As we do every week to get you ready for our upcoming game, our X-factor of the week. Sometimes, it’s a player, unit, concept, or scheme. Here’s our Pittsburgh Steelers X-factor of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
STEELERS VS BENGALS X-FACTOR: RUSSELL WILSON
The Steelers are taking on their third division opponent in as many weeks on Sunday, as they head back into Ohio to face the Bengals. As usual, the AFC North has been tough this year. The Steelers have managed to split their first two divisional matchups, grabbing a win against the Baltimore Ravens, but losing to the Cleveland Browns.
Now, they’ve got a massive game ahead of them. Sunday’s tilt has severe playoff implications for both teams. The Bengals’ situation is especially dire with seven losses on the year. A loss against Pittsburgh this week surely takes their playoff destiny out of their own hands. Pittsburgh’s got to keep winning to keep up with the Ravens in the race for the divisional crown.
A December AFC North matchup with a ton of implications is one of the most intense versions of the sport we get. With that in mind, the Steelers will hope their quarterback Russell Wilson, with a lot of playoff experience of his own, can help lead them to victory. Wilson has been solid for the Steelers so far, but he hasn’t completely unlocked the offense yet.
In the clip above, you can see a pretty good example of that. Around the six-second mark of the video, TE Pat Freiermuth breaks open behind the defense, but Wilson fails to see him. Wilson was very impressive against the Browns if you were to look at the box score. However, moments like these show that there’s still a bit of work to be done.
Ultimately, through two divisional games, Wilson could have done more. While he led the Steelers to a win against the Ravens, his offense struggled, and Wilson also threw a brutal interception late in the game. Wilson and the offense woke up a bit against the Browns, but those redzone problems lingered. The offense starting slow is a large part of the reason behind the loss.
This week, the Steelers face a talented quarterback and divisional rival in Joe Burrow. Pittsburgh really needs Wilson to have a good game. The Steelers wanted Wilson because of his prior experience, but he’s got to play better against the division. Cincinnati knows their season is essentially on the line, and it’s a safe bet that they’ll come out with some intensity.
Luckily, Wilson does have a pretty good matchup in front of him. The Bengals defense has been generous to opposing offenses. Cincinnati has given up 296 points on the year, the fifth-most in the NFL. The same unit was picked apart by Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers in their loss last week as well. It’s safe to say they aren’t coming into the game with a ton of momentum.
Sunday represents an excellent chance for Wilson. He’s got a favorable matchup against a divisional rival. Steelers fans will hope he can have the offense humming the same way it did for his first couple of starts earlier this season.
