UPDATE (11:54 PM): Per the NFL’s official release, the Steelers and Bengals will play Saturday night at 8 PM/EST. We apologize for the incorrect information.
Our original story is below.
It’s been known since May the Pittsburgh Steelers would close out their regular season hosting the Cincinnati Bengals, Now, we know exactly when that will take place. Listed as TBA since the schedule release as the league waited to sort out which matchups were best to put in the early to late windows, the Steelers and Bengals will reportedly kickoff Sunday at 4:25 PM/EST.
That’s according to Tyler Wong, a trustworthy account for all things schedule-related, who notes the NFL will make it official later tonight during the Sunday Night broadcast.
The Bengals are coming off a wild Week 17 win over the Denver Broncos, knocking them off in a back-and-forth 30-24 overtime victory. QB Joe Burrow continued his excellent season, throwing for 412-yards and three touchdowns, overcoming seven sacks in the win. WR Tee Higgins found the end zone three times, including the game-winning score. The win keeps their playoff hopes alive, needing a victory, a Broncos’ Week 18 loss, and a Miami Dolphins’ loss to secure a Wild Card spot. The Broncos take on the Chiefs while the Dolphins face the Jets.
The league is reportedly having all three games kickoff at the same time, maximizing the drama on the final weekend.
Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati 44-38 in Week 13, a rare shootout Steelers’ victory. Bouncing back from a Bengals’ pick-six on the Steelers’ opening drive, QB Russell Wilson threw for 414-yards and three touchdowns. WR George Pickens, WR Calvin Austin III, and TE Pat Freiermuth were on the receiving end of those scores. Freiermuth continues to have his best success against the Bengals, going off for six catches, 68-yards, and a score on seven targets.
Defensively, the Steelers struggled to contain Burrow, who finished the game with 309-yards and three touchdowns. While WR Ja’Marr Chase had a solid game, catching one of TD passes, he was held relatively in check and kept under 100-yards. Until a long fourth quarter catch, he was held to under 50-yards.
The key to the win were Pittsburgh’s three takeaways. CB Donte Jackson picked off his fifth pass of the season while T.J. Watt forced a fumble after sacking Burrow, recovered by EDGE Preston Smith. EDGE Nick Herbig had the defensive play of the day, strip-sacking Burrow later in the game, returned for a touchdown by rookie LB Payton Wilson.
With the win, the Steelers moved to 9-3 and controlled the AFC North board. With the loss, the Bengals fell to 4-8, seemingly closing out their playoff hopes. But Cincinnati has battled hard and gotten breaks to go their way. They went on a three-game winning streak across Weeks 14-16. Getting help with a recent Broncos loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Bengals forged a path to make the playoffs at 8-8.
Cincinnati enters the game as early two-point favorites.
Losers of their last three, Pittsburgh no longer controls their AFC North destiny. To recapture first place at the finish line, the Steelers must beat the Bengals while the Baltimore Ravens must lose to the Cleveland Browns. If those things don’t go their way, the Steelers will be a road team on Wild Card weekend.
