It's hard to have many positive takeaways from the Pittsburgh Steelers' dismal Thursday Night Football outing. In addition to a big divisional loss against the Cleveland Browns, Mike McCarthy's team could now be without cornerback Jamel Dean and defensive tackle Derrick Harmon for several weeks due to injuries.
But if there's one positive note that Steelers fans can run with after Week 4, it's that they were able to maintain their lead over the Cincinnati Bengals without lifting a finger.
The Bengals had a chance to make a statement win at home over an impressive Jacksonville Jaguars team. Unfortunately for them, Cincinnati self-destructed against good competition in Week 4.
After Ja'Marr Chase left the game early in the second quarter, quarterback Joe Burrow had just one stable option remaining in the passing game: wide receiver Tee Higgins. But this wasn't enough. Burrow dropped back to pass a whopping 58 times in this contest. And though he managed 428 passing yards, he threw two costly interceptions on 54 attempts while taking two sacks and earning a disappointing 48.0 QBR.
Defensively, the Bengals were even worse, as Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence effortlessly completed 18 of 23 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. Though Cincy's pass rush got home four times in this game, Lawrence finished with a 122.3 passer rating while averaging 9.9 yards per attempt.
With the loss, the Bengals drop to 2-2 on the season. Surprisingly, this is currently good for last place in the AFC North entering Week 5.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (undeservedly) stay one step ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals after Week 4
By nothing of their own doing in Week 4, the Steelers stay one step ahead of the Bengals after the first month of the season. Both teams are tied with a 2-2 record, but because of Pittsburgh's Week 3 win over Cincinnati, they currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.
AFC North standings after Week 4:
- Cleveland Browns (3-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
Unfortunately for the Steelers, it might not stay this way for long.
Before facing Pittsburgh again in Week 10—directly after the Steelers' bye—the Bengals have upcoming matchups against the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, and Atlanta Falcons.
The Bengals will also face the Baltimore Ravens fresh off their Week 7 bye, and it's possible that two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson could still be hobbled for this game after suffering an ankle injury against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4.
The Bengals still show enough promise to be a competitor in the AFC this season, and claiming a division title is hardly out of reach. However, they couldn't capitalize on an opportunity to bury the Steelers in fourth place in the division after the first month of the season.
Instead of advancing to 3-1, the fourth-place Bengals will need to fight their way from the bottom of the division. But considering they are only a game out of first place, the AFC North is up for grabs—and even the Cleveland Browns might have a shot at a title at this pace.
Thankfully, the Steelers' disheartening loss to Cleveland on Thursday Night Football stings a little less after watching the Bengals go down against the Jaguars on Sunday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google