Category: 2024 season Week 18 – Steelers vs Bengals

Injured Steelers linebacker returns to practice

Cole Holcomb has missed nearly 14 months with a knee injury.

It’s been a long time since Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb has played any football. In fact it has been more than 13 months. But on Tuesday, Holcomb practiced. The Steelers opened his 21-day window to see if he can return to the 53-man roster this season or if he will remain inactive.

Holcomb suffered a brutal knee injury last season that cost him the final nine games and all of this season. Despite only playing eight games in 2023, Holcomb finished sixth on the team in total tackles.

There have been several points during the offseason and throughout this season when you had to wonder if Holcomb would play again much less this season. But instead of releasing Holcomb with an injury settlement, they stuck by him and it is great to see him back on the practice field even if Holcomb doesn’t end up able to play this season.

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Steelers open 21-day window for injured WR

Could the Steelers actually get Roman Wilson back this season?

Not to get anyone’s hopes up, but Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson returned to practice on Tuesday. The Steelers opened up the 21-day window for Wilson to be placed on the 53-man roster or miss the remainder of the season.

The former Michigan star was the Steelers first of two third-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft. Wilson was supposed to come in and be the team’s No. 2 receiver working primarily out of the slot.

Unfortunately, Wilson’s rookie season has been a wash. After missing the first five games with an ankle injury he suffered during training camp, a hamstring injury sent him to IR on October 23.

Meanwhile, Calvin Austin III has taken over the role of slot receiver for the Steelers. However, Pittsburgh still hasn’t found a viable No. 2 receiver and the passing offense has suffered because of it.

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Steelers veteran defender is done talking about the Chiefs loss

Elandon Roberts isn’t going to share anything about the Steelers defensive meeting.

There’s no denying, things were pretty stressful after the Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. A big part of the problem was the defense and several veteran players called out anonymous teammates after the game for not doing their jobs.

But one player who didn’t do that then and doesn’t want to talk about it now is linebacker Elandon Roberts. Defensive players were asked about the meeting they held on Thursday and Roberts was having none of it.

“We on to Cincinnati,” Roberts said.

Again, we are fine with the players deciding to stay tight-lipped about a closed-door meeting so long as whatever that meeting entailed spills out onto the field on Saturday night when the Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

For the season, Roberts has 44 tackles in a reduced role but remains a vocal leader on one of the best defenses in the NFL, even during their recent struggles.

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Is Joey Porter Jr. playing this week? Injury updates for the Steelers’ CB

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is dealing with a knee injury sustained in loss to Baltimore Ravens. Here’s the latest update.

After missing last week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is back to work and expected to play Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals. This is according to head coach Mike Tomlin in his Monday press conference.

Porter, a standout in Pittsburgh’s secondary, has been instrumental in locking down opposing receivers, and his return should help bolster a secondary that has struggled due to injuries.

This week the Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals who have one of the most formidable wide receiver units in the NFL led by Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Joey Porter Jr. injury update

Porter sustained the injury during the Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He missed the Christmas Day game vs the Chiefs mainly due to the short turnaround between games.

Steelers cornerback depth chart

Injuries to Porter and fellow cornerback Donte Jackson have really hurt this secondary. This group should be at full strength this week, allowing Cory trice to be the No. 4 cornerback and work in with James Pierre.

Here’s a look at Pittsburgh’s depth chart.

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Steelers could fall victim to Bengals’ momentum in Week 18

The Steelers and Bengals prepare for a critical Week 18 showdown, with momentum potentially playing a key role in the AFC North race.

Back in Week 13, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 44-38 in an AFC North shootout. The Black and Gold accumulated over 500 yards of offense in their victory but failed to capitalize on this offensive momentum in the weeks that followed.

Since that incredible offensive showing, the Pittsburgh Steelers have gone four straight games with under 200 passing yards and have lost three of their last four games.

The Cincinnati Bengals, however, rebounded by winning four straight games since the loss, producing more than 300 yards of offense in each victory.

As the Steelers scramble to readjust to their newfound position below the Ravens in the AFC North, the Bengals are just a Dolphins’ and Broncos’ loss away from re-entering the AFC playoff picture.

With the entirety of the AFC North’s regular-season games ending in divisional head-to-head matchups on Saturday, January 4—with the Cleveland Browns taking on the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals facing the Pittsburgh Steelers—the Black and Gold faithful must ask themselves: will momentum be the deciding factor in Week 18’s regular-season finale?

