Read & React Week 13 Preview: Steelers vs. Bengals

The Bengals’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Can the Steelers end Cincinnati’s season?

The Steelers will face the Bengals in a crucial AFC North matchup this week. A Steelers win could spell the end of the Bengals playoff hopes and keep them atop the division standings. Here’s what to expect from Cincinnati.

What to expect from the Bengals’ offense

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Rushing Y/G: 91.5 (27th)

Passing Y/G: 262.7 (1st)

Points Per Game: 27.0 (6th)

RP: Few offenses reflect the identity of their quarterback more than the Bengals do with Joe Burrow. Unless you’re new to Steelers fandom — and welcome if you are — you know the script by now about the Bengals offense. Joe Burrow will operate almost exclusively out of shotgun and pistol formations. They’ll use a heavy amount of 11-personnel and spread the defense out in hopes of creating favorable matchups for their talented receivers and lightening the box for their running game. The Bengals are a pass-heavy team, calling a passing play on 63.5 percent of their offensive snaps. Since drafting Burrow, the Bengals have had only one season where less than 60 percent of their offensive snaps were passes. In 2021, Cincinnati threw a pass 58.3 percent of the time and made the Super Bowl that year — though it should be noted they also had a much better defense then — so make of that what you will.

Like Lamar Jackson, Burrow has had some tough games against Pittsburgh when compared to his usual performances and has missed games against the Steelers due to injury. He’s 3-2 against Pittsburgh all-time, but he’s thrown eight interceptions in those games against 11 touchdowns. The Steelers held him to 213 yards or less in their first three meetings, but Burrow eclipsed 300 yards passing in their two most recent games.

The Bengals have a good cast of receivers and tight ends, but the headliners are Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase is the 1A of the two, demanding a 25.6 percent target share in the offense. The Bengals will feed Chase, who has already been targeted 100 times this season. Higgins — who has only played in six games — is the next closest with 58 targets. He can line up and play any of the wide receiver positions, but the Bengals like to use him in the slot and as the Z-receiver, as well as design him touches in screens and plays where he lines up in the backfield. The Bengals love vertical, in-breaking and/or crossing routes, and Chase thrives in that ecosystem. One of the most dangerous players in the NFL after the catch, Chase and Burrow have a unique connection and feel for the game. Chase isn’t always the cleanest route runner, but he’s explosive with a knack for attacking the space in the defense.

Tee Higgins is the Bengals’ 1B. He always seems to miss a handful of games each season, but the Bengals offense is at a different level when they can him and Chase on the field together. Higgins often plays the X-receiver in the offense. He’s coming off a 9-148-1 performance against the Chargers. He’s been a limited participant in practices this week.

Behind those two, Andrei Iosivas is the defacto number three receiver. Rookie Jermaine Burton is another deep threat who will play some snaps, but he’s had trouble getting on the field this season. Tight end Mike Gesicki and running back Chase Brown are third and fourth in targets, respectively. Gesicki sees the most targets among tight ends, but Drew Sample is on the field more as the better blocker. Rookie Erick All had also playing a ton of snaps for the Bengals, but was lost for the season with a knee injury in early November.

The Bengals have one of the worst rushing attacks in the league. That doesn’t mean they should take Chase Brown lightly. A second-year player, Brown entered the year as the third down and change of pace back behind Zack Moss, but since Moss had his season shut down, Brown has handled most of the work. Brown isn’t the most efficient runner, and at times he can be quick to try to bounce outside. That said, he has the speed to make a defense pay if he gets to the second level.

One last thing to monitor, both of Cincinnati’s starting tackles — Orlandro Brown Jr. and rookie Amarius Mims — have been limited participants so far this week.

And what about the Bengals’ defense?

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Rushing Y/G: 129.8 (21st)

Passing Y/G: 225.6 (23rd)

Points Allowed Per Game: 26.9 (28th)

RB: This is as good a matchup as there will be for the Steelers to get back on track offensively, but it isn’t guaranteed to be easy.

It all starts with Cincinnati defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who currently leads the NFL in sacks with 11.5. He’s having a monster year and has been by far the most optimistic aspect of a struggling Bengals defense. Hendrickson brings power, technique, and athleticism as a pass-rusher, and will be a tough matchup for Dan Moore Jr. and the Steelers’ offensive line.

Elsewhere, the pass defense is less inspiring. The Bengals’ Week 11 matchup against the Chargers was hilarious because there were plays where L.A. would devote all their resources to stopping Hendrickson, Justin Herbert would have a clean pocket, and then it became a waiting game for someone to break open in Cincinnati’s bottom-half-of-the-league zone defense.

The Bengals pass-rush is made up almost entirely of Hendrickson (he leads the NFL in sacks, the Bengals still have the third-least sacks in the NFL), while the starting secondary is noticeably low on star power. They’re still a feisty group who have made some plays in man coverage, but overall, it’s been painfully obvious the Bengals are still seeking a replacement for Jessie Bates III.

To make matters worse, they recently lost promising cornerback DJ Turner II to injured reserve, while starter Cam Taylor-Britt was benched against the Chargers.

The run defense is a bit better, but with the exception of Hendrickson, the front seven doesn’t have a great get-off. Teams are getting a solid push up front. But it is worth noting that the Bengals have two athletic middle linebackers in Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson (Wilson may not play against the Steelers) who can cover a lot of ground and blitz. Former Steeler Mike Hilton is still a physical presence in the slot, and B.J. Hill remains a solid run-stopper in the interior, as well.

Another wrinkle is that Herbert ran for 65 yards against the Bengals, with gaping holes all over the defense when he scrambled. A lot of that has to do with Herbert being a significant threat as a passer, but it’s still a good sign if the Steelers plan on using Justin Fields at all in Week 13. L.A. also had a lot of success moving the pocket against the Bengals, something the Steelers like to do in the passing game.

Ultimately, if the Steelers can contain Trey Hendrickson and avoid mistakes, this projects as a favorable matchup for Pittsburgh.

Does Cincinnati’s offense or defense worry you more? Let us know in the comments below!