Week 6 @ CIN

[ATL96Steeler]

The 2-2-1 Steelers play their 3 DIV game as they travel to CIN to play the DIV leading 4-1 Bengals.

Both teams are coming off a win last week...both not very close games. Kind of goes to show how much a small sample can throw you off...PIT ranks 5th on OFC pt scored and CIN ranks 4th. On DEF, PIT ranks 25th, and CIN ranks 21st yet the Bengals only have 1 loss.

This contest needs no real big write up...The Steelers have a nice 5 game win streak going in this series, but the games are almost always one possession outcomes. Neither team is overly fond of the other, but imo the Bengals have gotten too wound up and lost their composure in the past.

Injuries...on a Tuesday you don't get much but right now, Morgan Bennett is listed AGAIN(groin) is Q, as well as Vince Williams (hamstring) & DHB (ankle)...we'll have to watch the list as the week goes along.

Matchup

IMO, both of the DLs will make it tough on the opposing OFC. Gilbert vs Dunlap has been pretty neutral. PIT will most likely leave him 1 on 1...Atkins cannot be played 1 on 1...too quick for Foster and too strong for Pouncey...No one is really stepping up and claiming the right side DE on a sack production for CIN, but Lawson is a solid young edge player only 1 sack so far, but several QB hits...I like running that power game to his side a lot and test him as a edge run supporter. WJ3 is a strong young CB and Dennard is pretty good as well, they prefer m-to-m so it'll be a good challenge this week for the WR group.

We can look for Burfict to be back to his normal ornery self in his 2nd game back off suspension. This is one of those games that you're glad Mitchell is no longer on the roster...running his f-ing mouth.

Bottomline...both teams can run it and throw it pretty well and they have the weapons to do plenty of damage. The key will be the crucial turnovers, 3rd down plays, penalties, etc....PIT has a little better OL imo, I also think PIT has to play desperate again on the road...look for them to try to get up early, and get heat on Dalton.

24- 21 PIT.

What say you?

 

[SteelersPride]

31-27 cincy

 

[CaptainStubing]

if Pitt loses this one, they will be 3 games behind the Bengals with the head to head tiebreaker in Cincy's corner ... that will be a lot of ground to make up over the last 10 games but not impossible I suppose.

 

[cincygrad]

Most obviously, Pittsburgh is the Bengals Daddy.... It hasn't mattered who is playing or coaching the Steelers, Marvin Lewis has not had success against that franchise and their worst moments have come at the hand of that franchise. One thing that is for certain in the modern NFL is that 'nothing is forever.' When I was a kid the Patriots and Saints always sucked and the 49ers were always good. Things change..... But, I'm not sure this is one of those things. As pointed out in the OP, the Bengals have let the Steelers get in their head and they have choked away games they should have won (including the last time these two teams played). Until I start seeing different, I refuse to believe things are different. I think the Steelers win a close game and I think it's a game where the Bengals miss all opportunities to win a game they should. Steelers 30, Bengals 24.

BTW -- I think Burfict will be a huge distraction here. The last time he saw the Steelers, Ju Ju was dancing over him as he was waking back up. Something tells me he's not letting that go.

 

[Ojb81]

28-24 Bengals. Our shit defense and shit show coaching returns, Bengals get another big 4th quarter and of course the Steelers won't be able to adjust, and they score the game winner with under a minute remaining.

 

[Yo Tee]

In my opinion, this is a must win game for both teams. Cincinnati needs this win to establish it's dominance this year over the division and they still need to prove to lots of people that they are actually a team to be worried about. The Steelers need this win just to not fall almost too far behind in the division. We don't own the tie breaker over any of the teams in our division if we lose to Cincinnati. It would also just be great to have a win heading into the bye week.

This is gonna be a tough game to win, as it always it. I don't think Burfict is gonna last too long in this game. Due to the antics of JuJu last year, I think he's gonna be out for some blood on #19. I broke down the Ravens/Steelers history and recent games and that didn't mean shit, but I'm gonna do it for this game also. We've won the last 6 matchups including playoffs. Cincy's last win was in 2015 when Bell tore his ACL. The Bengals haven't actually beaten the Steelers in Paul Brown since 2013 and before that it was 2009.

Gonna be a tough game regardless, my heart says we win this game 30-26. So I'm going with my heart!

