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RISING

1. Alshon Jeffery, WR: Jeffery did a little bit of everything in the Week 4 loss in Detroit. He came up with a tough touchdown catch despite blanket coverage (he dropped a sure touchdown the play before), showed the ability to beat a defense deep with a 44-yard reception, and proved he can also be a weapon in the run game with a 27-yard end-around. With the exception of the Bears' win against the Vikings on Sept. 15, Jeffery has been a reliable target for Jay Cutler the entire season. Jeffery figures to reach 60 catches in 2013 if he continues to avoid injury -- he missed six games his rookie season. Jeffery's confidence seems to be growing every week.

2. Julius Peppers, DE: The Bears' failure to sack the quarterback is still alarming, but Peppers had his best game of the year on Sunday, by far. According to NFL statistics, Peppers finished with six tackles and the Bears' lone sack and quarterback hurry. Peppers also dropped Reggie Bush for no gain on the Lions' first offensive play from scrimmage, and overall, the defensive end appeared to be moving better than in previous weeks. With the Bears' depth on the defensive line tested due to injuries, it's vital Peppers contribute some impact plays to the defensive effort moving forward.

3. Earl Bennett, WR: Bennett's role in the offense is expanding. The wide receiver participated in 49 plays and caught a late fourth-quarter touchdown from Cutler, Bennett's second score in the past two weeks after hauling in the Week 3 game-clincher versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bennett isn't targeted often, he has seven catches on the season, but when the ball does come his way, the wideout generally makes a play. Bennett is clearly the fifth option on offense, but he is sure-handed and dependable.

FALLING

1. Jay Cutler, QB: The Bears lost to the Lions for two reasons; (1) Cutler turned the ball over four times, and (2) the defense failed to tackle Bush. Cutler will throw interceptions. That is a fact. Sunday marked the seventh time since 2009 that Cutler tossed three or more interceptions in a game. The Bears claim Cutler's mistakes were all physical, that his decision-making was sound in the 40-32 defeat. If that's the case, then all of Cutler's miscues are correctable. But these performances are always a concern with Cutler. The Bears might be able to beat a bad Minnesota team at home when the quarterback turns the ball over three times, but on the road against a quality opponent, the Bears have no shot to win if Cutler gives the ball away at such an alarming rate.

2. Entire defense: The whole group gets the nod for Bush rushing for 112 yards on 11 carries in the first half alone. The Lions seemed to have a solid gameplan for how they wanted to attack the Bears, but that does not excuse the poor tackling. Bush was making Bears defenders miss all over the field. The Bears have allowed way too many big plays on defense this season. The turnovers and defensive touchdowns are great, but this group is expected to produce better results. Even without Lovie Smith, Rod Marinelli, Brian Urlacher and now Henry Melton, there are enough Pro Bowl-caliber defensive players on the roster to prevent these kinds of breakdowns. And where is the pass rush? This all better improve in a hurry with Drew Brees coming to town on Sunday, otherwise the Bears' 3-0 head start to begin the season could evaporate over the next month.

3. Adam Podlesh, P: He had a rough afternoon at Ford Field, there is just no other way to put it. Despite punting in a controlled climate, Podlesh averaged only 40.2 yards per kick with a net average of 28.8 yards. Heading into Week 4, Podlesh had been averaging 44.6 yards per punt with a 42-yard net average. Punters will have bad games from time to time. Podlesh had a mild slump last year but finished the season exceptionally strong. The hope is he puts the Lions game behind him and bounces back against the Saints. Field position figures to be at a premium against the high-powered Saints' offense, so Podlesh pinning the Saints deep in their own territory whenever possible will be an important key to victory.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Use a skeptical eye when perusing information gleaned from football analytics, but according to the website Pro Football Focus, Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers graded out highest of the club’s defensive players Sunday against the Steelers.

The hope now is that Peppers can take that momentum into Chicago’s NFC-North showdown Sunday at Detroit.

“In terms of individual grades, I like to leave those in-house,” said Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker when asked about Peppers. “But overall, I felt good about what he did in the game. We got more pressure this week than we got the week before that, and the week before that. So we got more hits on the quarterback.”

Peppers accounted one tackle, recovered a fumble, and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown against the Steelers. Peppers also contributed four quarterback pressures, playing in 47 of the club’s 66 snaps on defense.

In the first two games, Peppers generated just two pressures to go with one tackle. But it’s worth noting that in the Sept. 15 meeting with the Vikings, Peppers was slowed by flu-like symptoms.

With defensive tackle Henry Melton lost for the season with a torn ACL, there’s a chance Peppers could play some snaps inside at tackle as could defensive end Corey Wootton.

