The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't throw in the towel and surrender to the critics when they started the season with a 1-3 won-loss record.

They did something about it in the best way they could. They won games.

A four-game winning streak has lifted the Steelers to 5-3 and put them back in their familiar spot as contenders in the AFC North.

The Steelers are looking to stretch their streak to five games in Sunday's home game against the Detroit Lions at Heinz Field.

Their 29-27 win over the Chicago Bears Monday night was typical of how the Steelers have put together their streak.

All four games were close: 27-19 over the Broncos; 23-20 over the Seahawks in overtime; 15-10 over the division rival Browns and the win over the Bears on a field goal with 36 seconds left.

All in all, it was a satisfying night for the Steelers, despite the drama and the ups and downs.

The Bears, led by rookie quarterback Justin Fields, rallied back from deficits of 14-0 in the first half and 20-6 in the second to take a 27-26 lead on Fields' TD pass to wide receiver Darnell Mooney with 1:46 left.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did what he has done throughout his 18-year career. He led the Steelers on a 57-yard, 7-play drive to the winning field goal.

Veteran cornerback Joe Haden told the media he had no doubt Roethlisberger would lead the Steelers to a victory.

"We have a Hall of Fame quarterback," Haden said simply.

"I was just hoping he'd get it down the field.

"We work on the two-minute all the time in practice. He gets it down the field on us."

Key players came through for the Steelers, as they often have over the years.

Roethlisberger has 10 TD passes against four interceptions for the season. That's far off what he routinely produced in his prime.

But in the winning streak, he has six TD passes without an interception.

Outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who has 11.5 sacks for the season, was a dominating force against the Bears. He had three sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.

And two young players who are showing signs of being future stars made their presence felt.

Running back Najee Harris, a first-round pick, rushed for 62 yards and a TD.

Tight end Pat Freiermuth, a second-round pick, had five catches and two TDs.

Regardless of what happens, at least the Steelers have put themselves in position to be competitive.

It didn't seem that way when they were 1-3, but that turned out to be a pivotal moment in their season.

"Our goal going into the bye week was to get to .500," linebacker Joe Schobert said after the Steelers had beaten the Browns.

"Keep this momentum running. That's what playoff teams do.

"We have to keep this train rolling and get the wins."