Bengals expert explains why Cincinnati's hot streak is bound to end against the Steelers
The NFL decided to end the mystery surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. In what is a big game for Pittsburgh, and a must-win for the Bengals, the two will battle it out in the regular season finale, in primetime on Saturday night. And to get ready for the matchup, who better […]
The NFL decided to end the mystery surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
In what is a big game for Pittsburgh, and a must-win for the Bengals, the two will battle it out in the regular season finale, in primetime on Saturday night.
And to get ready for the matchup, who better to talk to than John Sheeran of A to Z Spprts Cincinnati, who gave a special caveat to the Bengals' hot streak, and why the Steelers could end it:
Q. Pittsburgh is reeling after three straight losses. On the other hand, Cincy is now 8-8 after starting the season 4-8. What has been the catalyst for the late season playoff push, and how does it affect the Steelers?
A. Playing backup and inexperienced quarterbacks when Joe Burrow leads your offense certainly helps. The Bengals have been getting truly elite QB play from Burrow all season and only in the last four weeks has their defense been pulling some of its weight against the likes of Cooper Rush, Will Levis, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. It’s still an imperfect unit in many ways, but it goes to show how this season could’ve gone if they weren’t so horrific on the other side of the ball during the first 12 games.
– Sheeran
Q. One big difference between the Steelers and Bengals in recent weeks is the turnover differential. Pittsburgh has gone ice cold on defense while Russell Wilson has started giving the ball away. How have the Bengals started creating takeaways?
A. I hate to have a repeat answer here but again, look at the quarterbacks they’ve faced. Personnel changes have also gone a long way. Sam Hubbard’s injury cleared the way for Joseph Ossai to step in and make more of an impact in the pass rush, and Jordan Battle has finally become a full-time starter over Vonn Bell at safety. When it’s not just Trey Hendrickson playing well, the defense as a whole ends up playing a lot better. Crazy, but true.
– Sheeran
Q. Mike Tomlin once again fawned over Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. With that trio among the best and hottest in the league, it’s a good thing Joey Porter Jr is expected to be back for Pittsburgh. Do you expect the Bengals to feed Chase as he aims to close out his triple crown? Or is this simply do whatever it takes to win for Cincy?
A. Chase is as dominant as he is durable throughout games. They will always want to feature him as much as they can, but will look to Higgins when the opportunity arises like they did last weekend against the Denver Broncos. It’s just tough for defenses to contain both, so it’s a picking of poison. The best cure is obviously a great pass rush, which Pittsburgh undoubtedly has. That will factor into how the Bengals try and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Sheeran's point about the recent stretch of QBs that the Bengals have played is an important one, as Russell Wilson clears all of those players on paper and on the field.
But Wilson has cooled down as of late, and he walks into Saturday with a heavy hand in terms of turnovers and a Bengals defense who's hungry to force more.
We'll see who wins out.
