You have heard me many times refer to the penthouse to outhouse scenario that many players endure early in their careers and Steeler sophomore Ben Roethlisberger is the latest to NFL player to endure this troublesome journey.

Last season was a magical one for the rookie out of Miami of Ohio as he led the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game and was the unanimous rookie of the year. He was able to survive the rigors of 16-game regular season and two playoff games, relatively injury free

2005 has not been the case however and the absence of him on a steady basis in the Pittsburgh lineup has caused the offense to sputter and also jeopardize the Steelers playoff chances. Rumor has it that Big Ben is suffering from a broken thumb on his throwing hand and that is coupled with a wonky knee. This Sunday the Monsters of the Midway known as the resurgent Chicago Bears are headed to Pennsylvania with a ferocious front four and a linebacking crew that takes great pride in sending offensive players to the infirmary.

The Bears finished 5-11 last season and at the bottom of the NFC North, failing to make the playoffs for a third straight year.

They weren't expected to be much better this season and got off to a 1-3 start, but have since recovered to win eight straight and take a two-game division lead over Minnesota. This is Chicago's longest winning streak since a 12-game run in 1985, when the team finished 15-1 and captured the franchise's only Super Bowl.

The Bears are scoring only 16.8 points per game, but the defense has held opponents to an average of 10.6. The quarterback position continues to be an obvious weakness for the Bears, with rookie Kyle Orton going 6-of-17 for 68 yards against the Packers. Orton started the season in place of the injured Rex Grossman and has a quarterback rating of 60.2 on the season with nine touchdowns, 13 interceptions and 11 fumbles.

However, Orton's 9-3 record is the one statistic that matters most.

The Steelers, meanwhile, are trying to avoid becoming the first team in NFL history to miss the playoffs after winning 15 games the previous season. Pittsburgh lost 38-31 to Cincinnati last week to fall two games back in the division and one game out in the wild-card race.

Roethlisberger played through a right thumb injury to throw for a career-high 383 yards, but also had three interceptions. Pittsburgh has committed 19 turnovers, only two behind last season's total.

It looks like the honeymoon is over in Pennsylvania for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia fans and the sales on Big Ben sandwiches and Campbell’s Chunky Soup are in decline. In Pittsburgh Roethlisberger is beat up hockey star Lemeiux is in the hospital with a irregular heartbeat and the Pirates are not there yet.

In Philly the Eagles are in a state of disarray, the Phillies are reloading and the Flyers are underachieving.

Thank God for Penn State!