Here are the Steelers causes for concern this week against the Bengals in week 10
Arguably the Steelers’ biggest takeaway from their close week nine win was that the team is in fact not invincible. What should have been a blowout on paper turned into one of the closest games of the season so far. It just goes to show, no game in the NFL is ever certain, no matter how big the perceived gap in talent is between the two teams.
This week, a similar narrative is going, as the Bengals, while improved from last year, are still dwelling at the bottom of the AFC North. While the talent seems to favor the Steelers, this team showed last week that it doesn’t matter who is favored on paper as the game can go in a wide variety of ways. The talent difference in the NFL isn’t as big as it may seem, and any team is capable of winning due to the top-level talent that is being fielded.
Because of this, there are plenty of causes for concerns for the Steelers this week against the Bengals. Divisional matchups are always more physical and tougher wins, and this week likely won’t be much different. While the Steelers are clear favorites this week, it doesn’t mean that they will have a walk in the park with this new look Bengals. This game will be tougher than many think, and it shouldn’t be a surprise if the Steelers are fighting to preserve their undefeated record.
With all of this said, here are four causes for concerns for the Steelers week 10 matchup against the Bengals.
Steelers on the COVID list
Presently, the biggest cause for concern this week is the Steelers players that have been put on the COVID reserve list. As of this writing, the Steelers have one player that has tested positive for COVID (Vance McDonald), and four additional players that have been but on the reserve list due to contact (Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Williams, Jaylen Samuels, and Jerald Hawkins). To be clear, the four names on the list due to contact could very well play on Sunday, but the fact that they have to be on this list during the week doesn’t help.
While losing a player like Samuels or Hawkins for the week isn’t the end of the world, and even Williams has an obvious substitute in Avery Williamson, losing Roethlisberger would be a disaster. The Steelers saw what a season was like without their starter last year, and it isn’t something anyone should want to see more of. If Roethlisberger can’t suit up, the odds of a loss will skyrocket.
Even if any/all of these players suit up, they will be without a week of practice before the game, further limiting them. While a Roethlisberger without a week of prep is still a better option than any of the Steelers backups, it is far from ideal considering the tough matchup. The loss of players to the COVID reserve list will be a big talking point going into the week, and if the Steelers struggle, it may be a key reason why.
Giovani Bernard
Giovani Bernard has had a lengthy career with the Bengals, and while he has never developed into a true every-down back, he is a key weapon in the passing game. Despite only starting two games this season, he has 24 receptions on the year, a healthy total, and a sign that Joe Burrow seems to like to target him. While Joe Mixon is the superior player overall, his questionable injury status mixed in with the Steelers’ ability to stop traditional runners so far this season make Bernard a bigger threat.
On top of this, the Steelers inside linebackers are a huge question mark, as Williams is still on the COVID reserve list, meaning a lot of snaps will be given to Robert Spillane and Williamson. This could lead to some confusion, as the team will be trying to figure out what player offers the best skill set at a particular time. On top of this, neither of the three options are notable coverage linebackers, making them a potential weak spot on this defense.
Worse yet, the Steelers gave up a surprising amount of success to a similar back last week, as Tony Pollard used his athleticism to make some big plays as a runner. While Bernard may not be a threat to have a 100-yard rushing game, he could see some more success than a typical running back would have against the Steelers. As well, if he chips in five or so receptions, he could be a key factor if the game is a loss. While not the biggest threat on the Bengals, don’t be surprised to see Bernard find some success against the Steelers.
Joe Burrow
The biggest threat from the Bengals this week is rookie quarterback Burrow. Yes, he is playing behind an offensive line that resembles a turnstile and the Steelers have had notable success against rookie quarterbacks, but it looks like the Steelers got a franchise player in Burrow. While his stats haven’t been perfect by any means, he looks composed in the pocket and is succeeding despite not having great talent around him.
On paper, it seems silly to say that Burrow will succeed against the Steelers. For starters, rookies have always seemed to struggle against the Steelers. As well, his bad offensive line makes the pass rushers jobs easier, and the teams secondary seems to match up well against the Bengals receivers. That said, similar things were said last week, and we all saw how that turned out.
The biggest issue could be the Steelers using more zone against the Bengals. While Burrow certainly isn’t a scrambling quarterback, he is mobile enough to be a threat to take off. The problem is, zone coverage is far easier to throw against, and this team is built around man coverage. We saw what excess zone coverage could do last week, and if the team is forced to use it again, it could be a problem for this defense.
A repeat of week 9
While the Bengals are the worse team on paper, last week showed that this team is vulnerable. While the Steelers were on their third road game in as many weeks, the team seemed unprepared and tired against the Cowboys. While it can’t be certain, this team may have thought that the Cowboys would be an easy win last week. If the team takes a similar approach this Sunday, the results of the game could be similar.
Again, the Steelers can’t fall for the trap game here, as despite being heavy favorites, the Bengals should be a good matchup. If the team comes out unprepared and sloppy like they did last week, it could lead to a similar start, and if they don’t turn it around, it will lead to the first loss of the season. This doesn’t even consider the fact that the Steelers will have a handful of players possibly playing off of the COVID list, meaning they didn’t have this week to properly practice.
While the team should have learned their lesson last week, there is no guarantee that they rebound properly this week. Playing at home should be a benefit as should a better game plan than last weeks, but this COVID issue and the Bengals record are still causing concern. The Steelers will need to come out early and look dynamic like they should have last week. If now, this game could flip early and hand the team their first loss on the year.
What was on paper an easy three-game stretch got off to a rough start with a near loss last week against the Cowboys. While the Steelers are squarely focused on the Bengals now, there are still quite a few causes for concern ahead of this week. Don’t be surprised if one or two of these issues rear their head and end in a Steelers loss.