Olsen evens score with Steelers safety after big hit

CHICAGO – Like a heavyweight champion, Greg Olsen picked himself off the canvas after absorbing a crushing blow and helped the Bears deliver a knockout punch Sunday against the Steelers.

Streaking down the left sideline in the second quarter, Olsen was about to haul in a long pass from Jay Cutler when Steelers safety Tyrone Carter obliterated him with a big hit, causing an incompletion.

Both players, who remained down for several minutes before being helped off the field, met again early in the fourth quarter. Only this time Olsen hung into a 29-yard pass from Cutler after another collision with Carter, setting up the Bears’ tying touchdown in an eventual 17-14 victory.

“The first one he won,” Olsen said. “He timed it up really well and was able to break the ball up as it got there. But the second one I won, and I’ll take that.”

After being held to one reception for eight yards in the season-opener at Green Bay, Olsen caught three passes for 41 yards in Sunday’s comeback win over the Steelers. On his 29-yarder, he dashed across the  middle before turning up the middle of the field.

“It’s a great play,” Olsen said. “We’d been working on it all offseason and training camp, but we hadn’t broken it out. We got the exact look that we needed. The safeties were wide in a cover-two look and we were able to get downfield, split the safeties and Jay put the ball on the money. It was a big play for us.”

Olsen’s catch gave the Bears a first down at the Pittsburgh 23. Five plays later, Cutler tossed a 7-yard TD pass to rookie Johnny Knox, tying the score 14-14 with 6:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.

(chicagobears.com)