Steelers 30
Bengals 26

 

[Psych-Ward]

.
BTW -- I think Burfict will be a huge distraction here. The last time he saw the Steelers, Ju Ju was dancing over him as he was waking back up. Something tells me he's not letting that go.

And the sad thing about this is he's probably going to lose his cool again, cost himself more money, possibly a fine, and possibly cost y'all the game......

He could be a damn good linebacker if he'd just cool it. Not saying he isn't, but how much better would he be if he focused that BS on playing the game harder instead of taking stupid shit to a stupid level.

 

[Superbelt]

Kittys 34


Steelers 17




^It works last week. May as well predict it again.

 

[cincygrad]

And the sad thing about this is he's probably going to lose his cool again, cost himself more money, possibly a fine, and possibly cost y'all the game......

He could be a damn good linebacker if he'd just cool it. Not saying he isn't, but how much better would he be if he focused that BS on playing the game harder instead of taking stupid shit to a stupid level.

Exactly. The thing that is sad about Burfict is that he is one of the best natural linebackers I have ever watched play the game. But, he's not changing and I think its becoming an issue for the team. It's clear the D is better with him on the field and its clear that he can't stay on the field. Same issue we have with Tyler Eifert (for different reasons).

 

[ATL96Steeler]

if Pitt loses this one, they will be 3 games behind the Bengals with the head to head tiebreaker in Cincy's corner ... that will be a lot of ground to make up over the last 10 games but not impossible I suppose.

Yep...PIT is still in dire straits to be honest and they seem to play with more focus so maybe it's not the worse thing.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

In my opinion, this is a must win game for both teams. Cincinnati needs this win to establish it's dominance this year over the division and they still need to prove to lots of people that they are actually a team to be worried about. The Steelers need this win just to not fall almost too far behind in the division. We don't own the tie breaker over any of the teams in our division if we lose to Cincinnati. It would also just be great to have a win heading into the bye week.

Gonna be a tough game regardless, my heart says we win this game 30-26. So I'm going with my heart!

Steelers 30
Bengals 26

CIN...idk about "must win" when you're up 2 in the win column. Obviously another DIV win gets them another game closer to just getting back in the postseason themselves. After 5 consecutive losses to a DIV foe we know they are highly motivated for a win vs PIT.

It's been said numerous times, but the pressure is still squarely on the Steelers in this game. I think CIN will feel "must win" pressure in JAN.

 

[Yo Tee]

CIN...idk about "must win" when you're up 2 in the win column. Obviously another DIV win gets them another game closer to just getting back in the postseason themselves. After 5 consecutive losses to a DIV foe we know they are highly motivated for a win vs PIT.

It's been said numerous times, but the pressure is still squarely on the Steelers in this game. I think CIN will feel "must win" pressure in JAN.

Only reason I'm saying it's a must win for Cincinnati is because of the next 5 games after us.

@Chiefs
Bucs
BYE
Saints
@Ravens
Browns.

Pretty tough few games there. They lose to us, then to the Chiefs, win against TB, all of a sudden they are 5-3 headed into the BYE instead of 6-2, getting ready for Drew Brees and the Saints, then two vital division games. Could very quickly go from 4-1 to 6-5 if they aren't careful. Mentally, for Cincinnati to beat us at home for the first time in 5 years could carry a lot of momentum for them.

 

[cincygrad]

I'm going to make this simple..... Every game against Pittsburgh is a must-win for Cincinnati. They simply have to establish some level of competence against a team that they must play two times a season. Their lack of success against them costs them at least two games a year and often more than that as they can't shake off the consequences of the loss (either through suspensions, lack of focus in the preceding game, etc.). As I mentioned before, aside from postseason football, Marvin Lewis has one glaring issue on his resume - His inability to beat Pittsburgh. Until this starts to happen at least somewhat regularly, it will remain a pressing issue.

That said, unlike the Steelers, the Bengals aren't really all that great in must-win games. We've pulled out a few over the years, but I have no confidence here.

 

[Psych-Ward]

Exactly. The thing that is sad about Burfict is that he is one of the best natural linebackers I have ever watched play the game. But, he's not changing and I think its becoming an issue for the team. It's clear the D is better with him on the field and its clear that he can't stay on the field. Same issue we have with Tyler Eifert (for different reasons).

