The Bengals don’t need a flashy formula in Pittsburgh. They need the kind of road plan that travels: run the ball, keep pressure coming, and make sure Ja’Marr Chase is part of everything.
That’s the path if Cincinnati wants to leave the Steel City at 3-0.
The first order of business is simple enough. The Steelers still bring plenty of heat up front, and their defensive line can wreck a game if it’s allowed to get comfortable.
Cincinnati has to take some of that bite away by getting the run game going early. A steady rushing attack would make life harder for TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Cameron Heyward, Derrick Harmon, and the rest of that front.
It would also help create the play-action shots that can turn into big gains for the Bengals’ playmakers.
Chase Brown gave Cincinnati a solid ground presence in week two, carrying the ball 20 times for 80 yards. A lot of that work came late after the Bengals had already built a two-possession cushion.
He also had an explosive run wiped out earlier by a very questionable holding call. If that play had stood, Brown would have gone over 100 rushing yards.
The other major piece is the pass rush. Cincinnati came after Houston with 41 total pressures in week two, and the new-look defense is getting production from a lot of different places. Dexter Lawrence is drawing plenty of attention in the middle, and the group around him is making this defense look legitimate.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has given up 28 pressures through two games. That sets up a straightforward question: can the Steelers keep Aaron Rodgers clean on Sunday?
If they can’t, Cincinnati has a real chance to force mistakes. That kind of pressure could end up deciding the game.
Then there’s Chase, who always belongs in the center of the plan. It was Joe Flacco, not Joe Burrow, but Chase shredded Pittsburgh last season in week 7 with 16 catches for 161 yards.
After a quiet opener this year, Cincinnati made a point of getting him more involved in week two, and he responded with 7 receptions, 75 yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. That came even with the Bengals leaning conservative on offense while protecting a two-possession lead in the second half.
There’s also the possibility that Pittsburgh could again be without Joey Porter Jr. Chase has already shown what he can do in this matchup, and Cincinnati should be ready to feed him early and often. The run game can set the table, but there will still be moments when the Bengals need to let Ja’Marr Chase just be Ja’Marr Chase.
In Other News...
Bengals Still Have One Awkward Flacco Question Hanging Over Them
Joe Flacco spent part of the week batting away a familiar kind of noise, this time tied to the New York Giants and the possibility of a move that would have thinned the Bengals' quarterback room. He said he has no reason to believe Cincinnati is looking to trade him, and for now he is operating exactly where the team has him, as the backup quarterback and a veteran option waiting in reserve.
Flacco also said trades can still surface out of nowhere, which is part of what keeps these rumors alive even when the player involved is trying not to entertain them. A few friends had fun with the idea of a reunion with Giants head coach John Harbaugh, but Flacco made clear those whispers are not grounded in anything real, leaving the Bengals with the quieter, more awkward question of how much longer this storyline lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Enter Steelers Showdown With One Major Defensive Concern
The Bengals head into their matchup with the Steelers carrying more than the usual early-season injury unease, and the middle of their defense is the spot worth watching most closely. Defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and B.J. Hill have both missed multiple practices, with Allen's absence tied to load management and Hill's availability still unclear, leaving Cincinnati with some uncertainty right where Pittsburgh likes to lean on opponents.
Andrei Iosivas is also expected to land on injured reserve, which trims another option from the mix as the Bengals sort through their lineup for a game that already has a physical feel to it. On the other side, Pittsburgh has its own questions, with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. limited and possibly available, while Michael Pittman and Jaylen Warren were also limited as the Steelers wait for further evaluation heading into Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chase Could Make Bengals History In Pittsburgh
JaMarr Chase is headed into Pittsburgh with another benchmark hanging in the balance, and it is the kind of milestone that says as much about his start as a pro as it does about what the Bengals have built around him. He is fewer than 80 yards from 7,000 for his career, a total that would underscore just how quickly he has become one of the leagues most productive receivers.
If Chase gets there in his 81st game, he would move into rare company and sit fourth all-time for fewest games needed to reach the mark, ahead of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. For Cincinnati, it is one more reminder that every trip to the field with Chase carries history-watch potential, even before the bigger questions around the season or the matchup are fully sorted out. [Read more 🡒]