The Bengals and Steelers are set for a Sunday night showdown with first place in the AFC North on the line, but Ja’Marr Chase isn’t putting this rivalry at the top of his personal list.
Cincinnati and Pittsburgh both enter the game at 6-2, making it one of the biggest regular-season meetings between the teams in years. Even so, Chase made it clear on Thursday that he sees the Bengals’ battles with Kansas City as something different entirely.
When asked where Pittsburgh ranked among the rivalries he’s been part of, Chase said it was “pretty up there.” But he didn’t name a No. 1, adding, “I don’t have nobody number one.”
Pressed further on whether Pittsburgh matched the Bengals’ rivalry with the Chiefs when both teams were rolling, Chase didn’t leave much room for debate. “No, no, no,” he said. He called the Chiefs rivalry “way higher.”
That answer makes sense when you look at the games Chase has played against Kansas City. As a rookie, he put together one of the best performances of his career against the Chiefs, catching 11 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 Bengals win. Cincinnati erased three different 14-point deficits that day and clinched the AFC North on Evan McPherson’s field goal as time expired.
The teams met again four weeks later at Arrowhead Stadium with a Super Bowl berth at stake, and the Bengals again fought back from a big hole. Cincinnati trailed 21-3 before rallying for a 27-24 overtime win.
Kansas City got the rematch the next season in the AFC Championship Game and came away with a 23-20 win on a field goal as time expired.
In a little more than a year, those two teams played in a division-clinching game and two AFC title deciders.
Sunday night’s game with Pittsburgh doesn’t carry that kind of weight, but it still matters plenty. The Bengals and Steelers are tied atop the division, and NBC noted that their combined winning percentage at this point in the season is the best for a Bengals-Steelers matchup since 2009.
Cincinnati is also chasing a fifth straight win and trying to avoid a season sweep at the hands of Pittsburgh for the first time since 2023.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Just Put Bengals Facility Criticism Back In The Spotlight
Joe Burrow and the Bengals are getting ready for a prime-time meeting with the Steelers on Sunday night after a win over the Falcons, but the conversation around the team has drifted well beyond the standings. Social media has again taken aim at Cincinnatis practice setup, with the cross-street walk to the field becoming the latest symbol of a facility issue that has followed the franchise for years.
Mike Brown has already made clear the team is not chasing anything new or flashy, and the Bengals new lease connected to the stadium renovation does not include an indoor practice facility. So while the focus on the field is on Pittsburgh, the backdrop around the team remains the same familiar debate, one that keeps resurfacing whenever the Bengals are in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Could Get Needed Secondary Help At The Perfect Time
The Bengals got a little more flexibility in the secondary this week when Jalen Davis 21-day practice window opened, and he wasted no time getting back on the field with a full practice in his first session back. With Cincinnati still sorting through its defensive back depth, the timing matters, especially with Josh Newton expected to be available as the backup quarterback against the Steelers.
There is also a bigger-picture reason this situation has some urgency. Cincinnati is already looking ahead to Washington next week, and the Commanders come in with the confidence of a Thursday Night Football win behind them. If Davis keeps progressing, the Bengals could be in position to add another experienced option at exactly the moment they need one most, even if the final decision on activation still hangs in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Finally Have A First Round Answer At Linebacker
A fresh mock draft from NBC Sports analyst Connor Rogers has the Bengals looking ahead to a possible first-round fix at linebacker, with Notre Dames Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa projected to land in Cincinnati in 2027. The appeal is easy to see: he brings a reputation for stout run defense, some pass-rushing juice and enough coverage ability to fit what teams want from a modern linebacker.
For a Bengals defense that has continued to search for a true long-term answer in the middle, the projection at least offers a name worth filing away. Viliamu-Asas talent is obvious, but so is the concern in his background, with two ACL injuries already part of the conversation around him, which is why any early draft buzz around him will come with plenty of caution attached. [Read more 🡒]