Category: 2019 Steelers vs Bengals NFL Week 12

Steelers vs Bengals: Keys to victory for Pittsburgh

It all starts with the offense this week against Cincinnati.

This has been a season of intense highs and lows for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Somehow, despite all the problems this team has had, they find themselves at 5-5 and still in the mix for a playoff spot. Standing in their way this week are the 0-10 Cincinnati Bengals who have nothing to play for but the pride in knowing they beat their most hated rivals.

With all the injuries the Steelers are dealing with right now, getting past Cincinnati won’t be easy. Here are the Steelers keys to victory.

A maximum effort from the offensive line

The Steelers’ offense has been miserable all season. They have yet to produce a 300-yard passer and only one 100-yard rusher. The best unit on the offense is the offensive line and if they want to beat the Bengals they have to carry a beat-up group of skill-position players.

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Steelers vs Bengals injury update: Pittsburgh with 3 in concussion protocol

Steelers injury update for NFL Week 12.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the media on Tuesday and as with all his Tuesday pressers, one of the big topics are injuries from the previous game. Last week three separate Steelers suffered concussions against the Cleveland Browns. I’m not sure if that is a record or not but it has to be close.
Tomlin talked about the injuries to wide receivers Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster as well as linebacker Ola Adeniyi. All three are currently in the protocol.
We have three guys who are in the (concussion) protocol, and the protocol will run its course. We’ll wait to get word on their availability as we begin to push through the week – those players are Ola Adeniyi, Diontae Johnson, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
If Smith-Schuster and Johnson miss this week’s game, the passing offense is going to be hobbled even worse than before.
In other injury news, Smith-Schuster also has a knee injury in addition to his concussion. Tomlin also noted running back James Conner is dealing with his nagging shoulder injury so his availability is uncertain.
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Steelers RB Benny Snell Jr. to return to practice this week

The Steelers might get one injured rusher back this week against the Bengals.

The run game for the Pittsburgh Steelers might get a boost this week. As the team prepares to take on the Cincinnati Bengals the team welcomes the return of running back Benny Snell Jr. to practice. Snell has missed the last three games with a knee injury.

Head coach Mike Tomlin offered nothing definitive about Snell’s return for the game this week but it is promising just to get Snell back on the field. Pittsburgh is almost certainly going to be without James Conner yet again and unfortunately, Jaylen Samuels hasn’t much as the team’s primary back.

One thing the Steelers have missed with Conner ailing has been a physical element to the run game. If Snell is healthy he would provide that sort of presence. However, at this point I don’t go into the week with any level of confidence the run game will be ready to go. He not only has to show he’s healthy but Snell has a month of rust to knock off in terms of readiness.

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Steelers vs Bengals: Is it time for a change at quarterback?

Does Pittsburgh need to give Devlin Hodges a look at quarterback this week?

The Pittsburgh Steelers might have themselves a quarterback problem. I suppose this statement was true in Week Two but it continues to be an issue. Last week was a new low for quarterback Mason Rudolph as he looked lost against the Cleveland Browns even before Steelers skill players started dropping like flies.

The Steelers currently sit at 5-5 and are currently in a battle for the final playoff spot in the AFC. With just six games to play there can be no margin for error. Which begs the question, with all the injuries on the offense, Rudolph’s struggles and the remaining games, should the Steelers open up the starting quarterback spot and give Devlin Hodges a chance this week?

Hodges has one start on the season, filling in for Rudolph after he suffered a concussion the week before. Hodges’ numbers weren’t great but the team found a way to adjust to and score some points. The offense didn’t look the same but it was effective and Hodges’ energy was fun to watch.

But was Rudolph’s four-interception effort enough for the Steelers’ coaches to entertain the idea of switching things up? Perhaps not but there might not be a better week to do it than against the 0-10 Cincinnati Bengals. Rudolph isn’t hurt so if things go sideways with Hodges they could always put Rudolph back in.

But I want to pass the question off to you. Is it time for a change at quarterback? Let us know.

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Things aren’t looking good for James Conner vs the Bengals

It doesn’t sound like RB James Conner will be ready this weekend.

Several weeks ago, Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner suffered an AC joint sprain. After missing two games Conner tried to return against the Cleveland Browns. But five carries in Conner re-injured the shoulder and the run game never recovered.

Conner was on 93.7 The Fan and proclaimed his injury to be considered “day to day” but when he says he’ll come back when he feels like himself this doesn’t bode well. Conner is a physical runner and does nothing to avoid contact. This makes an injury like this especially problematic when you consider his shoulder is typically the first thing to make contact with opposing defenders.

If Conner cannot go this week against the Bengals, it will once again be up to the coaches, running back Jaylen Samuels and the offensive line to find a way to manufacture enough rushing yards to keep the Cincinnati defense honest.

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Check out the best pictures from the Steelers/Bengals rivalry

The Steelers and Bengals do not like each other very much.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals have been playing against each other since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. The teams have squared off 100 times and the Steelers hold a 65–35 advantage. But regardless of records, these two teams don’t like each other very much and it shows when they square off. This week the 5-5 Steelers take on the 0-10 Bengals and with that, we look back at the best pictures from the rivalry.

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Steelers vs Bengals: 3 big reasons to worry this week

Despite their record, the Steelers cannot take the Bengals lightly.

Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an extended break heading into this week’s game with the Cincinnati Bengals. On paper this one seems like an easy one for the Steelers despite being a road game as the Bengals sit at 0-10 and Pittsburgh is fighting for a playoff spot. But as we’ve seen from the Steelers this year, nothing is easy.

Here are three big worries this week.

The Bengals have nothing to lose

The Bengals have officially been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs this week with their loss to the Oakland Raiders. This is a team playing literally with nothing to lose. That’s dangerous, especially for a team like Pittsburgh who has gotten off to slow starts all season long.

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