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Alex Highsmith confident Steelers can bounce back heading into Week 18

Steelers ROLB Alex Highsmith sees Week 18 as the perfect chance to bounce back against the Bengals after a rough losing streak.

Morale is at an all-time low for the Pittsburgh Steelers following three consecutive losses during the ’10-day stretch of doom’ that saw the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs soundly defeat the Steel City’s beloved Black and Gold.

However, Steelers ROLB Alex Highsmith isn’t lacking confidence and believes it is just a matter of time before Pittsburgh returns to the winning ways displayed earlier in the season.

The Steelers edge rusher spoke with Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, and argued that Week 18’s matchup—a divisional showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals—is the perfect opportunity to showcase what the Steelers are truly capable of. To make this return to form a reality, Highsmith believes the recipe for success is simple: “We’ve just got to put our heads down and work.”

The Cincinnati Bengals are on the verge of earning a playoff berth and could look to pull out all the stops with their electrifying offense led by QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase. Fans can tune into the action-packed divisional contest on January 4th at 5:00 PM EST.

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Steelers HC maintains team is motivated for this week’s game

Mike Tomlin addressed the media on Monday ahead of Saturday’s game against the Bengals.

The last three weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked like they wanted to be anywhere but on the field playing football. This led to a three-game losing streak and plenty of doubt about in this roster and staff.

This week the Steelers get one more chance to right the ship before the playoffs when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals at home. But when head coach Mike Tomlin talked to the media he offered up a whole lot of talk but didn’t say much in an attempt to talk up his squad.

‘We’re a motivated group,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got to get the stench of the last few performances off of us. There’s no better way to do that than a home divisional win versus a formidable group going into the tournament. That’s our mentality.”

We are hopeful that what Tomlin is giving the media isn’t all he gave his team as this group is in need of more than a pep talk. If the Steelers lose to the Bengals, they would have to travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens but a win would mean the Steelers head to Houston to take on the struggling Texans.

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Steelers expected to get offensive weapon back for season finale vs. Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting an offensive boost ahead of their critical Week 18 showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting a boost ahead of their critical Week 18 showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. Backup quarterback Justin Fields has recovered from the abdominal injury he sustained in Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles and is expected to return. Fields’ return comes at a pivotal moment as the Steelers aim to solidify their playoff position in what promises to be a high-stakes AFC North clash on Saturday night.

Fields had been instrumental in providing depth and versatility to the Steelers’ offense throughout the season. Although primarily a backup, his mobility and playmaking ability have allowed the Steelers to introduce dynamic elements to their game plan when they needed a spark.

The Steelers will need every weapon in their arsenal to face a Bengals team led by Joe Burrow. Fields offers an insurance policy for Pittsburgh’s offense, as his dual-threat capability can keep Cincinnati’s defense guessing.

The only questions are whether Arthur Smith plans to use him and whether he’ll do it correctly. Fields’ comeback also boosts team morale, underscoring the Steelers’ resilience as they aim to finish the season on a strong note.

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Steelers HC fails to acknowledge in-fighting on defense

Mike Tomlin saw no issues with the comments by Steelers defenders last week.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, multiple members of the Steelers defense spoke publicly and aired their dirty laundry about lack of effort by unnamed teammates. It wasn’t a great look for the team but many hoped it might spark some action by the players and coaching staff.

Clearly, that did not happen.

Head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media on Monday and when he was asked if he addressed the defense about the public airing of grievances at all. Tomlin said he did not and then offered up the most Tomlin answer he could.

“They bicker because they care,” Tomlin suggested.

This is the best he could do just days away from the biggest game of the season. If the Steelers defense struggles against the Bengals on Saturday night, we will revisit Tomlin’s lack of action on this matter and wonder if he could have done more.

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Playoff scenarios show Week 18 vs. Bengals is a must-win for Steelers

The Steelers could end up playing the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.

Prior to kickoff on Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers will know if they have a shot at winning the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens take on the Cleveland Browns in the afternoon half of the Saturday doubleheader, and if Baltimore wins, they are North champions.

But the Steelers’ game against the Bengals is a must-win regardless of how the Ravens do against the Browns. If the Steelers win and the Ravens win, Pittsburgh would finish as the No. 5 seed and travel to Houston to take on the Texans.

However, if the Ravens win and the Steelers lose, Pittsburgh runs the risk of falling to the No. 6 seed. That would send the Steelers to Baltimore. The Steelers and Ravens split the regular-season series, but Baltimore blew the Steelers out 34-17 in Week 16.

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