The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for an important divisional matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 after suffering a brutal loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12. Pittsburgh's offense will look to play a complete game after starting out extremely slow against Cleveland and only putting up three points in the first half. Three points in a half won't get the job done against the potent offense of the Bengals, so it is important that guys like Russell Wilson and George Pickens step up on Sunday.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson celebrates with wide receiver George Pickens during a 2024 regular season game.
It is no secret that the weakest link in Cincinnati is the defense, which means the Pittsburgh offense needs to be able to keep pace with Cincinnati's offense. The Steelers need to get the running game going, and Wilson and Pickens need to be able connect early. Cincinnati's defense will be keyed in on Pickens, especially rookie cornerback Josh Newton. Newton spoke about how he idolized Wilson while he was growing up, but he can't allow himself to fear the future Hall of Famer.
"He's going to throw it," said Newton. "A Hall of Fame quarterback. A Super Bowl champ. Long time in the league. Have to respect him, but you also can't fear him. Ain't no probably. Junior high, yeah. I liked their defense for sure. Any quarterback that gets his team to the Super Bowl, I feel like you can't get to the Super Bowl without a quarterback. In this league, that's just how it goes."
Newton was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he hadn't played much going into the second half of the season. The coaching staff is starting to develop more trust in the young defender, who has been said to have a high football IQ and is a big fan of the game.
Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals rookie cornerback Josh Newton during practice ahead of Week 13 of the 2024 season.
Newton has been playing more and more as the season has gone along. Cincinnati's defense has been the unit that has held them back, so the coaching staff might start playing with the personnel, which may result in Newton seeing more snaps. Newton replaced Cam Taylor-Britt in Cincinnati's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and coming off of the bye week, the rookie might see a considerable jump in snaps.
There is a good chance that Newton finds himself lined up across from Pickens on Sunday, and the rookie might find himself on the wrong end of a Wilson to Pickens moon ball. However, the rookie seems like he has all the confidence in the world as he prepares to defend this duo. It is unclear if he will be starting his first game for the Bengals, but if Taylor-Britt continues to struggle, the rookie may enter the game early on.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson walks off the field after a 24-19 loss to the Browns in Cleveland.
Steelers' Offense Must Take Advantage Of A Poor Defense On Sunday
The Bengals are near the bottom of the league in nearly every defensive statistical category. They have very few bright spots on their defense aside from Trey Hendrickson and Logan Wilson, who might miss the game with a knee injury. Russell Wilson should be able to have his best game with the Steelers and Pickens should be able to bounce back from the rough ending in Week 12.
Cincinnati's defense is equally as bad in the passing and running game, and they rank 31st in red zone defense. Everything is lining up for the Steelers to be able to score at will, and if the defense can play like it usually does, this should be a game the Steelers can win. This is a crucial game for the Steelers to get back on track and get their ninth victory of the year.
What did you think of Newton's comments about Wilson? Let us know in the comments below!
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