The Pittsburgh Steelers could not win in Ohio last week but they will get one more go at it this weekend with a road matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers saw their four-game win streak end with a loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football but now they will have a chance to get back on track with the 0-10 Bengals up next. Here are all the stats you will need to know for this divisional matchup.
8 – There is no better feeling than watching two of the best go head to head as the two teams struggle to gain an inch on each other. This Sunday’s game may be similar but for completely opposite reasons. The Bengals come in with the NFL’s worst run defense, allowing 167 rushing yards per game while the Steelers come in with the 27th ranked rushing offense. There is no doubt that the Bengals will give up more than a few inches on the ground, the only question is will the Steelers take it? The Steelers have failed to crack 100-yards rushing in eight of their ten games this season and will be relying on Benny Snell Jr. and Jaylen Samuels to get them back on track.
8.5 – The Bengals offense is going to have their hands full Sunday as they try to negate the many talented pass rushers that the Steelers will utilize against them. While the Bengals may focus most of their attention against T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, they should not forget about veteran defensive end Cameron Heyward. No player has recorded more sacks against the Bengals since 2011 than Heyward. With 8.5 sacks and 11 QB hits, the veteran defensive lineman has been a consistent thorn in the Bengals side and look for him to continue to pile on to his growing sack total Sunday afternoon.
10.9 – Mason Rudolph vs Ryan Finley is not going to make any national headlines anytime soon as the quarterback matchup this Sunday will see two of the NFL’s safest passers go head to head. Both quarterbacks have developed a tendency to be safe and not push the ball downfield which should make this viewing experience quite an interesting one. Finely and Rudolph are averaging a combined 10.9 passing yards per attempt as the Steelers quarterback has averaged just 6.3 yards per attempt while the Bengals’ rookie quarterback is sitting at just 4.6 yards per attempt. Without much of an offense around him, do not expect Rudolph to continuously take shots downfield unless this game gets away from him. With two safe offenses battling, this game may be decided by whichever coordinator can extract the most from their skill players.
17.8 – The Steelers saw their takeaway streak come to an end last Thursday as the defense failed to record a turnover against the Browns’ offense. Good news for the Steelers’ defense is that they will have a more than favorable chance to get back on track against the Bengals. The Bengals offense has turned the football over on 17.8-percent of their offensive drives this season, third highest in the league. If the Bengals are handing out turnovers freely, the Steelers defense should show off their greediness and grab more than just a couple.
29.8 – Andy Dalton is likely glad that he will not be playing the Steelers’ defense again this season, as the Steelers sacked the Bengals’ quarterback eight times in their last matchup. Now it will be Finley who will be next in line for a possible punishment at the hands of the Steelers’ front seven. The Steelers currently lead the AFC with a pressure rate of 29.8-percent and this could be a disaster in the making for a rookie quarterback making his third career start.
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