What to look out for in Steelers third straight AFC North contest
The Pittsburgh Steelers will remain in Ohio as they face the only AFC North team they have yet to battle with this season, the Cincinnati Bengals. This year’s rendition of the rivalry will feature two fairly healthy squads, which should make for an exciting outing. While the Bengals season has been less than ideal, if they want any chance at the playoffs, they will likely need to win out. For the Steelers, if they are to drop two straight, question marks may arise in terms of this team’s ceiling.
In one of the most lopsided all-time series records we have seen this season, the Steelers lead the Bengals 70-39. With Joe Burrow injured for each 2023 matchup, the Steelers swept the Bengals, one being by 20-plus points. In the games Burrow has played against Pittsburgh, he is 4-2, including a sweep against the black and gold in 2021 in embarrassing fashion.
The Bengals season started very poor, dropping their opening contest to the now 3-9 New England Patriots. They would then drop their next two to some of 2024’s biggest juggernauts in the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders. Since the 0-3 start, Cincinnati split their following eight games 4-4. Now at 4-7, it will take a near miracle for them to squeak into the playoffs, a disappointing realization with their opening expectations.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, will look to avenge their loss to Cleveland in primetime last week. With the blizzard in Cleveland behind us, Pittsburgh must get back on track quickly if they hope to keep their positioning over Baltimore. The 8-3 record looks pretty, but the schedule coming up does not.
For the Steelers, they will be without two defensive pieces on Sunday in DT Montravius Adams (knee) and CB Cory Trice Jr. (hamstring). While LB Alex Highsmith has not yet been ruled out, he is doubtful to make his return against Cincinnati.
While Burrow and their other superstars will be good to go, Cincinnati will be missing a few key pieces. This includes LB Logan Wilson (knee) and a questionable OT Orlando Brown Jr. (fibula).
This looks to be a feisty contest and with everything at stake for one team, let us take a look at some of the key storylines entering this Week 13 duel.
Burrow’s MVP-caliber season
Sam Greene-Imagn Images
Despite his team’s struggles in 2024, Burrow has been performing on another level. In just his last two games, Burrow has seven touchdowns, 784 pass yards, and an average completion percentage of 58. On the season, Burrow has 3,028 pass yards (3rd in the NFL) and 27 total touchdowns (T-1st in NFL). Without Burrow, this Bengals team would be far far away from competing.
Burrow’s talent, paired with his offensive weapons, are what make him so much more dangerous than some of the other A-list NFL QBs. His No. 1 target and college buddy, Ja’Marr Chase, leads the NFL in receiving yards (1,056) and touchdowns (12). His partner in crime, Tee Higgins, is not too shabby either. In his six games played this season, Higgins is averaging 12.9 yards per catch and has four touchdowns to his name. These two will look to wreak havoc on two talented Steelers cornerbacks.
Steelers’ response after disappointing loss
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The cat is out of the bag, Pittsburgh is now 5-0 vs. teams with a .500 record or better and 3-3 against teams with a worse than .500 record. With that being the storyline, it looks to be that Cincinnati may be a serious threat to the black and gold.
After their largest margin of defeat this season, Pittsburgh will have to get to their game early if they hope to get the edge on this potent Bengals offense. The Steelers followed their first loss of the season against the Indianapolis Colts with another to the Dallas Cowboys the following week. After their loss to Dallas, Pittsburgh put on a show against Las Vegas, a win that jumpstarted their five-game win streak that followed. With the playoffs looming ever closer, each game matters more and more and Pittsburgh cannot afford back-to-back losses.
What it all means
A loss to Pittsburgh all but ends Cincinnati’s season. With eight losses, it would likely take their fate out of their own hands. With this being the case, expect the crowd to be a factor, and the Bengals to be playing with a different level of desperation all game long.
The Steelers may have a bit more breathing room with their record, but their schedule says otherwise. The black and gold play just two more teams this season with a record below .500: the team they lost to last week and the Bengals. They must take advantage of these three games if they hope to finish with a strong positioning in the AFC. With matchups coming against some of the league’s best, Pittsburgh’s season could slip away somewhat fast if they are not careful.
The standings implications play a huge part in this matchup, but at the end of the day, it was always going to be a fiery game. The AFC North has not disappointed yet this season, and do not expect that to end now. It is a hard score to predict with a strong defense on one side and one of the league’s best offenses opposite them but here we go.
Score prediction: Steelers, 24, Bengals, 20