Saturday, Oct. 27, 2001

Who's for real?

Chicago and Pittsburgh get their first real tests this weekend

By Andy Hanacek, Associate editor

You see, I'm supposed  to be unbiased, being a national media person. But that's tough to do, seeing the team I grew up with — the Bears — and seeing my early-season dark-horse pick both standing at 4-1.

The reason I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm is that, first off, it's a long season. Anything can happen, even though we are in Week Seven. Injuries, slumps, complete collapses of defenses — these are all distinct possibilities. Now, you're saying, I must be the type of glass-half-empty type of person, and I'd agree, to a point. Growing up and following sports in Chicago, especially in the past few years, has been a true test in patience. So we've learned to believe it when we see it.

Well, Bears and Steelers fans, I think after this week, if we see wins from
the two teams, we can believe it. The teams are for real. The Bears haven't faced a very tough schedule thus far, which is part of why they are 4-1. Their one loss came against the Ravens in Week One, and in that game, they played very well despite the loss. Tomorrow we'll see a rematch of last year, when the Bears take on the 49ers. Last season, WR Terrell Owens torched the Bears, setting the record for receptions in a game with 20. Expect the Bears to be head-hunting for Owens. If they can shut him down and keep the run in check, they should win.

The Steelers are in the same boat, except that they really haven't been challenged by a truly good team yet. Some would say Tampa Bay was a challenge, but I don't agree. While the Bucs are a good team, they aren't clicking yet and certainly haven't proven to be an elite squad at this point. Pittsburgh's only loss came in a disappointing game against the Bills in which the Steelers looked like a completely different team. This week, they take on the Titans, who seem to have rebounded from early-season woes. This could be more of a challenge than people think. It will also be a stepping-out game for the passing attack. If they can take advantage of the depleted Titans secondary, then the Steelers should have no problems.

Each game should be exciting in its own right and will certainly tell us a ton more about Chicago and Pittsburgh. If the two teams win, the bandwagons begin, and you'll see bits of that Rust Belt skepticism chip off the die-hards. If they lose, it isn't the end of the world, but I bet you'll hear "I told you so" from a lot of fans.

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2001 - 2002 Season