“They’ve both been inside and it gives teams a different look, different matchups, finding weaknesses in fronts and utilizing these guys inside because of their motors and size,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “That’s all part of scheme, working through it each and every week. Whatever Mel and the guys decide are the best matchups, we have the capability with those two guys.”

The Bears registered three sacks against the Steelers, but those came from blitzing linebackers.

Through the first three games, the front four has logged just two sacks, which has caused Tucker to try to manufacture pressure through blitzes with linebackers. That doesn’t mean Tucker no longer believes in the team's defensive line.

“I have great faith in our defensive line and our linebackers and our secondary to go out there and play hard for us, start fast and finish strong; give us everything they have,” Tucker said. “We’ll live with what we need to live with (in terms of blitzing). Again, it’s week to week. It’s game to game. It’s within a game. We’ll do what we feel like we need to do to get them stopped, and then we’ll move on to the next play.”

An examination of four hot issues from the Chicago Bears' 40-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Front four still not pressuring quarterback: The Bears sacked Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice, but they were only able to do that when they manufactured pressure by blitzing linebackers. One hallmark of Chicago’s scheme is the ability to generate pressure with the front four. The Bears did that on occasion, but not enough to where they weren’t putting the secondary in a bind by forcing them to cover receivers too long.

“We got good pressure from the pressures we called,” defensive end Julius Peppers said.

But the Bears wouldn’t be forced to make those calls if the front four was pressuring sufficiently.

Too many explosive plays: Going into the game, the Bears had surrendered eight completions of 20 yards or more through the first two games, only to allow the Steelers to more double that in one outing. On the way to throwing for 406 yards and two touchdowns, Roethlisberger completed 10 passes for gains of 20 yards or more, while receiver Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 196 yards and two scores.

In addition to those completions, the Bears surrendered a 25-yard run to Jonathan Dwyer in the second quarter.

That’s too much. Turnovers, obviously, offset some of those gains. Still, the Bears can’t always rely on takeaways to bail them out of trouble.

“Our goal is always to be plus-2 [in turnover ratio], but if you can get three more it’s always a bonus,” cornerback Charles Tillman said.

Overly conservative with lead: Major Wright’s 38-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter gave the Bears a 24-3 lead. But from there, the Bears took a conservative approach that nearly allowed the Steelers to rally.

“It was just that type of game to get up that quickly like that,” quarterback Jay Cutler said. “We were sitting pretty good early on, and we didn’t want to give them anything easy.”

Injuries to key players: Already slowed by a sore knee, Tillman suffered a groin injury that forced him out of action. The Bears also lost defensive tackle Henry Melton for the season with a torn ACL. So that’s two starters on defense. Obviously, the pass rush -- which was already struggling -- will be weakened significantly by the loss of Melton. Then, with the Bears set to take on the Detroit Lions, it’s probably fair to ponder whether Tillman can be effective against receiver Calvin Johnson.

PITTSBURGH -- Here are Five Things We Learned in the Chicago Bears' 40-23 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers:

1. Jay Cutler converted on third down: Cutler's final numbers were pedestrian, but he delivered in the fourth quarter when the Steelers had cut the Bears' lead to just four points. With the Bears leading 27-23 with roughly 10 and a half minutes to play, Cutler began to move the offense down the field as he converted on three critical third-down plays. On the first third down, Cutler ran for 13 yards and lowered the boom on a Pittsburgh safety at the point of contact to ensure he moved the chains. Cutler then connected with Brandon Marshall for a 41-yard catch on third and 12, his longest completion of the night. Cutler finished off the drive, and the Steelers for that matter, when he hit Earl Bennett in the back corner of the end zone for a 17-yard score on third-and-5. Cutler and the offense in general had their share of problems at Heinz Field against a feisty Steelers defense. But for the third straight week, Cutler was at his best when it mattered most.

2. The other Bennett is a playmaker: Earl Bennett accepted a pay cut a couple of weeks ago because he and his agent understood his worth in the current marketplace and made the difficult, and correct, decision. Bennett can earn back the $1 million he lost if he reaches a certain number of receptions. After missing the majority of the preseason due to a concussion, Bennett entered the regular season as the No. 3 wide receiver, but probably the fifth option on offense behind Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett. For the fifth option, the Bears felt Bennett's salary was high, which is why they made the move. It had nothing to do with his performance when healthy. Bennett's 17-yard touchdown is highlight-reel material. He has great hands, excellent body control and can make plays. For a No. 3 slot wide receiver, the Bears could do a ton worse than Bennett. And probably not a whole lot better.

