3 Steelers X-factors for Sunday match-up against Cincinnati

Jaylen Samuels

As mentioned previously, the Bengals have been brutal on defense this season, ranking near the bottom of the league in every major category. With Mason Rudolph coming off arguably his worst game as a pro, paired with the media circus after the incident with Myles Garret; expect the Steelers to get the run game going early and often.

While the Steelers may use more of a committee approach on the ground with Samuels, Edmunds, and possibly Benny Snell; Samuels is the most versatile of the group (as highlighted by his thirteen catch game in week 9 versus the Colts).

Samuels is a more effective runner than his 2.6 yards per carry suggests (averaging 4.6 yards per carry last season). He’ll still push for over 10 carries this week, but the real damage should come in the passing game. He is a match-up nightmare for the less athletic linebackers that will often be covering him if he is coming out of the backfield, or split out wide versus man coverage. He is polished enough as a receiver to win versus man, as well as mentally process and sit in zone coverages.

With JuJu Smith-Schuster out this week, Samuels should inherit extra volume in the passing game. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Steelers completed sixteen of seventeen passes for 140 yards and a touchdown; to running backs alone (Conner eight receptions, Samuels eight receptions). Three of those passes actually came from Samuels on jet sweeps.

Samuels is an elusive, versatile back. With a catch rate of nearly 83%, expect Rudolph to look for Samuels early in his progression, as well as there to be some designed passing game work for him throughout the game.