Sunday Night Football takes the AFC North rivalry to Cincinnati this week, when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Bengals at Paycor Stadium at 8:20pm ET on NBC and Peacock. It is one of the league’s most physical rivalries, and this meeting arrives with the division race still wide open and both teams knowing that a loss would hurt far more than a win would help.
The Bengals come into the game with momentum after Joe Burrow threw four touchdowns in the win over Atlanta in Madrid last weekend, a performance that reminded the league what Cincinnati’s offence can do when its quarterback is healthy and firing. The Steelers, meanwhile, have built their season on defence and discipline, and they will arrive in Cincinnati believing they can slow down any offence in the league. Something has to give.
Burrow against the Steelers’ defence
Burrow’s return to form is the story of Cincinnati’s season. The Bengals’ quarterback looked sharp in Madrid, spreading the ball around and making the kind of throws that win games in January, and the Steelers’ defence will be his toughest test since his return. Pittsburgh’s pass rush has been relentless, and the Bengals’ offensive line will need its best game of the season to keep Burrow upright.
The Steelers’ offence, by contrast, has been workmanlike rather than spectacular, built on the run game and a quarterback who avoids mistakes. That formula has worked all season, but it will be tested against a Bengals team that can score quickly. If Pittsburgh falls behind early, the Steelers will need to find a gear they have rarely shown. If they can control the clock and keep Burrow on the sideline, they can win this game on their own terms.
A rivalry that decides divisions
Steelers-Bengals games rarely disappoint, and this one has the added spice of a division race that is still up for grabs. The AFC North has been the league’s most unpredictable division this season, with every team capable of beating the others on any given Sunday. A win in prime time would give either side a crucial tiebreaker and a surge of momentum heading into the final stretch.
The Bengals will also be dealing with the fallout of deadline day, when their agreed deal for Philadelphia edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie collapsed over a compensatory pick complication. That leaves Cincinnati’s pass rush as it was, and the Steelers will be happy to face a Bengals defence that did not get the help it was looking for. Sunday night in Cincinnati, under the lights, with the division on the line — this is what the rivalry is for.
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