Sunday Spotlight: Bengals' Banged up Secondary Faces Dynamic Steelers' Passing Attack
The Cincinnati Bengals were up against long odds entering "Steeler Week." Things haven’t gotten much easier over the past few days.
The underdogs are dealing with injuries up and down the roster, but the secondary has been hit especially hard. LeShaun Sims (concussion) and Darius Phillips (groin) won't play, while Mackenzie Alexander has been dealing with an illness.
Alexander is expected to play, but the Bengals' secondary will be vulnerable against one of Pittsburgh's biggest strengths. The Steelers have leaned on their deep receiver room to control playmaking responsibilities. Some new faces in the Bengals' secondary are tasked with stopping that formula.
Let’s take a look at how the two units matchup.
Juju Smith-Schuster vs Mackenzie Alexander
The Bengals signed Alexander for matchups just like this one. Juju Smith-Schuster has been one of the premier slot receiving threats in the league throughout his career. His 36 slot catches are fourth in the NFL. He also has four touchdowns from the slot, which is the second-most in the league.
Smith-Schuster uses his 6-1, 215-pound frame to his advantage every Sunday. Alexander will have his hands full with one of the most physical wide receivers in the league.
This has been Alexander's worst career in coverage. He's allowing a career-high 8.9 yards per target and a 103.7 passer rating. The coaching staff has taken notice, decreasing his snap counts each of the past three games. Cincinnati needs Alexander to win this matchup if they're going to upset the Steelers.
Chase Claypool vs William Jackson III
The first Bengals-Steelers matchup of the season could feature two rookies getting shadow coverage from the opposition’s best cornerback. Chase Claypool has burst onto the scene as yet another gem in the Pittsburgh receiving corps. No matter how the numbers are sliced, Claypool is already a number one option for the Steelers' offense. He’s putting up historic numbers.
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Claypool is averaging 2.4 yards per route run, the sixth-most by a rookie receiver since 2006, according to Pro Football Focus. Plenty of that damage has come against single coverage, where he has posted the third-most receiving yards among rookies (239). William Jackson III is giving up about six inches and 50 pounds in this matchup, so expect plenty of safety help over the top.
This is arguably the toughest test of the season for Jackson III, who is allowing 6.8 yards per target, the best mark in the Bengals secondary. He has struggled against physical receiving options, with his two worst games coming against Jacksonville and Tennessee. D.J. Chark, A.J. Brown and Corey Davis weren’t afraid of the Bengals secondary. Claypool won't be scared either.
Diontae Johnson vs Tony Brown
The pickings are slim for the Bengals third cornerback choice. Tony Brown will likely head to the outside and make the fourth start of his career. The Bengals signed Brown off waivers following the 2019 season and he's played over half the special teams snaps in every game this season. Contributing on defense is another story. Brown has one defensive snap at corner this year and two total tackles.
Whether it’s Brown or a practice squad option, the next man up has their hands full with Diontae Johnson. The second-year wideout has battled injuries, but looked healthy in the victory over Dallas. Ben Roethlisberger has loved going his way, targeting him 10-plus times in four of his five healthy appearances. Three receivers have been targeted 10 or more times against the Bengals this season. All three have finished with at least 70 yards and scored a touchdown.
Johnson could turn into the engine for the Steelers' offense on Sunday, with Big Ben likely to lean on the quick-passing game, especially nursing two banged up knees. Johnson and Smith-Schuster are the beneficiaries of those short throws, but all three of these weapons can turn on the afterburners and make defenses pay after the catch. The depleted Cincinnati secondary has to put up a fight to get on the board in this rivalry for the first time since 2015.
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