3. Stability is emerging at MLB: Three games into the regular season and D.J. Williams resembled the player who started 115 regular-season games for the Denver Broncos. Williams was around the ball the entire night against the Steelers, finishing with four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble, according to the official NFL stats distributed after the game in the press box. Linebacker has been a real strength for the Bears. Lance Briggs and James Anderson hit the ground running in Week 1, and while it took Williams a little longer to shake off the rust after a serious preseason calf injury, he is now making the athletic, impact plays the Bears envisioned he would when they signed him in free agency to replace Brian Urlacher. Most would agree the Bears made the right call to start Williams and keep rookie Jon Bostic on special teams for the short term.

4. Julius Peppers made an impact: Peppers is still without a sack, but he was better on Sunday night. The veteran defensive end got close to making a few plays in the backfield but was unable to wrap up and finish. However, he did finish in the fourth quarter when he returned a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown, his fourth career defensive score and first since 2009. After watching Peppers on Sunday night, there is reason for optimism that he can be a factor moving forward. Unfortunately, it appears Henry Melton will not be in a position to help the Bears in 2013 after he sustained a serious left knee injury that required the Pro Bower to leave the locker room on crutches. The good news is that reserve defensive tackle Nate Collins has been extremely productive and should help ease the loss of Melton. But with one impact player down, the Bears need Peppers more than ever to step up on the defensive line. The Bears sacked Ben Roethlisberger three times in Week 3, however, all three sacks were recorded by linebackers. That needs to change.

5. Don't worry, Pittsburgh: Let's not mince words: Pittsburgh's offensive line is awful, especially after center Maurkice Pouncey suffered a season-ending knee injury. But fear not Steelers nation, an offensive line can be fixed in one offseason. Look at the Bears. Their offensive line was a running joke in Chicago for years until general manager Phil Emery addressed the problem in the offseason when he signed veteran free agents Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson and drafted Kyle Long and Jordan Mills. The Bears' offensive line is now considered a strength, not a weakness. I'm not saying every team will be as fortunate as the Bears were to hit on their free agents and draft picks, but at least the situation isn't hopeless for Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH -- A few thoughts on the Chicago Bears' 40-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers:

What it means: The Bears sit alone atop the NFC North and start 3-0 for the just the second time since 2006.

Stock watch: Jay Cutler put on a gritty performance down the stretch. Cutler threw for just 159 yards and faced more pressure in this outing than he had in the two previous combined. Still, he completed 67 percent of his passes, took care of the ball and made clutch plays late.

Three for 3-0: The Bears captured division titles in each of the past three seasons in which they started 3-0, dating back to 1990, while also winning at least 11 regular-season contests in those seasons.

Scoring D: The Bears scored 24 points off turnovers, including a 42-yard Julius Peppers fumble return for TD and a 38-yard interception return by Major Wright. Wright’s interception return marked the second consecutive game in which the Bears recorded a pick-six.

Tim Jennings scored on an interception in Chicago’s win last week over the Minnesota Vikings.

Just last season, the Bears racked up eight interception return TDs to tie the 1998 Seahawks for second most in NFL history. This season, Chicago is already a quarter of the way there.

Williams contributes: Rookie Jonathan Bostic developed into the favorite to start at middle linebacker because of his play during training camp, but veteran D.J. Williams showed why the staff prefers him in the middle of the defense.

Williams logged two sacks of Ben Roethlisberger, including one on which he stripped the quarterback with James Anderson recovering at the Pittsburgh 17. That turnover led to a Matt Forte TD.

Explosive plays still an issue: Entering the game, the Bears had surrendered eight completions of 20 yards or more, including two of 40-plus yards. In the second quarter alone, the Bears gave up two more long balls (gains of 45 and 33 yards) to Antonio Brown, who snagged a difficult 33-yard TD with 6:27 left in the first half. Roethlisberger also hit a 32-yard completion, a 22-yarder and a 26-yarder before finding Brown for a 21-yard TD with 1:57 left in the third quarter. Roethlisberger also made a 21-yard connection and 27-yarder in the fourth quarter.

This is a problem.

What’s next: The Bears take Monday off before beginning preparations Wednesday for yet another road matchup, this time at Detroit on Sunday.

Here’s a look at five things to watch during Sunday’s game between the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field:

One-dimensional game from Pittsburgh: Adrian Peterson rushed for 100 yards in Week 2, but the Bears totally minimized his impact on the game, which is likely what they’ll do on Sunday against Pittsburgh’s running backs. According to Elias Sports Bureau, dating back to last season, the Steelers have rushed for fewer than 100 yards in eight games, which represents the team’s longest skid of futility since 1935. That means there’s a good chance the Bears will easily shut down the Steelers early, and make them a one-dimensional passing team. That, in turn, should enhance Chicago’s pass rush, which has struggled thus far this season. With no threat of the rushing attack hurting them, Pittsburgh’s play-action will be ineffective, meaning the Bears can basically pin back their ears and go after the passer.

