Meet The Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
Who: Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-10)
When: Sunday, November 24th at 1:00 PM
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Network: CBS
Broadcast Team: Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
Spread: Steelers (-6.5)
After quite the week of media attention, the Pittsburgh Steelers are just ready to play a game of football.
"I think all of us that are involved in the game particularly at this level want to safeguard and protect the game and its integrity. And in that moment it was compromised with an unfortunate incident" said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to media members this week.
Up next? The second of three straight divisional games, with this week's contest featuring a winless Cincinnati Bengals football club. The Bengals, much like Pittsburgh, have been plagued by massive injuries and unfortunate events throughout the season. Yet there's no love lost between the Steelers and Bengals, as Jake Liscow of the "Locked on Bengals" podcast pointed out in our conversation. Follow Jake on Twitter @Jake_NFL for more Bengals content and updates.
Cheers to making no excuses, praising Minkah Fitzpatrick and finding the quarterback of the future for Cincinnati:
Donnie Druin: Man, what a season it's been for Cincinnati. Undoubtedly, it's been frustrating for everybody involved, from the players down to the fans. With six weeks left in 2019, how are those within the Bengals organization looking at this season? Are people upset at the lack of winning football, or does a likely top pick in the NFL Draft make an unsuccessful season easier to swallow?
Jake Liscow: I'm not sure how exactly those within the organization are looking at it, but I imagine Zac Taylor will get at least one more year to prove his mettle even if the team goes 0-16. Many in the industry have affirmed that Taylor is a good coach, but there would be potential growing pains. I think we're seeing that this year, and it's exacerbated by the late start Taylor had in assembling his assistants after the Super Bowl. Lou Anarumo doesn't seem like the right choice to me on defense, and communication between levels of the defense has been an issue that I put on the defensive staff's shoulders.
Worse than Anarumo and the defensive struggles is Jim Turner, who was behind the return of Bobby Hart and the infamous Troy Blackburn Walmart quote, and the signing of bullygate's John Jerry. Jerry is a guard who was out of football in 2018, and now he's playing left tackle because Jonah Williams is hurt and Cordy Glenn had a weird and dramatic concussion. A likely top pick makes it easier to swallow for Bengals fans, who are mostly thirsty for a quarterback, but I'm not sure that the organization is excited about looking 0-16 in the face.
They certainly don't have the track record to trade up in the draft and get their QB if they don't land the top pick, so it's a tough spot. We're all hoping they find the QB of the future, but a lot can go wrong, and hope isn't a plan.
Donnie: It's Steelers/Bengals week, a rivalry that has without a doubt produced some intense moments in the last few years. For the first time in awhile, this game will not feature key players from either side, whether it be due to free agency, injury, etc. What's the feeling towards the Steelers heading into this match-up?
Jake: Bengals fans still loathe the Steelers. We watched the Garrett-Rudolph fracas from afar and were grateful to just not be a part of it this time. The most offensive Steelers are retired or gone, as you've noted. It's really just Smith-Schuster, he-who-mocks-concussions, and Ben Roethlisberger left. But Bengals fans will never forgive the team that employed a number of public enemies #1 for the fandom. This season, there's apathy from the fanbase.
On the team, Carlos Dunlap is among those who remembers everything in recent history in these games, and I'm sure they still won't like each other. In a lost season though, it's hard for me to muster up the energy I've had in the past. I'm personally sick of the drama and fighting and dirty play between these teams, and I just want to watch football without the extracurriculars. I hope we get to do that sometime in the future.
Donnie: From an offensive standpoint, Ryan Finley looks to make this third start of the season against a fairly stout Steelers defense. The Bengals offense has simply been decimated with injury, and as a result, one of the worst offenses in the league belongs to Cincinnati. If you were their offensive coordinator, could you give me a game plan you would try to enable to beat the Steelers?
Jake: I'm honestly not sure the Bengals score an offensive touchdown in this game outside of a big play. A.J. Green, John Ross, and Auden Tate aren't playing. Those are the only guys who have made plays outside consistently for the Bengals this year. They've found some success in the running game for the last two weeks as they've abandoned the outside zone only attack and have used a gap approach and pulling guards, but you can't win games in the NFL with a running game. Since you mentioned injuries, I'll make some excuses for the offensive line too. Jonah Williams and Cordy Glenn have missed the whole year, and Clint Boling retired. That's tough considering Bobby Hart was never a good right tackle, but the center and right guard position have been average.
Back to the Bengals' offensive chances, I don't like them. Ryan Finley simply can't throw the ball more than 5 yards down field, so they'll have to figure out the screen game and the running game if they're going to move the ball. They'll have to avoid penalties and mistakes, but the tackles are a problem against Pittsburgh's improved pass rushers, and Finley is a problem against Pittsburgh's Fitzpatrick'ed secondary.
Donnie: I'm not going to act like Pittsburgh's offense is significantly better, partially due to some of the same faults as Cincinnati's. However, the Bengals' defense ranks near the bottom of the league in many categories. What gives you confidence the Bengals will be able to contain Mason Rudolph and company?
Jake: You keep asking me for confidence in the worst Bengals season since I became a fan. The Bengals defense showed up against Oakland, but their same old issues of inconsistent rules for zone hand-offs and speed showed up at times. I'd say Carl Lawson looks healthy and could be problematic for a Steeler OL that struggled last week, but Anarumo likes to use him in coverage and that limits his pass rush opportunities. Geno Atkins is still Geno Atkins, but he's a step slower as he's on the wrong side of 30. Darqueze Dennard is a boon for this team's run defense, and Preston Brown and his lack of speed are in Oakland.
That said, the Pittsburgh offense looked woeful against the Browns. Mason Rudolph looks like he shares problems with Ryan Finley, James Conner is hurt, and Pouncey is suspended. So there's some hope, but I think Vannett and McDonald could be problems, and there have been enough coverage/run fit busts that the Bengals could give up a big play at any time. Hard to see either team scoring much on offense this week.
Donnie: If you could, highlight one or two important position battles you will be watching during the game.
Jake: The game probably comes down to how many touchdowns Minkah Fitzpatrick scores and whether Mason Rudolph can manage to find a groove. I don't like the Ryan Finley matchup against Pittsburgh's pass rush and defensive speed, and Fitzpatrick behind that speed and pass rush is a real threat. I'll be watching Cordy Glenn if he plays this week to see what kind of form he's in against T.J. Watt, who has really taken a step forward this season. Besides that, I'm watching Jessie Bates for the Bengals. He's got interceptions two weeks in a row and is starting to remind us about the promise he showed his rookie year.
Donnie: Typically I like to ask for a final prediction with my last question. However, I would like to put you on the spot right now. With the first pick, in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select...
Jake: If he's cleared and I were making the pick, I still think Tua Tagovailoa is the better prospect. I think the Bengals will love Joe Burrow, though, and barring a meltdown as this college season closes, he'll be their guy.
