The Steelers have a few players who are set to take the world by storm, and we can expect some breakout performances in Week 11 against the Bengals.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have some young players who have been teetering on the edge of dominant performances during the first half of the season. They have shown promise early in the year and it’s only a matter of time before they explode onto the scene.
In the same way, a few veterans returning from injury have already made their presence felt in their first week back, and they could follow up their Week 10 outing against the Saints with an even more impressive performance versus the Cincinnati Bengals this week.
We know how fired up this team gets in must-win games with their backs against the wall, and knowing what’s on the line, I think Mike Tomlin is going to have them fired up for this AFC North matchup. Here are four players who could go off for huge games against the Bengals:
George Pickens will pick on Bengals cornerbacks
So far, Pittsburgh hasn’t utilized George Pickens exactly how I would have hoped. His route tree has been among the blandest in the league and his usage varies depending on the game. However, this could be the perfect matchup for the talented rookie to explode for a huge game.
Cincinnati has quality linebackers and safeties, which could force Kenny Pickett to look target Pickens early and often. However, the Bengals are missing one of their starting cornerbacks in Chidobe Awuzie. Pickens has come dangerously close to making some spectacular catches down the sidelines, and this could be the week he and Pickett are really on the same page.
It’s Jaylen Warren’s time to shine in Steelers backfield
Last week, it was Najee Harris who exploded for 99 yards on the ground; this week, it could be Jaylen Warren’s turn. While I don’t believe that he will be given enough opportunity to earn a 100-yard performance, he could bust off a few big runs.
In Week 1, Najee was stonewalled for just 23 rushing yards on 10 carries against the Bengals. Cincy is getting D.J. Reader back, and I don’t think this is a good matchup for a power back like Harris. On the other hand, Warren has been excellent at knifing through a hole and hitting it hard. He can also get to the edge and turn the corner. I would expect a big game out of him in this matchup.
T.J. Watt should dominate his matchup
T.J. Watt obviously has plenty of monster games in the past, but due to the fact that he has spent most of his 2022 season on IR, we could see the first huge game from him since Week 1.
I thought Watt’s presence made a massive impact last week against the Saints, but the veteran pass rusher didn’t do much on the box score. This week, I think Watt could manhandle struggling OT La’el Collins for some game-altering plays. I would expect the Bengals to shift attention his way, but it might not matter.
Damontae Kazee could be an intriguing chess piece
In his first-ever game with the Steelers, Damontae Kazee recorded an interception against the Saints. Though he may not repeat that, I am very interested to see how he will be used against the Bengals this week. Because of his versatility in the secondary, Pittsburgh may try to get all three of their top safeties on the field at the same time. He could be the defensive chess piece this team has been lacking.