Chicago’s offensive line against Pittsburgh’s 3-4 front: The Bears faced back-to-back one-gapping 4-3 teams to start the season. So Pittsburgh’s 3-4, two-gapping front will be different than what the Bears are used to dealing with. That could lead to a slight adjustment period in the first half, but it shouldn’t excessively inhibit what the Bears can do on offense.

“It just changes the protection base, and actually your run reads too (as well as) how to get to a certain linebacker if we’re blocking zone schemes and they start blitzing, and everything changes,” said running back Matt Forte. “So it just makes it more difficult that way. I would say most of the NFL runs 4-3. So when you get a 3-4 team, you’ve got to study that 3-4 more than you do 4-3s.”

Complicating matters is the fact the Bears start two rookies on the right side in guard Kyle Long and tackle Jordan Mills.

“Technique is different when you’re playing a 3-4 defense, two-gap, way different,” offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said. “They play very stout two-gap defense on first and second down with a combination of some pressures. But then on third down, (Steelers defensive coordinator) Dick LeBeau has been known for years to have a lot of tough nickel blitzes, show you one way, blitz the other way, roll a guy down from the line of scrimmage down to a deep half to cover. So that’s what makes it difficult. It’s just hard to see where they’re coming from.”

Julius Peppers: No sack contributions in the first game from Peppers seemed strange, but nothing out of the ordinary. Then, in Week 2, Peppers finished without a sack again, as he played through flu-like symptoms. So Peppers has received passes for his lack of production in the first two contests, but he’ll need to make more of an impact against the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has a penchant for buying time in the pocket with his feet. Peppers has gone three games without a sack just twice during his tenure with the Chicago Bears, and both instances came in 2010, which interestingly, marked the only season with the club in which he didn’t finish with double-digit sack totals.

“This week (the pass rush) is going to be improved,” Peppers said. “I’m not interested in talking about anything from last week. My focus is on Pittsburgh and getting better.”

With a quarterback possessing Roethlisberger’s size, the key is simply “getting him down,” Peppers said.

“He shakes guys off,” said Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. “It usually takes more than one. The first gy usually doesn’t get it done, so we’ve got to get multiple guys on him. He’s one of the tougher guys to get down on the ground, and even when you’re hanging on the guy, he still makes a throw down the field. When he scrambles, he’s looking to throw. He can throw it 60 yards on the run. He’s a rare guy in that way. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us.”

The return of Heath Miller: Miller’s return is significant because of Chicago’s minor struggles against opposing tight ends through the first two games. Miller participated fully in practice earlier in the week, so there’s a good chance he’ll play against the Bears.

Over the first two games, tight ends Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham have combined for 13 catches and a touchdown to go with 124 yards. So the Bears are allowing tight ends to average nearly 10 yards per reception, which clearly is too much.

The deep ball: Roethlisberger’s mobility causes defenses to break down on the back end, and if you pair that with Chicago’s recent inability to consistently rush the passer, it could conjure a recipe for disaster. The Bears have given up eight completions of 20-plus yards, including two for gains of 42 yards or more. It’s also worth noting that cornerback Charles Tillman has missed practice time with a sore knee, not to mention he struggled in Week 1 against A.J. Green, who finished that matchup with nine catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

Given Pittsburgh’s rushing woes, play-action shouldn’t pose much of a threat. But in third-and-long situations, when Roethlisberger is forced to take deep drops, the Bears need to get to him quickly to force errant passes and gobble up sacks.

CHICAGO BEARS (2-0) at PITTSBURGH STEELERS (0-2)

7:30 p.m. CT Sunday at Heinz Field on NBC

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Here is the first installment of the Chicago Bears’ Friday mailbag.

Lee Holland of Norfolk, Va., writes: What’s it going to take for Alshon Jeffery to get more involved in the offense?

Jeff Dickerson: Jeffery didn’t have his best game last week (one catch for five yards, two rushes for 30 yards), but he’s been targeted 13 times through two games. So Jeffery has been involved in the offense, it’s just that Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett have accumulated better statistics heading into Week 3. Jeffery’s time will come. Bears head coach Marc Trestman is likely telling the second-year wideout to stay patient. Jeffery proved to everybody in the preseason that he is reliable weapon in the passing game. Give it some time.

