My final Pittsburgh Steelers thoughts as the team travels to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.
1. SEEING A FAMILIAR FACE
When the Bengals offense takes the field, a player known as “Joe Cool” will be under center, but not the one that was expected back in August. The Bengals have been without starting QB Joe Burrow since he sustained a Grade 3 turf toe injury in their Week 2 game. Burrow required surgery and was placed on IR. Initial reports had him missing up to three months. Backup QB Jake Browning threw more interceptions than touchdowns in four games, causing the Bengals front office to add veteran Joe Flacco in a rare intra-divisional trade with the Cleveland Browns.
The irony, of course, is that Flacco was benched after having the same issue with the Browns, completing two touchdown passes but logging six interceptions in four starts for Cleveland. In his first game for the Bengals, with only one day to practice, Flacco posted a decent performance, completing 29 of 45 attempts for two touchdowns and no turnovers.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the trade in his weekly press conference. Pittsburgh would have much preferred facing Jake Browning than Flacco, who has played them 25 times and holds a 12-13 record against them. The familiarity of a veteran who has played in the AFC North almost his entire career will no doubt make the task more challenging for the Steelers defense. And while Flacco, at 40 years old, is no Joe Burrow, he is a significant upgrade from the other Bengals backup quarterbacks.
2. THE THREE-HEADED MONSTERS
On Sunday, the Steelers defense had all 11 starters healthy and active for the first time this season. It was also the first full game with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig all healthy and active for 60 minutes. It allowed for some creative defensive play calling, with all three pass rushers on the field together at times in the team’s 3-OLB package. The trio combined for three sacks and seven quarterback hits. This is certainly a recipe that DC Teryl Austin will be using again on Thursday night.
While they won’t all be on the field simultaneously, the three running backs all contributed to the new and improved Steelers rushing attack on Sunday. Starter Jaylen Warren took the majority of the snaps, going 52 yards on 11 carries and adding another 11 receiving yards. Add some incredible pass protection work against the Browns defense, and it is clear that Warren will see the field early and often against the Bengals. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith used all off his backs, though, giving Kenneth Gainwell and rookie Kaleb Johnson each six carries. On a short week, that depth will be useful to keep the ground game on schedule.
3. KEEP FEEDING DARNELL WASHINGTON
The biggest man in the tight end room probably isn’t missing too many meals. He needs to keep his energy up because he has become a key part of the offense in the past couple of weeks. Washington had size and strength as a rookie, but he has now added solid technique. In jumbo sets, he is a reliable and willing blocker. He is also a reliable pass-catcher and a hard man to bring down once he builds a head of steam.
Even better, opposing defenses will not know which role he is serving when he lines up, as shown on the first play against the Browns. Going forward, he needs to be targeted at least a few times per game, particularly in the red zone, where the Steelers had to settle for field goals three times in the first half on Sunday.
4. THE SECONDARY NEEDS TO BE SHARP
The Steelers defense has faced their share of talented wide receivers already this year. In New England, they were able to limit Stefon Diggs to three catches for only 23 yards. Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison were harder to contain, with all three logging over 100 yards receiving and multiple explosive (in some cases double and triple explosive) plays.
The Steelers DBs will potentially have their hands full with Ja’Marr Chase, who already has 468 receiving yards despite fairly poor quarterback play. Chase also has 21 receiving first downs, tied for sixth in the league. They will also need to account for Tee Higgins, who has delivered 14 receiving first downs and as well as 220 yards in the air and two touchdowns. Not to mention RB Chase Brown, who has shown himself to be a reliable pass catcher, averaging 5.1 yards per reception and a respectable 83-percent catch rate.
If the Steelers defense is going to prevent scoring drives and get off the field, they need to minimize the passing game, not just the run game. Unlike the previous game, this isn’t a rookie quarterback and an underwhelming wide receiver corps. It would also be great if the Steelers secondary (and linebackers) could secure those interceptions when the opportunity is there.
5. AARON RODGERS MAY GET A HALL PASS
After an eight month contract dispute that included a “hold in” during training camp, Bengals star DE Trey Hendrickson and the team finally agreed to a one year deal that gave him a $14 million dollar raise and an additional $1 million if he plays 60 percent of the defensive snaps this season.
With just this season to prove that he is deserving of a lucrative long-term contract, Hendrickson has certainly not lacked effort on the field. Despite that, he is on track for much lower production compared to his prior two standout seasons, with four sacks to date. Then again, he leads the team in sacks, QB hits, and tackles for loss, so there isn’t much of a pass rush if Hendrickson is out or limited in what he can do.
In Sunday’s game against the Packers, Hendrickson sustained a back injury just before halftime and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. An MRI reportedly showed “good results” and he was described as day-to-day with a chance to play against the Steelers. He has yet to practice. Strangely, his injury is now listed as a hip. He is officially “questionable” for his game status.
Even if Trey Hendrickson is cleared to play, he will apparently be dealing with both back and hip issues and is not likely to be at full force. Rookie edge rusher Shemar Stewart is set to make his return after missing four games due to an ankle injury but he may not be in game shape and has limited NFL experience. Without much of an effective pass rush from the Bengals defensive line, Aaron Rodgers could have a cleaner pocket and more time to throw than he has seen yet this season. That would certainly be a welcome change.
