Steelers Cannot Ignore The 1 Factor That Makes The Bengals The Most Dangerous Team On Their Schedule

After the Pittsburgh Steelers' frustrating loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football, fans are concerned about the upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Any game in the AFC North is fated to be tough, and for some reason, the Steelers have only fallen to losing teams this season. All three of their losses have come to teams below .500. The flip side is that they play well against high-performing teams, which is good news considering the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles are still on the schedule. 

While the Steelers are currently 8-3 and lead the AFC North, the games seem to get more challenging as the season progresses. They will face another four-day turnaround, again involving the Ravens, as they play them on December 21st and turn around and face the Chiefs on Christmas Day. But they need to focus on the Bengals first.

Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette joined the Joe Starkey Show on 93.7 The Fan and he was asked if he agrees Steelers fans should be extra worried because of the Bengals' "desperation factor."    

"I agree," acknowledged Batko. "I think sometimes people hand wave that, 'Oh no, it's the NFL. Everybody is motivated, and everybody wants to win.' That is a factor sometimes. For the Bengals, the playoffs start now for them. They are kind of like the Steelers last year. It's starting earlier for them than it did for the Steelers, but they can't afford another loss at 4-7. Their backs are against the wall, and the interesting thing for them, too, is if they do find a way to hold serve at home against the Steelers, then they can actually go on a nice little run because their schedule lightens up considerably. It's a big game for the Steelers, don't get me wrong. Especially with the Ravens winning, but this is a humongous, season-defining game for the Bengals, and I think that has to worry you if you're a Steeler fan."

Batko said the Bengals' lighter schedule includes the Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos. The Bengals also look worse on paper than they really are. They almost beat the Chiefs 25-26 and the two games against the Ravens were both close, 41-38 and 34-35. 

While the Bengals were slow to start this season, dropping their first three games, they do have some significant talent including Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Chase made the Ravens' secondary look even worse than it is, picking up 264 yards and three touchdowns in their most recent game. He said the Steelers will have to capitalize upon the weaker areas of their defense, which are their safeties and outside corners, and avoid players like Trey Hendrickson, who leads the league in sacks with 11.5.  

If the Steelers are able to beat the Bengals, it will all but put the playoffs out of reach for them. This would make their Week 18 matchup a moot point, as they will be unlikely to play their big-name players if the game does not have an impact. According to Batko, this game will come down to which team really wants it more.

Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Will Be In The Spotlight

Batko also said that he believes the potential matchup on Chase against Joey Porter Jr. will be interesting. He said that the fact that Porter has been somewhat up and down this season only puts him in the spotlight even more. 

Chase currently leads the league in receiving yards and touchdowns and has an average of 14.5 yards per reception. That could create a problem for the young cornerback. Batko believes that Porter, like the Steelers, can rise to the occasion when he faces a more formidable opponent. He mentioned that Porter had strong showings against him in 2023. He said it felt like the start of a great rivalry. Porter is savvy enough, according to Batko, to know that the spotlight will be on him and will want badly to recover from the Browns game.

What worries you most about this Bengals game? Click to comment below. 

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