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Bob from Chicago writes: Is Jay Cutler a $20 million a season QB? What options do the Bears have at QB if they don’t believe Cutler is worth that money?

Dickerson: Bob, Cutler is off to a strong start, but it’s only Week 3. The smart move is to wait until later in the year to determine whether or not Cutler is the kind of quarterback the Bears want to invest that heavily in. If Cutler continues to shake off his mistakes and lead the Bears to victories and to the playoffs, then all his money concerns (not that he really has any) will be taken care of. But I don’t feel comfortable writing the ‘Jay Cutler is a new guy’ narrative after two games. The true test will come when the Bears face real adversity. How will Cutler respond? As for Plan B; the Bears really don’t have one. I assume if they decide to not re-sign or franchise Cutler, they would search for his replacement via the draft while also signing a veteran quarterback in free agency. The Bears want to make it work with Cutler, however. That is how the scenario would play out in a perfect world.

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Frank from PA writes: Don’t you think the Bears will be hurt without a legitimate No. 2 receiver as they continue to play tougher teams on their schedule?

Dickerson: Yes, the Bears need a dependable No. 2 wide receiver. But I believe the Bears have two on the roster: Jeffery and Earl Bennett. If Cutler ever gets into a situation where he can’t connect with Marshall, Martellus Bennett or Matt Forte out of the backfield, Jeffery and Earl Bennett are more than capable of catching the football in tough situations. Earl Bennett, especially, has shown that he has great hands. Not good, great. The drawback with those two players has been their inability to stay healthy. But if both are active every week, the Bears should have enough at wide receiver to get them through the season with great success.

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Deryll Ringger from Decatur, IN, writes: Why does Devin Hester let the ball hit the ground when fielding punts instead of saving 20 yards by catching the ball before it hits the ground?

Dickerson: Fair question, Deryll. For all of Hester’s brilliance on kickoff returns (249 yards) last week against Minnesota, he does still have occasional lapses in judgment when determining when to field punts or let them drop. Now, I think Hester’s decision making has improved since last season, but he’ll never be perfect. I guess Bears’ fans will just have to live it. Hester is still capable of busting long returns, and I believe the 76 and 80 yard kickoff returns he busted off versus the Vikings made up for his indecision on punt return.

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Frank from Canada writes: If Julius Peppers continues to be nonexistent while cashing the biggest check on the team, do you expect him to be on the team in 2014?

Dickerson: Obviously, Peppers needs to produce for the Bears to keep him around beyond 2013, but the veteran defensive end has time to turn it around. If Peppers goes off and has a monster night versus the Steelers, some concerns should fade away. However, it’s way too early to determine whether or not the Bears want to carry the $18,183,333 cap charge or pay the $14 million in salary to Peppers in 2014. Even though the Bears are expected to have ample salary-cap space next year, Peppers does have an expensive contract, especially for an older player. But if Peppers starts to light it up and finishes with his standard 11.0 sacks, then maybe it would be worth it. Another factor is the development of Shea McClellin, Corey Wootton and Cornelius Washington. If the Bears feel good enough about the younger players stepping up into larger roles, Peppers could become expendable. But just like with Cutler, Bears general manager Phil Emery has plenty of time before he has to make that call.

Shedding his receiver duties to focus on his return game has seemed to work out well for Devin Hester.

He returned five kickoffs for a Bears-record 249 yards against the Vikings in Week 2 -- including a 76-yarder and an 80-yarder -- and brought back his only kickoff return 31 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.

If Hester, who will be a free agent after the season, continues to be a difference-maker for the Bears in the return game, will his career in Chicago extend beyond this season?

Our panel weighs in on that and more:

Fact or Fiction: Devin Hester will play his way into a new Bears contract after this season.

Jeff Dickerson: Fact. A confident and healthy Hester is a great weapon for the Bears to have under contract moving forward. If Hester has a Pro Bowl caliber year returning kickoffs and punts, why wouldn't the Bears make an attempt to re-sign him in the offseason? The question, of course, is compensation. Hester is making a total of $2.1 million in 2013 to be strictly a specialist. Are the Bears comfortable paying him the same amount in a new contract? Will Hester want more? These are difficult topics to discuss because we really don't know how it's all going to shake out. But put it this way: After two weeks Hester has done nothing to hurt his chances of landing a new deal from the Bears in free agency, or maybe even before that.

Jon Greenberg: Fiction. Like Marc Trestman, I'm an admitted Hester fan. Watching him return kicks is like watching Derrick Rose drive the lane, pure athletic joy. But I don't know that the Bears will be able to afford a full-time kick returner. I think Hester will have a very good season, and I think he's worth a good deal just as a return man, but I bet the Bears let him get that money on the open market and invest in other positions. It'll be a sad day when Hester is no longer a Bear, so enjoy him now.

