This weekend, Pittsburgh Steelers fans are hoping to be thankful to see their team beat the Cincinnati Bengals. With this being their third divisional game in a row, the Steelers need to perform better than they did last week. They’re still atop the AFC North, but if they lose this week, that could change. Analyst Colin Cowherd has the utmost faith in the Steelers to win Sunday in Cincinnati though.
“Pittsburgh off a loss is gonna be feisty,” Cowherd said recently on his podcast. “Pittsburgh as [an underdog] is great. [Joe] Burrow’s wonderful, but not when he’s sitting on the bench watching a run game dominate time of possession. I like the Steelers as a dog plus-three. It’s a much better team.”
Although the Bengals might have more top-shelf talent, the Steelers have been the better team this year. It isn’t everything but take one look at their records. The Steelers are 8-3 while the Bengals are 4-7. The Bengals have their franchise quarterback, and yet, it’s looking likely that they’re going to miss the playoffs.
That’s in contrast to the Steelers, who had to go bargain shopping for a quarterback this offseason. They took a flier on Russell Wilson, and it looks like their gamble has paid off. While defense has been the engine of their team, Wilson has done enough to elevate the offense.
Burrow and receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are electric, but the Bengals’ defense has struggled to support them. Their offensive line has struggled mightily this year too. The Steelers have their own flaws, but they’ve been a more complete team this year.
That doesn’t guarantee that they’re going to win this weekend. Like Cowherd says, they are three-point underdogs. This game is in Cincinnati, so the Bengals have home-field advantage. Burrow is the type of quarterback who can win any game too. The Bengals’ defense has some talent as well. Pass rusher Trey Hendrickson is leading the league in sacks, so he could wreck the game for the Steelers.
Like most AFC North matchups, this battle will likely be close until the clock hits zeroes. The Bengals have a ton of firepower, but the Steelers have the personnel to put out their blaze. Cowherd has confidence in the Steelers, but fans know how much the Steelers love playing in close games. There probably isn’t going to be anything easy about this game.
