Jordan DeFigio, @fidgenewton
SteelerNation.com
It's been five weeks since the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 36-10.
And my oh my, how different they both look now.
The two mangled, beat up teams will go head to head in a primetime game broadcast on ESPN at 8:15pm ET on Monday, December 21st. Here's what we can look forward to in tomorrow's game.
MATCHUPS AT A GLANCE
The Bengals lost first overall pick Joe Burrow to a gnarly knee injury back on November 22, and as of yesterday, backup Brandon Allen was downgraded to "out" with a knee injury too. Meaning third string quarterback Ryan Finley will get the start against the Steelers.
Big yikes, Ryan.
This is more than likely welcomed news, as the Steelers' front seven knows a little too well how it feels to be riddled with injuries. No Devin Bush, Bud Dupree, or Robert Spillane. But with Cam Heyward, Tyson Alualu, Stephon Tuitt, TJ Watt, and the slow but steady emergence of Alex Highsmith, it seems promising that the defense can take full advantage of the Bengals' line and put pressure on Finley.
And hopefully, with the return of Joe Haden, the secondary can shut down the receivers too. AJ Green has had a rather quiet season, with 41 receptions for 419 yards and only 2 touchdowns. Tyler Boyd has more than doubled the production of Green, with 78 receptions for 840 yards and 4 touchdowns. But Tee Higgins leads the unit in touchdowns at 5, and has 58 receptions for 778 yards. The Bengals receivers are solid. But playing with a third string quarterback opposite guys like Haden, Steven Nelson, and Minkah Fitzpatrick will be a challenge.
Honestly though, what the defense does or doesn't do means very little if the offense can't up their game and produce. Anything, at all, at any point in the game. Hell, even just control the time of possession. Give the defense a break. No one knows for sure whether James Conner will play Monday night, but the run game has been bleak. Our precious offensive-coordinator-wannabe Randy Fichtner has no idea how to call plays to suit the strengths of his runners, so it doesn't quite matter who's running the ball. Conner, Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland (though that one's unlikely). If they're all plays out of shotgun running straight into defenders, Conner's presence (or absence) won't make much of a difference.
While we're on the topic of inept coordinators...
The dink and dunk just isn't working anymore.
Sure, the receivers should be catching the ball.
But even if they did, they'd be met swiftly by a barrage of guys coming at them on the defense.
They need better play from the guys on the field. But they need better play calling to get them there. Give Ben Roethlisberger a chance to work out his arm. Stretch the field. Put Chase Claypool back in. Target James Washington more. Cincinnati's defense is mediocre at best. Gain some momentum here. Gain some morale. Bounce back.
This is the perfect game for it.
JORDAN'S PREDICTIONS
I was wrong.
Again.
Big surprise.
I'm going to make a conservative pick this week and say that the Steelers WILL beat the Bengals, it will look shaky at first (maybe even for most of the game), but they'll win and it will boost their confidence going into what I think is a must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts on December 27th.
Steelers win 17-6.
FINAL MUSINGS
The Bengals have nothing to play for here. They already got their guy in Joe Burrow so no tanking here, there's no chance they're making the playoffs. But the Steelers seem to struggle most against teams with no real motivation other than beating them. Especially when they're division rivals. This game could go either way, especially in Cincinnati.
But Paul Brown Stadium is the home of the Esca-Loser. And they'll never take that away from us.
What are your predictions for the game tomorrow? Let us know in the comments below.
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