(Read full post)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears veteran defensive end Julius Peppers had no desire to revisit his two performances in the opening weeks of the regular season when he stopped to meet the media at the conclusion of Wednesday’s practice inside the Walter Payton Center.

Peppers’ productivity is a hotly debated topic in Chicago. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection failed to register a sack in either of the Bears’ wins against Cincinnati or Minnesota, and according to the team’s official defensive stats based on coaches review, Peppers has just two total tackles and one quarterback pressure in 97 combined snaps.

“This week [the pass rush is] going to be improved,” Peppers said. “I’m not interested in talking about anything from last week. My focus is on Pittsburgh and getting better.”

Peppers battled an illness last week that forced him to miss the Thursday practice leading up to the Minnesota game and eventually landed him on the final injury report as “probable." The 12-year NFL veteran continued to feel ill on Sunday during the Bears’ 31-30 victory over the Vikings, and then actually felt worse the next day on Monday, according to Bears coach Marc Trestman.

However, Peppers was listed as having full participation on Wednesday.

“I’m feeling fine. I’m not interested in talking about the first two weeks right now," he said. "My focus is on Pittsburgh and winning the game this week.”

The prospects of Peppers having a rebound effort Sunday night in Pittsburgh look to be promising. The Steelers are one of the worst offenses in the league through two weeks (No. 31), and 6-foot-5 quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has had a difficult time staying upright -- Roethlisberger has been sacked seven times in two games.

“It’s getting him down,” Peppers said of the challenges in facing Roethlisberger. "It’s one thing to get there, but when you get there you have to get him down, and we’re going to need a group effort to do that.

"We’re not looking past anybody. We’re really concerned about ourselves, and getting better, that’s where the focus is at.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears held out cornerback Charles Tillman (knee) from Wednesday’s practice inside the Walter Payton Center, but he is expected to be ready to play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Just precautionary -- he should be ready to go in practice [Thursday],” Bears coach Marc Trestman said.

Tillman was listed on the injury report last Wednesday with a knee ailment. He participated in one practice in a limited capacity heading into the club’s Week 2 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. Tillman appeared to reinjure the knee Sunday in the Bears' win over the Vikings but was able to play the entire game.

In other injury news, tight end Martellus Bennett (shoulder) worked on a limited basis, as did rookie right tackle Kyle Long (back).

Despite missing practice time last week after exhibiting flu-like symptoms, defensive end Julius Peppers participated during Wednesday’s session.

Coming off back-to-back years in which he contributed 11 sacks or more, Peppers seems to be off to a slow start through the first two games this season. Peppers’ contributions thus far have been two tackles and zero sacks, leading to speculation that he’s playing injured.

Peppers denied that Wednesday as he walked off the practice field.

“I'm feeling fine,” Peppers said. "I'm not interested in talking about the first two weeks right now. My focus is on Pittsburgh and winning the game this week."

RISING

1. Jay Cutler, QB: Cutler turned over the ball three times, including a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Instead of melting down, Cutler completed 8 of 10 (including a spike to stop the clock) passes for 76 yards on the club's game winning drive, and hit Martellus Bennett on a 16-yard scoring strike for the game-winner. Cutler has now engineered back-to-back comebacks against two 2012 playoff participants. Considering the way Cutler has been able to overcome adversity in these difficult games early on, you've got to be encouraged by his prospects later down the line in big games and possibly the postseason.

2. Matt Forte, RB: After a lackluster season opener in which he rushed for 50 yards on 19 attempts, Forte bounced back in a major way against the Vikings. Forte contributed 161 yards from scrimmage (90 yards rushing, 71 receiving), marking his 13th career game in which he's generated 150 yards or more. Forte was targeted more than any running back in the NFL in Week 2 (11 times) and caught every ball thrown his way. Forte was also a valuable contributor in pass protection. Furthermore, his yards per route run was the highest in the league of any RB and his drop pass rate was the lowest of any RB, according to Pro Football Focus.

3. Devin Hester, KR/PR: Hester seemed poised to bust a few big returns considering he's run back four returns for touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings, which is the most he's had against any team. When the Vikings returned the opening kickoff 105 yards for a TD, Hester immediately responded on the ensuing kickoff with a 76-yard return. Hester broke his own 2006 record for return yards in a single game (225), by burning the Vikings for 249 yards. His 49.8 yards per return against the Vikings ranked as the third best in franchise history among players with three or more returns in a game.

