The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense put in another disappointing performance this week. After some solid showings in recent weeks, the clock struck midnight for that unit. Many of the issues that plagued them to start the year reared their ugly heads again. The Steelers couldn’t stop the run, nor could they get consistent pressure on the quarterback. They also allowed too many explosive plays.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ offense often did whatever it wanted. According to Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati was ready for what Pittsburgh’s defense threw at them.
“They did exactly what we was expecting and hoping they’d do…” Chase said after the game via the Bengals’ YouTube channel. “Man [coverage]. We knew they was gonna put Joey [Porter Jr.] on Tee [Higgins] and put Jalen [Ramsey] on me. And we knew that we was ready for it. We was gonna take advantage of those opportunities.”
The Steelers’ defensive game plan this week looked similar to how it’s been against the Bengals in recent years. Defending against Chase and Higgins isn’t an easy task for any defense. Oftentimes, they get the better of their opponents. The Steelers have tried to use Porter’s size to guard Higgins, while doubling Chase.
Last year, that strategy got them into trouble. In their second meeting, the Steelers had Cory Trice Jr. guard Chase, and he caught six passes for 86 yards and one touchdown.
This year, the Steelers were hoping the results would be different because of the upgrades they made to their secondary. They added Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Juan Thornhill. It seemed like those players would help contain Chase and Higgins, but that didn’t happen.
Chase had an amazing day, catching 16 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown. That’s the record for most receptions by a player against the Steelers in a single game. Higgins wasn’t left out of the party, either. He caught six passes for 96 yards and one touchdown. Both of them beat the Steelers’ secondary up.
While the Bengals got the best of the Steelers this week, they’ll have a chance to get some revenge in a few weeks. They’ll get their rematch against the Bengals in Week 11. We’ll see if their strategy on defense will change. It wasn’t good enough this time, so perhaps they should consider adding a few new wrinkles the next time they play the Bengals.
