Will the Steelers’ defense be able to slow down the Bengals’ offense?
Prior to embarrassing themselves in Cleveland, the Steelers did just enough to slow down two of the top offenses in the league: the Commanders and the Ravens. While the Commanders still scored 27 points, they worked inefficiently for them.
The Bengals don’t have a very good defense, but they sure have a good offense. And considering the Steelers’ offense is sputtering at the worst possible time, the onus will be on the defense to control the scoreboard in this one.
Despite going 1-2 in the process, the Bengals have averaged 34 points per game over their last three games. They also have the benefit of coming off of their bye this week, though the Steelers also had a longer break.
The Bengals obviously had more defensive than offensive things to work on. But that didn’t stop the offense from looking for ways to improve. After all, despite the numbers they’re putting up, they’re still losing games, and the Steelers obviously hope to continue adding to that loss column.
Even though the Bengals are putting up over 30 points per game offensively, they’re also allowing 30-plus over the same span. In fact, over the season, they have only scored one more point (297) than they’ve allowed (296). Yet they’re 4-7, which is what happens when you win blowouts but lose close games. The Steelers are good in close games, so they must keep this one manageable.
One thing the Steelers certainly can’t hope for is outgunning the Bengals. They are hard to slow down with QB Joe Burrow paired with WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. And the Bengals haven’t even had Higgins for much of the year.
The Steelers should definitely be very worried about the Bengals—in all phases. While Cincinnati’s defense isn’t great, they have Trey Hendrickson, who can wreck the Steelers’ offensive game plan. And they may well have to keep pace with at least a touchdown per quarter in this one to win.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
