Steelers' Defense Has Some Tricks In Their Pocket They Will Unleash In The Final Games Of The Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot afford to be complacent in Week 13 as they face the Cincinnati Bengals for the first time this season. The Bengals are only 4-7 currently, while the Steelers are 8-3. However, that is misleading. The Bengals are a dangerous team. Their quarterback, Joe Burrow, is one of the best at escaping pressure and avoiding sacks. He has been getting balls off to his receivers, especially the always-reliable Ja'Marr Chase. The Steelers haven't played Burrow in quite a while since he was injured in 2023, and their defense cannot get afford to be cocky, especially coming off a devasting loss to the Cleveland Browns in the snow on Thursday Night Football in Week 12.

One of the big concerns is how the Steelers handle Burrow. Their defense has adopted a "bend, don't break" mentality this season, allowing opponents to pick up some yardage while keeping them out of the end zone. It has worked well for the most part, but having Jameis Winston and Jerry Jeudy pick them apart has fans wondering how they should play Burrow. 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers reporter Chris Carter has a theory about the Steelers' defense. He shared it with Adam Crowley on The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan. He believes that the Bengals' offensive line is bad and suspects that the Steelers' defense has a plan to deal with Burrow.  

"I've had this theory for a bit," shared Carter. "I think the Steelers have been giving a lot of plain looks for several games this season because they know they need to save a lot of their more complex defensive looks for this divisional push at the second half of the season. You saw more of them against the Ravens because that's the Ravens, you need to be able play like that. I think you're going to see more of them against the Bengals in this game. What they need to do is, just occasionally, but be very strategic about when they do it, and when they're not doing it, they need to be mixing up their coverages to the point where Joe Burrow just can't sit back, be comfortable, and pick you apart."

Carter added that the Bengals' offensive line will give up the pressure and get Burrow in trouble, and the Steelers have to be sure they take advantage of every opportunity. He said they had shots at Winston in the game against the Browns, and Larry Ogunjobi failed to capitalize upon them. They cannot make that mistake against someone as talented as Burrow. 

Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Bengals have given up 26 sacks on Burrow. The Steelers' defense has gotten 25 sacks this season. They have not been making as many splash plays as usual, but if Carter is correct, this is all part of their plan. 

Steelers' T.J. Watt Is Having A Strange Season

Much has been made of T.J. Watt's not having the barn burner of a season that fans expected him to have. Through the first 12 games, he has only 7.5 sacks after getting 19 in 2023. While fans complain that opponents are clearly holding Watt, he is also being double and triple-teamed. Carter said that he sees a variety of issues that are impacting Watt and leading to him having a strange season.  

Carter said he believes Watt is suffering from not having Alex Highsmith available and healthy. The one concern about moving Watt around too much is that it exposes the Steelers' defense in other ways. Carter said that even if Watt wanted to switch sides, which some think he doesn't, players like Nick Herbig don't necessarily have the skills Highsmith does to move around.  

Do you believe the Steelers have been keeping their cards close to their vest this season so far? Click to comment below. 

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