Conditions Are a Bear, but Steeler Bus Rolls

Standing his ground inside the five-yard line Sunday, All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears braced himself to meet hard-charging running back Jerome Bettis of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers had not enjoyed much success running the ball during a recent skid and Bettis, in his 13th NFL season, knows that his glory days are past.

Urlacher, meanwhile, leads the NFL’s No. 1-rated defense.

But in a third-quarter collision that symbolized the difference between two teams on a gray, snowy day, the 260-pound Bettis smashed into Urlacher and kept right on going. Urlacher hung on, but Bettis dragged him into the end zone.

“He didn’t let go,” Bettis said later, a wide grin creasing his face, “but I’ve made a living carrying people. That’s why they call me ‘the Bus.’ ”

Taking the wheel and turning back the clock after his teammates had forged an early lead, Bettis helped transport the Steelers to a 21-9 victory at Heinz Field that ended the Bears’ winning streak at eight games and kept the Steelers’ flickering playoff hopes alive.

With Bettis carrying 17 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns on a sloppy field, the Steelers (8-5) ran for 190 yards, the most given up by the Bears this season, after they’d averaged only 83.7 while losing their previous three games.

Bettis ran for only 186 yards in the Steelers’ first 12 games.

“Enough can’t be said about what Jerome Bettis did today,” said Hines Ward, who scored the Steelers’ first touchdown on a 14-yard, first-quarter pass from Ben Roethlisberger. “He epitomizes what the Pittsburgh Steelers are all about. People think he’s down and out and then he comes along and has a game like he did today. I couldn’t be more excited for the guy.”

Bettis, who will turn 34 in February, is no longer a starter -- that distinction belongs to Willie Parker -- but he showed the Bears he’s still capable.

“My role is to come in and spell Willie when I get the opportunity,” said Bettis, whose 61st 100-yard rushing game was his first since Dec. 26. “But I think this game really set up for me well in terms of the weather and the field. I’ve been known to be a mudder, so I think the field really played into my favor.”

During their winning streak, the Bears gave up only 68 points. And they had given up more than 20 points in a game only once this season, in a 24-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.

But the Steelers, who admitted to suffering a crisis of confidence during a losing streak that dropped them two games behind the division-leading Bengals in the AFC North and close to playoff elimination, jumped on the Bears (9-4) from the start.

Taking control early against a team ill-equipped at erasing deficits -- the Bears, led by rookie Kyle Orton, rank last in the NFL in passing and could be headed for a quarterback controversy now that their winning streak has ended and projected starter Rex Grossman has recovered from a preseason ankle injury -- the Steelers scored on two of their first three possessions.

“Of course, our strength is our defense and today we didn’t play like we have all year,” said Coach Lovie Smith, whose team’s lead in the NFC North was trimmed to one game over the surging Minnesota Vikings, 27-13 winners over the St. Louis Rams. “You can’t let a good football team run the ball like that.”

A pass actually got the Steelers going. On their second play, Parker turned a screen into a 45-yard gain, setting up Roethlisberger’s scoring pass to Hines three plays later.

The Bears had first and goal at the two on the ensuing possession, but after Thomas Jones lost a yard on first down, Orton was sacked by Clark Haggans on second down and Orton threw incomplete on third down, they settled for a field goal.

In the second quarter, the Steelers benefited from a decision by Smith, who chose to accept an offensive pass-interference penalty, giving the Steelers another third-down opportunity rather than fourth and one at their 47-yard line.

“I did it for the chance that they would have gone for it,” Smith said. “I feel like if we have someone in a third-and-long situation, we’ll win most of those defensively. ... In hindsight, I’d do that same thing again.”

But Roethlisberger, barely touched by the Bears and not sacked while completing 13 of 20 passes for 173 yards, made the decision look foolish, keeping the drive alive with a 16-yard pass to Verron Haynes.

The Steelers eventually reached the one-yard line, where Bettis made his first carry of the day, a burst into the end zone for a 14-3 lead.

In the second half, with snow falling harder and the conditions worsening, Bettis carried for 100 yards. And with Urlacher along for the ride, his five-yard touchdown run made the score 21-3 with 5 minutes 23 seconds to play in the third quarter.

“Classic Jerome Bettis,” Coach Bill Cowher said. “Great field for him today. I can’t say enough about him.”