If the Pittsburgh Steelers want to show that they are worthy of contending in the AFC this year, eventually, they need to step up and prove it. Unfortunately, their path to holding the division lead entering the midway point of the season was handed to them; it wasn't earned.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury in Week 2 of the season, which required surgery, and he will be out until at least mid-December. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens fell apart with Lamar Jackson out of the lineup.
No team in the AFC North has a positive point differential entering Week 9, as the Steelers hang onto first place with a 4-3 record. Now it looks like they might have just caught another break they didn't deserve.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could luck out as the Cincinnati Bengals could be without QB Joe Flacco in Week 9
On Wednesday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder. This isn't the type of nagging injury a 40-year-old quarterback wants to mess with. Rapoport noted that Flacco's status for Sunday's game against the Bears is 'up in the air'.
In Week 7, the Bengals bested the Steelers on Thursday Night Football. These two teams will face each other again on November 16, and it's hard to tell what Flacco's shoulder will look like by then. Even if the aging quarterback recovers in time for his next game against Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin's team may have already caught another undeserved break.
The Steelers were fortunate that the Bengals dropped a must-win game against the New York Jets in Week 8. Now with Flacco's status on the line, Cincy could squander another opportunity to fight back in the AFC North with a home loss to the Chicago Bears this week.
If Flacco can't go in Week 9, the Bengals will be forced to turn back to Jake Browning, who looked like perhaps the worst quarterback in the NFL early in the season. In three starts (four games played), Browning has thrown eight interceptions while passing for just 6.1 yards per attempt to go with a 70.5 passer rating and a 33.5 QBR.
The only way the Cincinnati Bengals have a chance to weather the storm and stay in the divisional race until Joe Burrow gets back is if Joe Flacco is on the field. The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't done much to earn their positioning atop the AFC North, and their opponents continue to do them favors.