3 keys to victory for the Steelers vs. the Bengals

Three keys for the Steelers to get to 7-4

The Steelers have lost four of their last five matchups with the Bengals, and now have as much on the line as anyone in Week 12. With a win, they have a 76 percent chance of making the playoffs. Those chances drop down to below 40 percent with a loss, per PFF.

There is a simple formula for getting to 7-4 for the Steelers, and here is what they’ll need to do.

Make Jake Browning beat you

I said the same thing last week about Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and the Steelers’ defense did a good job of slowing him down. Pittsburgh held Thompson-Robinson to just 165 yards, one interception, and a passer rating of 54.9. The only problem is Kenny Pickett was far worse, and the offense scored a measly 10 points.

The gameplan should be the same for the defense, though. The Bengals won’t have Tee Higgins this game. Double Ja’Marr Chase, send extra pressure, and make Browning be the one who has to win the game.

More Jaylen Warren

Warren is legitimately one of the best running backs in football right now. He is coming off his second consecutive 100 yard game, and accounted for 58 percent of the Steelers’ offensive yards last week. Warren is also averaging a league-best 6.2 yards per attempt (min. 40 attempts). as well as yards after contact per attempt. He has shown that he deserves to be option 1A in this offense, and the carries should start to reflect that.

Offensive diversity

With Matt Canada gone, Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan need to bring some better play-calls to the offense. Utilize the middle of the field with slants and other in-breakers. No more constant back shoulder throws to the sideline on comeback routes, or swing passes to the running back in the flat. If everyone sitting at home wearing their favorite Kordell Stewart jersey knows it’s coming, so does the defense. The passing game needs to get more complex. If Pickett can make the throws, great. If he can’t then at least you know for sure and can start gearing up to find someone new in 2024.