'It's been a total failure of complementary football' – Expert exposes Cincy's biggest weakness vs. Steelers
It might seem a bit hyperbolic, but Sunday in Ohio is a must-win for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Facing a Cincinnati Bengals team that has their season on the line, it will be a marquee matchup for the two squads on CBS. But if the Steelers are to come out on top, there is one area […]
It might seem a bit hyperbolic, but Sunday in Ohio is a must-win for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Facing a Cincinnati Bengals team that has their season on the line, it will be a marquee matchup for the two squads on CBS.
But if the Steelers are to come out on top, there is one area they will have to attack:
Q. Joe Burrow has been what Mike Tomlin called an “MVP candidate” in 2024. Coming into the season, it was widely believed that if the Bengals had a healthy Joe Burrow, they were a Super Bowl contender. Yet the team is 4-7 and 10th in the AFC playoff picture. What gives?
A. Just about everything has gone wrong on the defensive side of the ball. Sure, they need better interior offensive line play and their running game needs more stability, but the losses have been a product of allowing too many points. Veterans who've been here since 2021 have mostly regressed aside from Trey Hendrickson. New additions such as Geno Stone and Sheldon Rankins have played far below expectations. It's a collection of middling athletes who lack the ability to make critical plays when needed, and it's forcing the offense to be absolutely perfect. Burrow has done all he can and they're still 1-6 in one-score games. It's been a total failure of complementary football.
– John Sheeran, A to Z Sports Cincinnati
Q. The Bengals could have locked up the best WR in the league this offseason when Ja’Marr Chase held out of training camp. He bet on himself, and he has a real shot at being the first triple-crown winner since Cooper Kupp in 2021. This means that whatever he was asking for last year, just add to it. Do you think Cincy made a mistake in waiting to sign him?
A. This time last year I would've said he was always going to be a 2025 extension, but when they actually tried and couldn't get it done this year, they made that mistake on their own. They were very close to crossing the finish line but tripped over their own feet structuring guarantees. This doesn't happen anywhere else in the NFL, not when extending one of the best players in the game is on the table. The framework for the deal is in place, but the value has absolutely increased. They'll have the money to do so, but who knows how much more cash they'll have to give him immediately now and how that will impact their flexibility in free agency.
– Sheeran
Q. It’s been must-win territory for the Bengals for a few weeks now. However, the last thing the Steelers can afford is to drop two straight, both in the division. Who do you think comes out on top come Sunday?
A. It's customary for the Steelers to drop a stinker now and then against a losing team like the Cleveland Browns. Rarely do we see them do it twice in a row. This will be the first time in a while the Bengals have to prepare for a real passing offense out of Pittsburgh. I think George Pickens will be too much for the Bengals' maligned secondary to stop, and while Chase and Tee Higgins will have advantageous matchups as well, the Steelers' pass rush is significantly better than just Trey Hendrickson doing it all for the Bengals. There's simply too much favoring the Steelers for me to pick against them.
– Sheeran