FALLING

1. Julius Peppers, DE: Peppers missed practice time last week after experiencing flu-like symptoms, and Bears coach Marc Trestman said the defensive end was even more ill against the Vikings than he had been in the previous two days leading into the game. Two games into the season, Peppers has not recorded a sack, and at this time last year, he'd already racked up two. That's not to say Peppers won't produce his third consecutive season with double-digit sack totals, because more than likely he will. But the veteran is certainly off to a slow start, having graded out negatively in both games.

2. Henry Melton, DT: Melton has actually graded out worse than Peppers through the first two games. The club gave Melton the franchise designation in the offseason with the hopes that it could eventually work out a long-term deal with the defensive tackle. But at this point, the franchise might be reconsidering its intentions. Melton has contributed three tackles thus far, with no sacks or quarterback pressures. Through the first two games of the 2012 season, Melton had posted three sacks. So like Peppers, Melton is off to a slow start.

3. Jermon Bushrod, LT: The prized acquisition of free agency, Bushrod signed on to be Cutler's blindside protection, and while he's been a significant upgrade over former left tackle J'Marcus Webb, there's still room for improvement. According to Pro Football Focus, Bushrod graded out as the worst of Chicago's offensive linemen against the Vikings. He surrendered a sack, a quarterback hit and three hurries against the Vikings. Through the first two games, Bushrod has given up two quarterback hits and six pressures, in addition to grading out negatively in each contest.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The staff sent Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers home last week due to him exhibiting flu-like symptoms, but apparently he hadn’t fully recovered by Sunday when the team defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-30.

Peppers came into the matchup with only one tackle and no sacks on the season, and contributed only one more tackle against Minnesota as the club struggled to consistently apply pressure on Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder.

“He was not healthy yesterday, probably sicker yesterday than he was the previous days,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “He tried. He wouldn’t say it, but in his defense, I don’t know that he had the energy to play as hard as he possibly could play.”

Peppers restructured his contract on Sept. 3 to create more salary-cap room for the team by converting $3 million of his base salary of $12.9 million into a signing bonus, which knocked his base salary in 2013 to $9.9 million. That move created $2 million in cap space for the Bears, and reduced his cap charge from $16.387 million this season to $14.387 million.

But in the final two years of Peppers’ deal, his cap numbers rise. In 2014, Peppers’ cap number grows from $17.183 million to $18.183 million. In 2015, Peppers’ cap number grows to $20.683 million.

Peppers has racked up 30.5 sacks in three seasons with the Bears, including back-to-back years in which he’s contributed 11 sacks or more. It’s still too early in the season to predict a decline for Peppers, but through the first two games, the contributions (two tackles) haven’t been up to the defensive end’s standards.

Through the first two games of last season, Peppers had already tallied two sacks.

“He was involved, ran some plays down (against the Vikings),” Trestman said. “But overall, he wasn’t getting better at the time. He didn’t look well to me this morning when I saw him in the meeting. He’s not going to admit it.”

Said teammate Lance Briggs, "No, I’m not concerned. He missed a lot of practice last week because he’s been really sick and under the weather. One thing I’m not worried about is Julius Peppers.”

An examination of four hot issues from the Bears’ 31-30 win over the Vikings:

Cutler’s comebacks: In crunch time, Jay Cutler has been more composed than in past performances, which is why he was able to recover from three turnovers and rally the team for the second consecutive week. Cutler believes in the system and the coaches, and that’s paid dividends. It’s also a reason the normally fiery Cutler, according to teammates, has been the calmest player in the huddle during critical situations.

On the sideline, Cutler’s sounding board is quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh.

“Nothing really rattles him,” Cutler said. “He just taps the bench and says come over and sit down. We talk it out. If I’ve got to vent, he lets me get it off my chest and moves straight to the pictures. He’s a calming influence.”

Pass rush still lacking: The Bears forced three turnovers, which is pretty standard for the defense, but the club still hasn’t generated consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Bears go into Week 3 with just two sacks. At this point last season, the team had racked up eight.

“Early on last year, we started off with a bunch more sacks,” defensive end Corey Wootton said. “I don’t think we played up to our caliber with the arsenal we have up front.”

The front four’s highest-paid defenders, Julius Peppers and Henry Melton, have combined for five tackles with zero sacks. With them earning a combined $18.35 million in base salary this season, they’re making a combined $458,750 per tackle so far, by my math.

Dual-threat Forte: Matt Forte touched the ball 30 times and finished with 161 yards from scrimmage, way above his average of 102 yards per game going into the season. Forte has recorded 150 yards or more from scrimmage in 13 career games.

