The Steelers will hope to get a win back this week, and here are four bold predictions for their week 12 game against the Bengals.
The Steelers had one of their toughest losses earlier this year when the Bengals beat them soundly amid their early slump. Now, both teams are in relatively opposite positions, as the Bengals have cooled off while Pittsburgh has heated up, even with their close loss to the Chargers last week. It won’t be an easy game by any means, but it is one that is winnable for the team.
Here are four bold predictions for the Steelers vs. the Bengals in week 12.
Steelers still can’t beat Chase
The Steelers’ secondary has progressively gotten better each week despite various injuries and illnesses. Still though, despite the strides this group has made, the deep pass is still an issue. Mike Williams reminded them of that last week as he scored the walk-off score on a long pass in the fourth quarter. Ja’Marr Chase was the first to really exploit this, as his 34-yard catch and score jumpstarted the Bengals’ win.
The Steelers defense is in shambles right now as it is looking for healthy bodies to field. While most of the starters should be making a return this week, the threat of the deep pass still isn’t covered well.
I expect the team to fully dedicate itself to stopping the run (more on that soon), and as a result, Chase wins deep again this week. The team will certainly hold Chase to a lesser stat line than before, but I think he still finds a way to win deep.