The Cincinnati Bengals have only won one game since the week Joe Burrow has been out with turf toe. They’ll get a chance to make it two wins against the same team when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Cincinnati has lost two straight since scraping by against the Steelers back in Week 7. Another loss would turn slim playoff hopes into playoff dreams. Pittsburgh has suffered a pair of losses with a win against the surging Indianapolis Colts sandwiched in-between them. Vibes aren’t exactly great in either locker room at the moment, but the juices will be flowing once again for a rivalry game.

Let’s check in with A to Z Pittsburgh’s Rob Gregson for the latest Steelers intel, and see how he thinks this all-important game will go.

JS: The Steelers are 1-2 since their first meeting against the Bengals last month and are coming off a rough loss last week. What’s been the main cause of their recent downturn?

RG: It’s ironic that a team preaching complementary football has done anything but in the last three weeks. After a pair of lackluster showings by the defense against the Bengals and Packers, that side of the ball has played much better. But here comes the downfall of the offense, where Aaron Rodgers literally struggled to complete a pass against the Chargers. If the Steelers could ever put together a solid day on both sides of the ball, they might actually be a halfway decent team.

JS: Aaron Rodgers has been sacked three times in each of the last three games and his efficiency has dwindled in that span as well. Are his issues his own or a product of the offense around him?

RG: It’s a global issue on offense. Aaron Rodgers has one of the fastest times to throw in the league, and that metric alone speaks to the problem inherent within the Steelers’ offense. The protection is not good enough to run deep play action or even 5-step drops out of gun. The WRs don’t separate well enough down the field, and then Aaron Rodgers is 41 years old. He can’t ad-lib the way he once did, and he’s just not willing to stand in there and take a hit. The offense is hamstrung by design.

JS: Pittsburgh’s defense was clearly surprised by Joe Flacco’s willingness to spam the ball Ja’Marr Chase’s way last time out. Do you expect a change in how they defend the Bengals’ No. 1 wideout?

RG: Even if the Steelers hadn’t completely changed the backend of their defensive backfield after the Bengals game, there is no way that Pittsburgh could go into this week’s game and say “run it back.” Darius Slay is in concussion protocol, and the Steelers have a new safety tandem via Kyle Dugger and Jalen Ramsey. Expect a lot more split safety coverage this go round, and maybe even newly acquired corner Asante Samuel Jr.

Final Score Prediction

RG: The Steelers are viewing this matchup as a get right game for their offense. I think that’s what happens. Maybe it’s Pat Freiermuth again, maybe it’s someone new, but I expect the Steelers to score in bunches and do a better job of limiting the playmakers on the Bengals’ perimeter.

37-30, Steelers win.