Can the Steelers’ defense win this game?
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Bengals 34, Steelers 10
Oct. 14, 1979 at Riverfront Stadium
After the first months of each of the last 51 seasons, the Steelers have played six winless Bengals teams. They won five of them (the latest in the season being the 0-7 Bengals team the Steelers beat in 1993). This was the Steelers’ only loss. The defending champions, on their way to back-to-back titles, turned the ball over nine times. Their seven lost fumbles (of nine) remains the team record. Here’s another statistical highlight: From 1972 through 1979, Chuck Noll’s Steelers were 59-1 against teams with losing records. Of course, this was the one. “I’ll always remember Chuck in that locker room,” Jack Ham said of the halftime conversation. “He said, ‘If he didn’t know any better, I would think you guys are throwing this game. I looked at Mike Wagner like, ‘Did he just accuse us of putting money on the game?'” The Steelers went out and fumbled the ball away on their first two possessions of the second half as the Bengals improved to 1-6.
TALE OF THE TAPE
“What’s going on with the Bengals? I understand Joe Mixon is a great runner, but you’re losing and you’re spending all that time running the ball? It makes me wonder what’s going on. For instance, at 0-8, why do you bench Andy Dalton and play a fourth-round draft pick? They don’t need to know if he’s a franchise quarterback going forward. Is there something going on behind closed doors? A tacit agreement to claiming the top pick in the draft? They’re not having a fire sale like Miami and they’re not officially tanking, but how long has A.J. Green said he’s been healthy? He’s a free agent next year. I would think he wants to get on the field, and last week he said he’s ready to go. But he’s out again. I’m wondering about this. And then I watch the defense. Early in the season they were flying to the ball. You watch last week’s tape and, while I have great respect for Geno Atkins, he short-armed a tackle. I’ve never seen him do anything like that in my life. Carlos Dunlap told a reporter that sometimes he makes ‘business decisions’ on the field. What the heck’s going on there?” — Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers’ defense win this game?
No Killer B’s. No James Conner. No JuJu Smith-Schuster. Heck, no Ryan Switzer or Rosie Nix. Gone from last season are 82 percent of the rushing yardage, 80 percent of the receiving yardage, 99.96 percent of the passing yardage (Chris Boswell completed a 2-yard pass last season), and 65 percent of the points. The defense is better, though, particularly since Minkah Fitzpatrick joined them eight games ago and they’ve (vs. last season): allowed 6 fewer points per game, forced 2.1 more turnovers per game, notched 0.7 more sacks per game, allowed 0.8 fewer yards per completion, 0.4 fewer yards per carry, and compiled a defensive passer rating of 68.6 these last eight games vs. 95.2 last season. They’ll need all of those defensive edges today.
THREE QUESTIONS: With RB JAYLEN SAMUELS
Q: Are you tight with Bengals QB Ryan Finley?
JS: “Yeah we have a good relationship. He was my quarterback for junior and senior year in college and we built a good relationship.”
Q: What’s the scouting report on him?
JS: “Smart guy. He’s not going to really do too many dumb things. He’ll be smart and accurate with his throws. He’s a runner, can run as well. Sneaky speed.”
Q: Can you and your RBs coach help the defense with your knowledge of Finley?
JS: “All I can tell them is he’s a smart guy. I can’t really tell them tendencies. I don’t know what he’s done for the Bengals and what they’re asking him to do. But I know him as a person. I’ve played with him. Forcing turnovers is always a good recipe for beating anyone.”
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers today at Paul Brown Stadium.
ON OFFENSE:
It looks like rookie RB Benny Snell will replace Conner as the lead dog in the backfield. Rookie Diontae Johnson and second-year man James Washington will be the primary pass-catchers. QB Mason Rudolph will make his eighth career start. Do the math on all of that career production. Yikes. They’ll play behind an OL missing the suspended Maurkice Pouncey. B.J. Finney will be the center, with just-called-up Patrick Morris the reserve center in case Finney has to move to guard. This unit will have to scratch and claw, play field position, and hope maybe to strike with TE Vance McDonald in the red zone against one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
ON DEFENSE:
The Steelers catch a break in that A.J. Green will miss one more week. Auden Tate, who caught 4-50 in the previous meeting, will replace him across from Tyler Boyd and their healthy TE situation. The Bengals are averaging 5.2 per carry in their last three games, too, so even without Green there are enough weapons for Finley in his third career start. Oh, and the Bengals’ OL will be at full health for the first time this season with the return of LT Cordy Glenn and LG Alex Redmond. Bud Dupree will be a big test for Glenn’s conditioning.
PREDICTION
The 0-10 Bengals would seem to be in great position for an upset. Against a better level of competition in the last five games, they edge the Steelers at the line of scrimmage. But, whoa, their pass defense has been hideous聽— 14.2 yards allowed per completion against below to average passers these last five games. The Steelers also have been much more efficient in yards per point. I’ll lean to the Steelers because of their 10 days between games, their unification (thanks to Myles Garrett), and an offense that realizes any small mistake in ball security could be catastrophic. The Steelers have been extremely focused this week … Steelers, 20-13.
BY THE NUMBERS
7: Catches by McDonald last year in Cincinnati are his most in a game with the Steelers. He also caught seven passes this season against Seattle. McDonald could be a key piece today in Cincinnati, considering the inexperience of the other Steelers skill players.
28: Steelers rank in offensive yards per game (283.3).
32: Bengals rank in defensive yards allowed per game (425.1).
64.5: Completion percentage by Finley is the best in North Carolina State history. He spent three seasons there after transferring from Boise State. He’s completing only 47.5 percent of his passes this season.
129: Career passes defensed by Steelers CB Joe Haden are the most by any player in the NFL since he entered the league in 2010, fifth overall among active NFL players.
DOWNLOADS
—聽Rudolph and Samuels completed 87.1 percent of their passes in the last game against the Bengals, a team record. Much of it had to do with easy jet-sweep forward laterals (passes), and those plays must still be in the book vs. a defense that hasn’t improved its speed at the second level.
— Johnson’s six catches in the last meeting are a career-high for the Steelers rookie. He also gained 77 yards and scored a touchdown against the Bengals. So far, Johnson has 32 catches for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s on pace for a 51-608-5 rookie season.
— Second-year Bengals FS Jessie Bates had seven tackles and an interception last Sunday at Oakland. He’s looking for his third consecutive game with an interception, fourth in a row with a pass defensed, and sixth in a row with at least seven tackles.
— The worst record by a first-year Bengals coach was the 3-11 posted by legendary coach Paul Brown in the franchise’s first season. At 0-10, Zac Taylor is on schedule to smash that record.
— Last year at Cincinnati, the Steelers brought Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Conner and Smith-Schuster. They’ve been replaced by Rudolph, Washington, Snell and Johnson. Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said Thursday that, “Sometimes you may be a little too conservative at the time, and you’ve got to allow for the growth to occur. But you’ve got to allow for the idea that the next guy in knows what to do and is going to give us a chance to win and a chance to make a play. We’ve got to let them do that.”
PARTING SHOT
“You’re an 0-10 Bengals team, and you go, say, 1-15. You want that 1 right here and now in your home stadium against the Steelers. That’s what can make Paul Brown Stadium happy. That’s the one danger about the whole thing, in my mind.”聽— Steelers Radio Network sideline reporter Craig Wolfley.