Bengals vs Steelers Expert's Take: Cincinnati needs to capitalize on Russell Wilson's 'fatal flaw'
High stakes, cold weather, and bad blood. Sounds a lot like a Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers game in December. Pittsburgh is 8-3 on the year with a half-game lead in the AFC North. Cincinnati is four games behind at 4-7 clinging on to hopes of sneaking into the playoffs. The outcome of this game will be huge […]
High stakes, cold weather, and bad blood. Sounds a lot like a Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers game in December.
Pittsburgh is 8-3 on the year with a half-game lead in the AFC North. Cincinnati is four games behind at 4-7 clinging on to hopes of sneaking into the playoffs. The outcome of this game will be huge for both teams.
The last time these rivals had their first meeting of the season in December was 10 years ago in 2014. Who they are now is different compared to expectations from August. To learn more about what the Steel Curtain really looks like nowadays, I turned to A to Z Sports' Steelers beat writer Rob Gregson to get the scoop.
JS: Before that blizzard in Cleveland last week, the Steelers were absolutely rolling with five consecutive wins. It's obvious that giving Russell Wilson the keys from Justin Fields has paid off. Is he essentially the same guy from his days with the Seattle Seahawks, or is this an evolved version of Russ who's cooking with Arthur Smith?
RG: In his first three games, Russell Wilson looked like his old self from Seattle. But his fatal flaw has shown up over the last three weeks…sacks. He’s been taken down 11 times in his last three games, which is tied for the 3rd most among any starting QB. He needs to fix that and fast.
JS: Injuries have made an impact on the Steelers' offensive line as eight different players have taken at least 150 snaps for the unit this season. What's the group looking like right now, and where are the strengths and weaknesses?
RG: The strengths lie along the interior of the line, where the trio of left guard Isaac Seumalo, center Zack Frazier, and right guard Mason McCormick have shined. In contrast, the tackle situation has been a hardship for Pittsburgh, as right tackle Broderick Jones simply hasn’t taken the leap Pittsburgh was hoping for, and left tackle Dan Moore Jr. is coming off his worst game of the season against Myles Garrett.
JS: Nobody needs any introduction to T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward, but there's more to this notoriously tenacious defense than them. Which player on Pittsburgh's defense deserves more love for how they've played this year?
RG: One name that stands above the rest on defense is safety DeShon Elliott. He might be their best acquisition of the offseason when you see the impact he’s had on the run game and turnover margin. Beyond him, rookie Payton Wilson has been a tremendous find at linebacker, and Nick Herbig has been a menace on the edge when healthy.
JS: Pittsburgh has taken the last two meetings in this rivalry and three of the last four, albeit without having to play Joe Burrow for two of those contests. Do you see the status quo staying the same in this one?
RG: Joe Burrow is on fire but the Steelers can’t afford to take another loss with the Ravens coming off a big Monday win. I believe Pittsburgh shows up for this one, and they find a way to create a key turnover to win a close game in Cincy.
For more Steelers news and analysis, check out Rob's work on our A to Z Pittsburgh YouTube page!
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