Here are the Steelers four primary causes for concern against the Bengals
Funnily enough, all of the causes for concern ended up coming up last week in the loss to the Bills except for the defensive injuries being that impactful. This week, the Steelers are in a much better position to pull out a win, as the Bengals are one of the worst teams in the league due to the litany of injuries they have suffered. The Steelers haven’t been playing elite football either though, and at this point, no game will be a cakewalk. Here are four causes for concern with the Steelers vs. the Bengals in week 15.
Looking ahead
While the Bengals will certainly be the worst team that the Steelers play from here on out, it would be unwise for the team to look past the Bengals. Both the Colts and Browns will be far more difficult opponents, but that doesn’t mean the Steelers can just prepare for those games while expecting to win this. Despite their struggles, the Bengals do have some quality players on their roster.
Even more so, the idea that one team at the NFL level is completely superior to other teams is silly. Sure, there are better teams than others, but all of these players have made it to the pros, and that means they are some of the top athletes in the world. Some rosters are better than others, but no NFL roster is completely devoid of talent. The Steelers need to be ready for this game, as a win here gives the Steelers the division. The other games can be focused on in the future, but this week needs to be dedicated to beating the Bengals.
Deep passing game
In recent weeks, the Steelers have allowed for their offense to become completely one dimensional. They aren’t only a pass-first team, they are a short pass only team, and it has completely inhibited them in recent games. Last week against the Bills this was no exception, as a late deep pass to James Washington was horribly underthrown that led to the game-ending interception.
While the Steelers don’t need to revert back to the days where Ben Roethlisberger was slinging the ball deep often, they need to get this deep passing game going. They have two legitimate threats in Washington and Chase Claypool, and they are facing a relatively weak secondary. In order to bring back some sense of legitimacy to this offense, the team would do well with a couple of well-placed shots this week.
The only player I would caution them against is free safety, Jessie Bates. He is the lone bright spot in this otherwise “meh” secondary, and if he is tested, he can make the Steelers pay. Outside of him though, this group can and should be exploited. Roethlisberger needs to find himself in this regard again, as he isn’t getting the job done with the short passing game. The offense needs a new wrinkle and attempting a couple of deep shots could fit the bill.
Steelers offensive line
The woes for this group have been well accounted for, as their pass blocking has been good, but their run blocking has been horrible. Add on to this the injuries to the interior of this group, and suddenly, there are some serious questions with this unit. While the Bengals defense doesn’t pose a huge threat, it isn’t unthinkable that this banged up and underperforming unit struggles on Monday.
As of now, the only true pass-rushing threat has been Carl Lawson, as he leads the Bengals with a whopping 4.5 sacks. That said, he has had some success against the Steelers before, and he could look to exploit some of their issues this week. In terms of run defense, this line isn’t all that stout. When stud nose tackle D.J. Reader went onto IR, this unit took a turn for the worse. Since then, there hasn’t been much of a push.
Despite all this, the Steelers offensive line has not played to the best of its ability recently. While this game is a good opportunity to get their mojo back, they have given little inclination that they can do that in recent weeks. To be frank, this line needs to bully the Bengals this week, and if they don’t, it will make them a target in coming weeks against superior competition.
The running game
There has been no worse unit on the Steelers in recent weeks than their rushing offense. This group has struggled to get any sort of a push, and as a result, the runners have been stuffed for minimal gains. Worse yet, the coaching staff has called uninspired plays and abandoned the group the moment they struggle. In turn, this offense has become completely one dimensional, and it has hurt the team’s ability to move the ball.
While the Bengals aren’t horrible against the run, like the majority of their defense, it is average at best. They have a slew of young linebackers that have potential but are still developing at this point. While it would be ideal if the Steelers get the deep passing game going, they must get the running game on point. This is their best chance for the rest of the season, and it would be a huge blow if they can’t.
It starts and stops with the coaches, as they need to call some schemes that benefit the running backs. Perhaps get a few successful power runs going, or even allow Derek Watt to serve as the lead blocker on a few plays. No matter what, this unit needs to have a successful day on the ground this week. While the Steelers can and should still throw the ball, a little ground and pound could go a long way in balancing this offense.
While the Bengals themselves are less of true concern, there are some major long-term implications with this game. As well, the idea that the Steelers are going to just walk over the Bengals is a dangerous way to get upset. The Steelers need to come out and dominate this game, as anything else could lead to issues both in this game and in the coming weeks.