“We’re playing one of the storied franchises in the NFL,” Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “It’s a playoff game. They need it. We need it. ... I don’t think there’s a person in this building that would ever take the Pittsburgh Steelers lightly.”
Here are five things to know about the game:
1. Bengals will miss Chase
Pittsburgh isn’t the only team hurting from injuries and other absences. The Bengals lost nose guard DJ Reader to a torn quad tendon last week against Minnesota and now another starter is out, as Ja’Marr Chase didn’t practice all week because of a separated shoulder.
Fortunately for quarterback Jake Browning, he’s gotten used to spreading the ball around, and although Chase was his top target the past four weeks, other players have proven capable of stepping up in this offense.
Tee Higgins will likely face more attention from the defense, but he’s handled that before, including last year when Chase missed four games due to a hip fracture. In those games, Higgins had 371 yards and two touchdowns on 26 catches, including two 100-plus-yard games, and a 3-1 record for the team. One of those, when Higgins caught nine passes for 148 yards, coming in a 37-30 win at Pittsburgh.
“I mean Ja’Marr is one of the best receivers in the NFL, just like Tee Higgins, and I think any time you’re that high caliber of player and I think everybody just knows that it’s kind of unanimous opinion,” Browning said. “Yeah, he’s a huge part of the offense.”
2. Stop the run
With a new quarterback, the Steelers likely will lean on a proven running game that was effective the first time against Cincinnati even when Reader was healthy and active. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combined for 148 yards rushing and one touchdown, and the Bengals are expecting Pittsburgh to try to exploit the loss of Reader even more.
Mason Rudolph hasn’t won a game since 2019 when he started two victories against the Bengals (but was benched in the second half of the second matchup in Cincinnati that year). He’s thrown three passes in 2023, didn’t play at all in 2022 and only had one start each of the previous two seasons.
Pittsburgh was adjusting to a new offensive coordinator the first meeting between these teams on Nov. 26, as Matt Canada had just been fired. Everything seems to have been in flux since then.
“I think a little bit more focus on just trying to run it and then doing the things that each one of the -- they’ve been handcuffed a little bit too by, ‘OK, who’s the quarterback this week?’” Anarumo said. “And that’s never easy. So I think, ‘Hey, what does this guy do best?’ And they’re trying to tailor it to it the best they can.”
3. Steelers secondary depleted
The Steelers won’t just be without Fitzpatrick and Kazee, they also are missing Trenton Thompson (neck) and Elijah Riley (ankle) is listed as questionable coming off injured reserve. Keanu Neal is still on IR as well, so that’s five safeties who are out or questionable.
Fitzpatrick missed the last game against Cincinnati as well but Thompson started in his place before Fitzpatrick returned the following week. He had 64 tackles in 10 games. Kazee shared the team lead for interceptions with two and had two fumble recoveries and 61 tackles.
‘I think what their greatest attribute is, from the last game I’ve seen, is they disguise really well,” wide receiver Tyler Boyd said. “They switch it up and make you believe it’s one coverage and they hurry up into another one. I think that’s one of the best things you can do to an offense like us.”
4. Boyd stirs the pot
Boyd apparently added some more drama to the rivalry between the two teams, as his comments about George Pickens getting called out by fans and teammates for failing to block on a play against the Colts stirred a reaction from Joey Porter Jr.
The Bengals wide receiver said the situation showed a lack of camaraderie in the Pittsburgh locker room.
Porter responded Thursday, telling reporters: “He wouldn’t know. He’s not in the locker room, so his opinion doesn’t really matter.”
Boyd might have a little more fire going into this matchup, one that could end up being his last as part of the AFC North rivalry. Boyd is in the last year of his contract and said he’s not thinking about that yet because he doesn’t know how it’s going to go.
“I mean I always feel good because I started my legacy there,” Boyd said. “I’ve played there in high school, college, professionally, every level, so every time I step on that field it takes me down memory lane and make me look back at my accomplishments and why I got here.”
5. Significant game
The Bengals sit in sixth in the AFC standings currently but could potentially wipe Pittsburgh out of the mix with a win. The Steelers are in the No. 10 spot and have a six percent chance of making the playoffs, according to Next Gen Stats, thanks to three straight losses, which included two at home to then 2-10 teams.
Cincinnati is 11-3 in regular-season games in December and beyond and trying to stay perfect in December this year.
“A lot is on the line for both teams,” cornerback Mike Hilton said. “Obviously it’s late December, which everybody remembers December. We have an opportunity to go into a hostile environment and get a big win. … We know what’s at stake. There’s pressure on us right now, but that’s something I’ve realized about this team, when our backs are against the wall, that’s when we play our best.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Steelers, 4:30 p.m., NBC, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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