For the second straight week, the Steelers are headed into a game with the AFC North lead hanging in the balance. This time, it’s Cincinnati waiting in Week 10 for a Sunday night matchup, and both teams arrive at 6-2 after the Bengals’ 34-17 win over Atlanta in Madrid, Spain.
The division picture tightened even more around them. Baltimore is down to 4-5 and will lean on Jacoby Brissett with Lamar Jackson on IR for the foreseeable future.
Cleveland slipped to 5-4 after a 23-22 overtime loss in New Orleans. None of that makes Sunday night a knockout punch for either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati, but it does make the stakes obvious.
Both clubs are riding four-game winning streaks, and the Bengals also have a much friendlier second-half schedule. It may not be a must-win, but it sure looks like a huge one in the AFC North race.
Cincinnati’s offense is rolling right now. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were a problem for Atlanta all game long, and anyone watching from the Steelers’ side had to notice.
Even so, the Bengals still have issues defending the middle of the field, and that’s where Pittsburgh should have a chance to make some noise. Running the ball and keeping Joe Burrow and the offense on the sideline could end up being a major part of the plan.
Week nine, meanwhile, was the kind of NFL weekend that just felt off. Drake Maye threw three interceptions.
Caleb Williams threw four. The early slate was mostly a slog, and the later games turned into blowouts.
Some weeks are just like that.
There was also a social-media debate over Mike Tomlin’s approach to defending Joe Burrow, with a post suggesting Tomlin had told Patrick Graham not to blitz and to rush only four. The criticism of Tomlin’s comment misses the bigger picture, though. He was 28-11 all-time against the Bengals, which says plenty about how often his approach worked.
On the injury front, Steelers legend Jack Ham was rushed to the hospital over the weekend in Washington. At last report, he was alert and undergoing tests.
Ham left a strong impression in a phone interview several years ago, coming across as warm, thoughtful, and far more interested in asking about others than talking about himself. Wishing him the very best in recovery.
As for the trade deadline, the feeling is Pittsburgh will probably stay put. If Michael Pittman, Jr. still isn’t ready this week, that could change things.
Elsewhere around the league, the Browns made the right call going for two in overtime, even if they didn’t execute it. Christian Gonzalez had a rough day against Green Bay’s receivers.
The Chargers, who didn’t look like world beaters coming into the year, are somehow 0-8 after getting embarrassed by Houston. Atlanta sent safety Jesse Bates to Jacksonville for a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick, and that looks like a deal the Falcons should take.
And on the college side, there’s skepticism that former players are automatically the right answer as head coaches, with Philip Rivers and NC State mentioned as a move that could go sideways.
In Other News...
Browns Wild-Card Margin Just Got Even Smaller
Week 9 brought another reminder that the AFC playoff picture is tightening around the Steelers corner of the bracket, with Cleveland getting a major boost from Myles Garretts return and three-sack outing. Around the league, the results kept the contenders sorted into familiar tiers, as teams like the Bills, Broncos, Jaguars and 49ers continued to strengthen their postseason position with wins and manageable upcoming schedules.
For Pittsburgh, the bigger takeaway is how little room remains for the Browns to slip in the wild-card race. Every week now feels like a shuffle of margins rather than a reset, and with Cleveland hanging around and other AFC teams stacking wins, the Steelers are watching a race where one result can change the math quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers May Already Be Winning The Joey Porter Jr. Trade
Joey Porter Jr.s first season in Dallas has been a reminder that even a big-name trade can come with plenty of baggage. The Cowboys paid significant draft capital to land the cornerback from Pittsburgh, but Porter has been in and out of the lineup and has not been able to carve out a consistent role when he is active, leaving the deal under a brighter spotlight than Dallas likely expected.
From the Steelers side, the early returns look a lot cleaner. Pittsburgh moved Porter and got future draft picks back, while Dallas is still waiting to see whether the trade will pay off before Porter reaches unrestricted free agency after the season. For now, the balance of value appears to be tilting toward the team that was willing to move on. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Trade Target Suddenly Comes With A Serious New Concern
The Steelers are still expected to explore the wide receiver market before the 2026 NFL trade deadline, and Calvin Ridley had been one of the names tied to that search. Pittsburgh has been looking for help at the position, and Ridleys profile as a potential target made sense on paper, even as his recent performance has trended in the wrong direction.
Now there is another layer to weigh. The Titans confirmed Ridley was involved in an incident at Nashville International Airport, but offered no further explanation, and that uncertainty only adds to the questions surrounding a player whose on-field production has already raised some concern. For a Steelers front office trying to balance need with risk, that kind of development can change the conversation quickly. [Read more 🡒]