The Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals is everything fans have wanted to see all season. Only we did see it once before, not too long ago — against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Just four weeks ago, in their first game after the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the Steelers produced 400-plus yards of offense in a narrow 16-10 win over their division rival. It was the Steelers’ biggest yardage output since Ben Roethlisberger retired. And they had imploded since. That is, until yesterday.
This time around, it was a more thrilling and convincing 34-11 win with third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph at the helm. The offense clicked on all cylinders, and the defense came to win.
While the Steelers and their fans deserve to be excited, the opponent must be considered. Cincinnati has one of the worst defenses in the league (31st against the pass, 29th against the run), which was very apparent in both matchups.
No matter who starts at quarterback for Pittsburgh next week — Mike Tomlin refused to name one after the game — fans should temper their enthusiasm about the final two outings of the season. Though the Seattle Seahawks defense isn’t much better (32nd against the pass, 24th against the run), they boast a 5-2 record at home. The Steelers are playing for pride — and Tomlin’s 17th non-losing season — while Seattle stands a considerably better chance of making the playoffs with a win.
The Baltimore Ravens, on the other hand, have already cemented a spot in the playoffs and could be playing without many of their starters depending on whether seeding is at stake. But that means nothing once these two teams take the field. Despite Pittsburgh having Baltimore’s number — a 6-1 record since 2020 — the victories have all been by a touchdown or less.
Until then, let’s bask in the glory of a much-needed win.
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