worse.
Fields has thrown seven interceptions on just 158 pass attempts this season while also fumbling eight times. But he's lost only two of those. The Bears overall have had good fumble luck. They have fumbled 12 times as a team -- the Steelers have 7 -- but have lost just three.
Those things tend to even out.
And with both a rookie quarterback and rookie running back in Herbert along with rookie right tackle Larry Borom, a fifth-round pick, in Chicago's starting lineup, the Steelers will try to create some confusion up front by disguising their defenses. Borom will line up opposite T.J. Watt.
"Just make 'em play the game," cornerback Cam Sutton said. "A lot of times, obviously, offenses go into games with scripts and things like that, situational plays. They want to feel the game out.
"We just have to do a great job of just moving around, giving them different looks, not letting them just see our defense just standing still. And obviously just pressure, whether it's with four, whether it's with guys that we bring (on blitzes), whether it's coverage sacks. Whatever it is, all our guys just gotta be on our toes."
Fields has been sacked an NFL-high 26 times this season, though nine of those came in his first career start in Week 3 at Cleveland. He has, however, been sacked four times each over his last three starts.
"We're going to try to make him a little bit uncomfortable if we can," defensive coordinator Keith Butler said.
The Steelers haven't blitzed as much as previous seasons, choosing instead of play more coverage and simply rush their front 4. After blitzing on 40.3 percent of plays run against them a year ago, third-most in the NFL, they're blitzing 20.1 percent of the time this season, which is the sixth-lowest rate in the league.
Might that change against a young quarterback such as Fields, who is averaging 153.5 passing yards per game?
"I’ll just wait and let him see it on Monday, and we'll do our best to keep him from running the ball and then putting him in situations he's not used to," Butler said.
THE TEN DATA POINTS
• Roethlisberger is 16-6 in his career on Monday Night Football.
• Freiermuth is the only rookie tight end in the NFL with multiple receiving touchdowns this season.• Watt has at least 1.5 sacks or more in his past two games. He has sack in 6 of his past 7 home games and a forced fumble in 4 of his past 5 at home.
• The Steelers are tied with the 49ers for the most wins in Monday Night Football games with 49. At 49-25-0, their .662 winning percentage is the best in NFL history on Monday nights.
• Tomlin is tied with former Steelers coach Bill Cowher for 20th place on the NFL's all-time win list with 149 victories. Tomlin's .647 winning percentage is 10th-best in NFL history.
• Roethlisberger needs 14 pass attempts to move past Eli Manning (8,120) for seventh-most in NFL history. He needs 28 attempts to move past Philip Rivers (8.134) into sixth place.
• Roethlisberger's start with be the 239th of his career. That will tie him with Fran Tarkenton for seventh-most in NFL history.
• Tony Corrente's crew will officiate the game. They have called 80 penalties in seven games worked this season (11.4 per game), the third-fewest in the league.
• The Bears allow 8.1 yards per passing play, while their offense produces just 6.1 yards per pass attempt.
• Opposing kickers have yet to miss a PAT or field goal against the Steelers this season -- a blocked field goal negated by a bogus offside penalty notwithstanding. The Steelers are the only team in the league that has not had a kicked missed against them this season.
THE DIVISION
With the Steelers off until Monday night, here's a little preview of what to look for in Sunday's games involving the other AFC North teams.
Vikings at Ravens: Baltimore (5-2) comes off its bye week to face what figures to be a desperate Minnesota team. The Vikings (4-4) were shocked by the Dak Prescott-less Cowboys last week, 20-16. It marked the fourth loss this season for the Vikings by a touchdown or less. The Ravens, on the other hand, are 3-1 in one-score games.
Lamar Jackson is being asked to do everything offensively for the Ravens. He's both their leading rusher (480 yards, over 200 more than the next closest Baltimore player) and passer. And the Ravens have needed every bit of Jackson offense. They've allowed 400 or more yards four times this season, including three games over 500.
The Vikings will be without star defensive lineman Danielle Hunter, who was lost for the season to a torn pectoral muscle against the Cowboys. But their offense with quarterback Kirk Cousins (14 TDs, 2 interceptions), running back Dalvin Cook (444 rushing yards) and the wide receiver duo of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen will present a major challenge for Baltimore's defense.
Browns at Bengals: A win here would put the Bengals (5-3) at 3-0 in the division and perhaps bury the last-place Browns (4-4), who would fall to 0-2 in the division with a loss.
The Bengals, however, had some warts exposed in a loss to the Jets last week, as they consistently allowed New York to check the ball down and get yards after the catch. Can the Browns test that?
Cleveland has been in turmoil this week, both with the loss to the Steelers and then with the Odell Beckham Jr. situation. Beckham has been a major distraction for a team that can't afford any at this point.
THE FANTASY CORNER
My lineup posted 135.98 points last week and missed finishing in the money by just over one point. Ugh. It's been that kind of year. Joe Mixon and Michael Pittman were major hits. Emmanuel Sanders -- you couldn't get one catch? -- was not. We'll keep trying. As I did last year, I'm going to build a fantasy lineup using Draft Kings and a $50,000 salary cap.
Quarterback: Tyrod Taylor, Texans ($5,000) -- Taylor actually had good numbers the first two weeks before getting injured. The Texans have to throw -- a lot. And the Dolphins have not been good against the pass.
Running back: Davonte Booker, Giants ($5,900), Najee Harris, Steelers ($7,800) -- With Saquon Barkley out, Booker should get 20 touches again for the Giants. Harris will be the focal point of the Steelers offense in a game they should dominate.
Wide receiver: Stephon Diggs, Bills ($7,700), Marquise Brown, Ravens ($6,000), Justin Jefferson, Vikings ($7,500) -- Diggs should feast against the Jaguars. The Ravens-Vikings game has shootout written all over it. Baltimore is last in the NFL in pass defense, while the Vikings aren't far ahead of them.
Tight end: Tyler Conklin, Vikings ($3,000) -- Two Vikings pass catchers in the lineup this week against that soft Baltimore pass defense.
Flex: Bryan Edwards, Raiders ($4,100) -- With Henry Ruggs gone, Edwards should see his targets increase.
Defense: Steelers ($3,000) -- This is the deal of the week. The Steelers should be good for at least four sacks and a couple of turnovers in this game.