FanHouse Preview: Steelers at Bears

Given that Chicago drew a road game at Green Bay and a visit from the defending Super Bowl Champion Steelers to start the season, an 0-2 start would be neither totally unexpected nor disastrous to the Bears' playoff hopes.

But try to telling that to the Windy City faithful.

After new quarterback Jay Cutler bumbled his way to four interceptions in a 21-15 loss at Lambeau last week, Chicago finds itself under the gun already. With Pittsburgh in for the Bears' home opener Sunday, Cutler needs to bounce back -- or he'll find himself getting picked apart by the Steelers' aggressive defense, even without injured Troy Polamalu in the lineup.

Three Key Questions:

1. Can the Steelers survive the loss of Polamalu?

2. Was Cutler's Week 1 meltdown an aberration or will he continue to struggle?

3. Will Pittsburgh be able to slow Chicago's pass rush?

Player in the Spotlight: Tyrone Carter. When Polamalu missed time in 2006 and 2007, it was Carter who filled in and started. Things are never the same when a player the caliber of Polamalu goes t o the sideline, but Carter at least held down the fort. He'll have to do so again against a team that will test him -- between the run game with Matt Forte and the ability of tight end Greg Olsen to slip into the secondary, Carter must play a solid game on Sunday. He's far from the dynamic talent Polamalu is, and the Steelers don't figure to turn him loose as much, but they'll still expect plenty from Carter.

Pittsburgh's Path to Victory: Carter may not get the green light as much as Polamalu would, but don't expect defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to take the foot off the gas. Especially in light of Cutler's turnover-fest in Week 1, Pittsburgh will try to get him out of the pocket as much as possible. On the other side of the ball, the Steelers have to deal with a strong Chicago pass rush, led by Adewale Ogunleye, that produced four sacks of Aaron Rodgers last week. Ben Roethlisberger will be under pressure, so his challenge is to take care of the ball. Pittsburgh plans to rotate Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall in the backfield -- but if they both struggle to find room, it will only add to Roethlisberger's pressure problems.

Chicago's Path to Victory: It really starts with Cutler playing well, but it's unfair to lump it all on him. Another four-turnover performance by the QB and the Bears will get run off their own field -- but, that said, he needs some help. Chicago cannot desert Forte, and really need to make it a point of emphasis to get him close to 30 carries. And the Bears receivers must show up in a big way. Chicago has to get in Roethlisberger's kitchen early and often, possibly forcing a few turnovers on that side of the ball, and also could go a long way toward victory by keeping Parker running in quicksand.

Prediction: Without Polamalu, this becomes a bit trickier -- with him, Pittsburgh's superior on paper and in matchups. But the loss of Pittsburgh's super safety could open the field for the Chicago offense a bit. Will it be enough to offset the Steelers' offensive firepower? That all depends on Cutler, who will need to be flawless to get Chicago over the top. After seeing his Week 1 showing, it's hard to imagine that will be the case. Pittsburgh 27, Chicago 17