What’s more, Cutler targeted Forte more than go-to receiver Brandon Marshall for the first time since last season’s Week 2 loss at Green Bay. The change stems from the way the club now deploys Forte in the passing game, and provides Cutler another weapon when teams take away options such as Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett.

“We’ve got some guys that want the ball,” Cutler said. “Whenever we give them opportunities, they make plays.”

Cracks in special teams: Cordarrelle Patterson’s 105-yard TD return on the opening kickoff marked the first time the Bears gave up a kickoff-return touchdown since Sept. 30, 2007, against Detroit. Although the Bears immediately responded with a 76-yard return by Devin Hester, there appear to be weaknesses in Chicago’s coverage units.

“I saw a big hole. No way I could’ve missed it,” Patterson said.

In the opener, the punt-coverage unit surrendered a 50-yard return by Adam Jones on the team’s first punt of the day, but it was nullified by an illegal block above the waist.

“It’s hard to be minus-2 in turnovers and get a kick return for a touchdown and win the game,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said.

CHICAGO – Here are five things we learned in the Chicago Bears’ 31-30 win over the Minnesota Vikings:

1. Jay Cutler led in crunch time. Cutler made his share of mistakes on Sunday, but he managed to shake them off and guide the Bears 66 yards down the field in 3:05 to score the game-winning touchdown on a 16-yard pass to tight end Martellus Bennett. Cutler went 7 for 10 on the drive, but keep in mind he had to spike the ball to kill the clock and that his first pass of the drive bounced off an official standing in the middle of the field in front of intended target Alshon Jeffery (another incomplete pass to Jeffery got wiped out by a holding penalty). This is why the Bears traded for Cutler four years ago: to win games. When the chips were down, the quarterback stayed calm, put the team on his shoulders and led them to a come-from-behind victory in the closing minutes of an important game. What an encouraging start to the season for Cutler in a contract year.

2. Turnovers keep inferior teams in games. Now for the bad part: The Bears almost handed the game to Minnesota -- literally. It’s hard to win when a team commits four turnovers. The Bears were able to survive versus the Vikings, but next time they probably won’t be so lucky. In the span of a little more than three minutes in the second quarter, Cutler was sacked and fumbled the ball, which Minnesota returned for a touchdown, and threw an interception in the end zone on first-and-goal from the Vikings’ 1-yard line that killed a prime scoring chance. Cutler later tossed a pick on a deep ball to Brandon Marshall, and Matt Forte had the ball ripped away at the end of a run. Both of those turnovers came in the fourth quarter. Throw in a special-teams breakdown on Cordarrelle Patterson’s 105-yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff, and the Bears have plenty of mistakes to correct going into their Week 3 game at Pittsburgh. That should prevent the team from feeling too good about themselves this week in practice.

3. Devin Hester is again ridiculous. People snickered at the positive reviews Hester received from observers during training camp, but even the most anti-Hester fans have to admit he ran with a purpose on Sunday, returning five kickoffs for a career-high 249 yards, with long runs of 76 and 80 yards. The decision to limit Hester to strictly special teams was a brilliant one. He has fresh legs. That’s been obvious since the preseason. But the most important thing with Hester is always his confidence. Ever since he got over the whole ‘I want to retire’ drama at the end of last season, Hester has been walking tall with his head held high. When Hester feels good about himself, he’s dangerous. Don’t be surprised to see his success in the return game snowball over the next couple of weeks. That’s how it goes with Hester.

4. Defense is still searching for an identity. The Bears continue to take the ball away on defense, which is good, but they are simply not generating enough pressure up front. Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder attempted 30 passes and was sacked just once. That’s not good enough. For the second straight week, Pro Bowl defensive linemen Julius Peppers and Henry Melton were non-factors, with a combined three tackles (before the coaches review the film). What’s going on up front? Overall, the Bears surrendered six plays of 20-plus yards against Minnesota after being torched repeatedly by Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green in Week 1. To be fair, the Vikings scored 14 points on Sunday on a fumble return and a kickoff return. But I think we would all agree the defense looks very un-Bears-like to open the regular season.

5. Ponder better than expected. Ponder is still the fourth-best quarterback in the NFC North, but he deserves some credit for almost leading the Vikings to their first win in Chicago since 2007. Ponder completed some key throws late to finish with 227 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, while also showing no fear running with the football. He took a heck of a hit from Bears linebacker James Anderson near the home team’s sideline in the second half, but at no point did Ponder shy away from the contact. Minnesota is still 0-2 and in deep trouble already with two loses to NFC North teams, but I don’t think Vikings fans will be clamoring for Matt Cassel to start anytime soon. Or at least they shouldn’t be.