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The Cincinnati Bengals look to play the spoiler Sunday with the Pittsburgh Steelers in town.
Those Steelers still have a small chance at the playoffs but enter with a hobbled roster. And the Bengals are desperate to avoid 0-11 — so this AFC North clash has the feel of one capable of swinging in either direction.
Here are some of the top pregame storylines to know.
Cordy Glenn’s Return: Just like that, Glenn is back as the starting left tackle. The veteran looked like he was gone from the team after all the drama, including a fine and suspension. Instead, he’ll get back in the lineup and replace the struggling Andre Smith and John Jerry. Glenn was always the best option at left tackle after a summer injury to Jonah Williams spoiled plans to have him start at guard. If he’s halfway effective in his role, a budding ground game could continue to improve and it could help…
Ryan Finley’s Development: There’s isn’t a nice way to put this — Ryan Finley was a disaster in Game 2. After handing Baltimore 14 points off turnovers in his debut, Finley lost a fumble, threw a pick on the game’s last drive and should’ve had a pick-six in the 17-10 loss to Oakland last week. He went just 13 of 31 with 115 yards. The Bengals remain committed to Finley, but like Andy Dalton before him, the surroundings just aren’t helping. The audition for the rookie failing walks hand-in-hand with remaining the favorite for the 2020 draft’s top pick. Now the question is whether a steadily improving running game and continued development via first-team reps will help Finley better make his case.
Depleted Steelers: The Steelers are a mess. Leading receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster can’t go. Neither can starting running back James Conner. Maurkice Pouncey is suspended. A total of 12 players were listed on the injury report. The fallout from the fight with the Cleveland Browns and Myles Garrett has commanded the headlines and provided distractions all week. To top it off, those Steelers lost to the Browns, by the way. It’s almost as if the Steelers are trying to assist the Bengals in grabbing win No. 1 on the season. We know the history of this series — but is this time different? Which team shows up? The struggling home team or the distracted, seemingly lost visitors?
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