Steelers vs. Bengals: Breakdown, Matchups, and Predictions.

After a crushing victory against the Washington Redskins in week one, the Pittsburgh Steelers return to Heinz Field for their first home game of the season. Their opponent is one that they know all too well – The Cincinnati Bengals.

Breakdown:

A rematch of the AFC Wildcard game that resulted in a 18-16 victory for the Steelers, anyone who says the Bengals are not out for blood are fooling themselves. While the Bengals attempt to get revenge on a game they allowed to let slip away due to penalties, the Steelers look to gain an early foothold in the AFC North.

Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played lights out in his season opener against the Redskins. Big Ben went 27 of 37 for 300 yards and three touchdowns and committed only one interception. The Steelers’ signal caller was hardly under duress on Monday night, due in large part to the amazing protection from his offensive line. He will need that same protection against a fierce Cincinnati defensive front.

The Steelers’ receiving corps will look to pick up where they left off last week. The combined efforts of Antonio Brown, Sammie Coates, and Eli Rogers made for an aerial attack that was hardly suppressed by Washington’s secondary. On the ground, the ageless wonder, DeAngelo Williams, continues to be a true workhorse in place of Le’Veon Bell with 146 yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts against Washington.

The Steelers’ defense adopted an unorthodox look against Redskins, favoring a zone defense throughout the game. Sending their linebackers into coverage paid off with interceptions by Ryan Shazier and James Harrison, but they failed to record a sack on quarterback Kirk Cousins. It will be interesting to see if they continue this trend against Cincinnati, or return to blitz heavy packages.

Matchups:

Ross Cockrell vs. AJ Green

Bengal’s receiver, AJ Green, enters week two having recorded twelve receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown against Darrelle Revis. In weeks eight and fourteen of last year, Green posted stat lines of 11/118/1 and 6/132/1, respectively, against Pittsburgh. Ross Cockrell was tasked with covering Green last season, and it is a sure bet he will do so again.

Cockrell had a quiet game against Washington, only recording four total tackles. The cornerback nearly intercepted a pass from Cousins, but it bounced off of him. If the Steelers can contain Green, it will prove that their secondary is on its way to improvement. Cockrell can further establish himself as a starter in the Steelers’ secondary if he can limit Green’s production.

Maurkice Pouncey vs. Geno Atkins

Geno Atkins has established himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the league, and is the figurehead of the Bengals’ defensive line. His ferocity as a pass rusher has allowed him to slip by the most talented of offensive linemen on his way to sacking the quarterback. With the return of Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers have a better chance of defending their franchise quarterback.

Pouncey, who missed all of 2015 with a broken fibula, returned to the starting lineup last week. Although he gave up a sack, the All-Pro center played extremely well in defending his quarterback. Cody Wallace played admirably as starting center last year, but is hardly comparable to Pouncey.

Pouncey uses his technique and strength to keep his defensive lineman locked in place, unable to break off of him. This will serve him well in defending against a high-caliber defensive tackle such as Atkins. Last year, Wallace suffered greatly defending against Atkins. This led to the defensive lineman penetrating the Steelers’ offensive line early and often.

Wallace was barely able to engage Atkins before the defensive lineman bounced off of him, making his way towards Roethlisberger. The Steelers’ offensive line must buy Roethlisberger enough time to find his targets and open up lanes for the run game, or they will find themselves in a difficult spot late in the game which they may not be able to come back from.

 Eli Rogers vs. Darqueze Dennard

Rogers’ first professional game was well worth the wait. After a broken foot sidelined him for his rookie season, his sophomore campaign began with a bang. He recorded six receptions for 59 yards on Monday night, along with a deflected touchdown reception off of Coates. He is becoming a favorite of Roethlisberger’s, being targeted seven times throughout the game. If Brown and Markus Wheaton find themselves locked down by their defensive backs, Rogers could be targeted frequently.

Darqueze Dennard, the Bengals first-round pick in 2014, hasn’t quite lived up to his draft pedigree. Injury has kept him off the field for much of his career, but has failed to produce when he is on it. In two seasons, he has recorded 37 tackles, four defended passes, and one interception. With Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick most likely covering receivers on the outside, it will be up to Dennard, who is recovering from an ankle injury, to cover Rogers.

Next: Steelers vs. Bengals: What to watch for

Predictions:

The Steelers record multiple sacks on Andy Dalton in the second half of the game.

DeAngelo Williams rushes for over one hundred yards and finds the endzone twice. 

Antonio Brown records over one hundred receiving yards, but does not reach the endzone.

Despite his knee injury, Ryan Shazier records double-digit tackles and an interception.

The Steelers fend off the Bengals, taking the lead early in the fourth quarter, and win 24-16.