Morale is low among the fanbase of the Pittsburgh Steelers following the team's Week 2 drubbing against the New England Patriots. There is still some hope pocking through the darkness that maybe it was an off week by the team. With the Cincinnati Bengals coming to town for a tough AFC North division battle on Sunday, the Steelers must find a handful of quick fixes to get a massive win.
When it comes to picks and predictions from around the league for this game, many have the road team as the favorite to win the ballgame.
That should come as no surprise, as the Steelers offense has only posted a shockingly low 16 points through two games of the campaign. You can chalk some of those issues up to bad luck, but for the most part, their offense continues to show they are inept at tacking points onto the board as an effective unit.
Another big issue is that Cincinnati enters this game with an undefeated record early in the season. Their offense remains a group filled with elite talent, and Joe Burrow appears to be the healthiest he's been in years. One of the best things working for them right now is their defense. The Bengals normally had an elite offense with warts on defense, but things are different this time around.
Still Curtain contributors predict a competitive game that'll raise Pittsburgh Steelers Nation's blood pressure
"It's hard to have much confidence in the Pittsburgh Steelers after what we witnessed from the offense in Week 2. With just 16 offensive points scored on the season so far, Mike McCarthy's offense has been anything but what was advertised. It's hard to predict that their O-line struggles and DK Metcalf problems will go away overnight, and the Bengals can simply outscore this team on any given week." - Tommy Jaggi (Bengals 20-17)
"As poor as the Steelers have played so far, I feel like this is a get back game. Divisional games are always close, and Pittsburgh has historically stacked up well against the Bengals. Look for Pat Freiermuth to have his usual big game and for the Steelers to win a close one." - Andrew Falce (Steelers 24-21)
"The Bengals should have their way with a struggling Steelers offense that may need turnovers and Chris Boswell’s leg just to put points on the board. Pittsburgh’s defense will keep things respectable, but McCarthy can only do so much with this offense right now." - Allison Koehler (Bengals 20-9)
Final prediction has Steelers struggles continuing in AFC North battle
Score Prediction: Steelers 20, Bengals 25
If Mike Tomlin were still the head coach, this would clearly be a bounce-back game for the Steelers, but this is a new era. There might not be a bounce-back game anymore, and Pittsburgh should come to grips with that. With all of that being said, the Steelers' defense is still playing quality football and should cause some issues for the Bengals.
They are the only chance for this game being close.
Losing an AFC North matchup this early in the season would be tough, especially with it being at home. Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense have been solid to start the year. They added 33 points against Tampa Bay in Week 1, and 20 points against an elite defense in Houston during their most recent contest. Although the Steelers' defense is playing well, odds are they won't have as much success.
When it comes to the defensive side of things, Cincinnati will give Pittsburgh's offensive front headaches throughout the game. They allowed 27 points in the first game of the season and followed that up with an impressive six points allowed against the Texans. Those are two different types of outcomes, but the Steelers will need to find ways to get some push up front to win this matchup.
At the end of the day, it's hard to imagine the Steelers winning this AFC North bloodbath on Sunday. They just aren't doing anything good on offense right now, and it's hard to imagine it changing this week. The Bengals are playing complementary football and finding ways to win under different circumstances. The score should be tight, but Cincinnati finds a way to win the battle near the end.
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