Kickoff is 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, November 15, at Paycor Stadium, with the early forecast calling for 40 degrees, clear skies and barely any wind. Pittsburgh spent its bye resting and scouting the Bengals. Cincinnati's week was a lot busier: it was coming off its first-ever regular-season win on international soil, and it had to get back across the Atlantic and turn around for a division game.
The two streaks look nothing alike. Cincinnati won its 4 straight by putting up 31, 35, 43 and 34 points, but it gave up 36 to Tennessee in an overtime shootout along the way. Pittsburgh's defense has gone the other way, allowing 22, 19, 10 and 6 during its run. Something has to give. Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith give the Steelers a front seven that can make Burrow uncomfortable, and taking away clean pockets is the only thing that has slowed this offense.
The problem for Pittsburgh is the secondary. Cornerbacks Doneiko Slaughter and Brandin Echols are both listed out, which leaves Jalen Ramsey and Terell Smith to handle Chase and Higgins with less help behind them than the Steelers would like. Cincinnati has its own holes. Center Connor Lew, tackle Myles Hinton and safety Kyle Dugger were all inactive in Madrid, Cashius Howell is on IR with a wrist injury, and tight end Erick All Jr. is done for the year with a torn ACL. If Lew and Hinton miss more time, that interior line has to hold up against Watt and Highsmith off the edge.
Whoever wins goes into the second half of the season with the head-to-head and the inside track in the North. Pittsburgh will try to run the ball and win it on defense. Cincinnati wants Burrow to throw 30 times on its own turf. That contrast is the reason to watch Sunday night.
