The Steelers are coming off a disappointing road loss to the Browns. Here’s why they are only favored by one score against the Cincinnati Bengals.
By most accounts, the Cincinnati Bengals are the worst team in the NFL. They currently have the 27th ranked offense and the 32nd ranked defense, according to Team Rankings. Though the Steelers were heavy favorites in their first matchup in which they ultimately defeated the Bengals with a final score of 27-3, it may surprise you to learn that Pittsburgh opened as just 7 point favorites, courtesy of The Action Network.
Even with the loss to Cleveland, the Steelers have still gone 5-2 over their last 7 games. They also pulverized the Bengals in their first showing at home. So why is Pittsburgh just a touchdown favorite in this game? The answer is pretty simple: Their offense is one of the worst in the league.
Prior to the start of the season, one would have predicted that the Steelers offense would be at least in the middle of the pack – even with the departure of Antonio Brown. However, a series of unfortunate events has led this offense to where it is now.
Ben Roethlisberger landed on IR after Week 2, the Steelers offensive line play has taken a dip, and their skill players are constantly banged up.
However, perhaps the most concerning matter on offense is that Mason Rudolph has not progressed as we had hoped. Rudolph has just 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions over his past three games and he has not eclipsed 6.4 passing yards per attempt in a single game over that span. The second-year quarterback also hasn’t had a game with at least an 86.0 passer rating since Week 5 against the Ravens.
While Pittsburgh’s defense continues to look stellar, their offense has been anything but. The Steelers sit at 24th in the league in points per game but have now fallen below the Bengals in offensive yardage per contest (283.5).
Cincinnati is an 0-10 team with the NFL’s worst defense and a rookie 4th round draft choice in Ryan Finley starting at quarterback. They should not be able to hold a candle to Pittsburgh, yet here we are.
The Steelers success hinges on Mason Rudolph and whether or not he can prove to be a consistent passer. With Pittsburgh just a touchdown favorite over Cincinnati, it’s clear that Vegas doesn’t believe in Rudolph at this point.