As far as physicality and instincts for a linebacker, one of the best.
But you add his baggage to the equation and he drops his own value.

Damn shame.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm going to make this simple..... Every game against Pittsburgh is a must-win for Cincinnati. They simply have to establish some level of competence against a team that they must play two times a season. Their lack of success against them costs them at least two games a year and often more than that as they can't shake off the consequences of the loss (either through suspensions, lack of focus in the preceding game, etc.). As I mentioned before, aside from postseason football, Marvin Lewis has one glaring issue on his resume - His inability to beat Pittsburgh. Until this starts to happen at least somewhat regularly, it will remain a pressing issue.

That said, unlike the Steelers, the Bengals aren't really all that great in must-win games. We've pulled out a few over the years, but I have no confidence here.

Spot on...iirc CIN has 5 wins out of 26 or so games vs PIT...during the Tomlin era.

With the exception of QB, CIN's talent over that run has been fairly close to PIT, if not actually better overall.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

As far as physicality and instincts for a linebacker, one of the best.
But you add his baggage to the equation and he drops his own value.

Damn shame.

The guy is one of the best LBs in the game, but he's got a screw loose somewhere up there.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Offense... Keep the balance, don't get cute or overly aggressive. Just play your brand of football and let the pieces fall where they may. O-line will have a tougher go than last week so they have to be patient with the minimal gains in the trenches. And please for the love of God use Rosie Nix. That power run game is exactly Conner's forte so impose your will! Burfict is going to be busy in this game. Hopefully of the clean variety.

Defense... Keep the aggressive blitz packages and don't let Dalton get comfortable. This should be the recipe for every game. Even if Cincy dink & dunks their way down the field, don't shy away from the blitz. Wait for Dalton to make the mistakes. I'm sure we'll see a healthy dose of Mixon & Bernard per usual. Bostic & whomever need to keep containment inside or those draw plays will do damage. If the pressure isn't there then I have little faith that the backend can keep Green, Ross & Boyd in check. They are banged up at TE (starter Kroft is questionable), but don't sleep on Uzomah (sp?).

Will the road woes continue? Just depends on how soft Tomlin got since winning the ATL game. This is a huge divisional matchup and a must-win for Pittsburgh if they want to contend for the division title. But my faith in this coaching staff to keep this group disciplined is lacking... I fear that they are in for a frustrating game. Rivalry games like this are when lack of discipline tends to snowball VERY quickly. Something that tends to haunt this team.

Bengals 34 - Steelers 24

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Offense... Keep the balance, don't get cute or overly aggressive. Just play your brand of football and let the pieces fall where they may. O-line will have a tougher go than last week so they have to be patient with the minimal gains in the trenches. And please for the love of God use Rosie Nix. That power run game is exactly Conner's forte so impose your will! Burfict is going to be busy in this game. Hopefully of the clean variety.

Defense... Keep the aggressive blitz packages and don't let Dalton get comfortable. This should be the recipe for every game. Even if Cincy dink & dunks their way down the field, don't shy away from the blitz. Wait for Dalton to make the mistakes. I'm sure we'll see a healthy dose of Mixon & Bernard per usual. Bostic & whomever need to keep containment inside or those draw plays will do damage. If the pressure isn't there then I have little faith that the backend can keep Green, Ross & Boyd in check. They are banged up at TE (starter Kroft is questionable), but don't sleep on Uzomah (sp?).

Will the road woes continue? Just depends on how soft Tomlin got since winning the ATL game. This is a huge divisional matchup and a must-win for Pittsburgh if they want to contend for the division title. But my faith in this coaching staff to keep this group disciplined is lacking... I fear that they are in for a frustrating game. Rivalry games like this are when lack of discipline tends to snowball VERY quickly. Something that tends to haunt this team.

Bengals 34 - Steelers 24

This is the task the rest of the season with this DEF...bring it or risk taking a loss. Obviously they can't blitz on every play, but they need to have some 1 on 1 DL battles go their way...when they do go zone, fly to the ball and make the tackle...allowing 5-10 YAC keeps you on the field.

This being a 1p game helps CIN I think. Lewis allowing an even more unruly bunch has actually benefitted Tomlin in this series...we'll have to see how they coach this one....MT has no margin for error imo.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Looks like V-Will is ready to roll? Morgan Burnett appears to be another FA turd.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]