Pittsburgh (4-1) at Cincinnati (2-4)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Prime Video.
BetMGM line: Steelers by 5 1/2.
Against the spread: Steelers 3-2; Bengals 2-4
Series record: Steelers lead 71-40.
Last meeting: Bengals won 19-17 in Pittsburgh on Jan. 4.
Last week: Steelers beat Browns 23-9; Bengals lost at Packers 27-18
Steelers offense: overall (29), rush (29), pass (25), scoring (14)
Steelers defense: overall (25), rush (16), pass (27), scoring (16)
Bengals offense:
overall (31), rush (32), pass (30), scoring (29t)
Bengals defense: overall (31), rush (28), pass (31), scoring (30)
Turnover differential: Steelers plus-7; Bengals minus-4.
OLB Nick Herbig. The 2023 fourth-round pick is blossoming in his third season. Thrust in a larger role after Alex Highsmith went down with an ankle injury in Week 2, Herbig has 4 1/2 sacks over his past three games and forced his way into more playing time even with Highsmith back healthy. While Herbig is a bit undersized at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he makes up for it with speed off the edge and an ability to get into the opposing backfield with frequency.
QB Joe Flacco. After being traded from Cleveland last Tuesday, Flacco passed for 219 yards with two touchdowns and a 90 passer rating in his Bengals debut. Flacco has 5,028 passing yards against the Steelers, his most against any opponent. He had a pair of TD passes and a 105.9 rating in a victory against Pittsburgh last season while he was with the Indianapolis Colts.
Steelers OLB T.J. Watt versus Bengals offensive line. According to the NFL's Next Gen Stats, Watt has faced a league-high 68 chip blocks this season. However, he has the most pressures (eight) and is tied for the most sacks (two) when chip blocked. Cincinnati's offensive line has chip blocked 84 times this season, eighth most in the league.
Steelers: WR Calvin Austin III (shoulder) is likely to miss his second straight game and special teams ace Miles Killebrew is out with a knee injury.
Bengals: DE Shemar Stewart (ankle) has been sidelined the past three games but coach Zac Taylor says there is a possibility the first-round pick could be back this week. ... TE Mike Gesicki (pectoral) was placed on injured reserve ... DE Trey Hendrickson (back bruise) and WR Charlie Jones (ribs) are questionable. TE Tanner Hudson is in the concussion protocol.
The teams split the season series last season with the road team winning each time. Pittsburgh has won four of the past six after Cincinnati swept the season series in 2021. This is the third time, and first since 2008, that the teams are facing each other in a Thursday night game. The previous two were in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have a 9-6 edge in prime-time matchups. Mike Tomlin has a 27-10 record against the Bengals, including a playoff win in 2015, while Taylor is 5-7 when facing the Steelers.
The Steelers can take firm control of the AFC North with a victory, though Thursday nights have been a problem through the years, particularly on the road. Pittsburgh is 1-9 in its past 10 Thursday night contests when forced to travel, including an 0-6 mark against AFC North opponents over that span. ... Pittsburgh QB Aaron Rodgers has been far more successful on Thursdays, throwing 42 touchdowns against five interceptions while going 13-5 on Thursday nights during his 21-year career. His 13 victories on Thursdays are second most by a QB in NFL history, one behind Tom Brady’s record of 14. ... Rodgers is 116 yards shy of passing Ben Roethlisberger for fifth in passing yards in NFL history. Rodgers is at 63,973. Roethlisberger threw for 64,088 yards during his 18-year career with the Steelers. ... Pittsburgh WR DK Metcalf’s 18.7 yards per reception leads the NFL among qualified receivers. Metcalf also has a touchdown catch in four straight games. ... Pittsburgh’s offense isn’t piling up eye-popping totals but has taken advantage of its opportunities inside the red zone. The Steelers have turned 71% of their red zone possessions into touchdown, tied for sixth best in the league. ... The Steelers’ new-look offensive line has stayed healthy and taken several steps forward since the opener. Pittsburgh has allowed just one sack over its past three games, including none last week against Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns. ... The Steelers have a plus-34 turnover margin since the start of 2023, tops in the NFL. Pittsburgh is plus-7 on turnovers this season and has given the ball away just three times through five games. Only Tampa Bay and Kansas City have fewer. ... The Steelers are 11-11 against Flacco and sacked him 58 times, the most any opponent has taken down Flacco in his well-traveled career. ... Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell has been near automatic against Cincinnati in his 10-year career. Boswell has converted 45 of 48 field-goal opportunities and made all 38 of his extra points when facing the Bengals. ... This is the third time in Zac Taylor's seven seasons as coach the Bengals have had a losing streak of at least four games. ... The Bengals have been outscored 140-55 during their four-game skid. ... Cincinnati has a 10-9 record in Thursday night games, including 7-2 at home. ... The Bengals will wear their all-white combination, including white helmets. They have a 4-1 mark with that look. ... The offense has scored 10 touchdowns in 13 red zone trips. The 76.9% rate leads the AFC. ... WR Tee Higgins has six straight home games with a TD. ... OT Orlando Brown Jr. has allowed 4 1/2 sacks. ... DE Trey Hendrickson had 3 1/2 sacks in the previous meeting against Pittsburgh. ... LB Demetrius Knight is third among NFL rookies in tackles with 46. ... S Jordan Battle has 29 run tackles, most among defensive backs in the league. ... Cincinnati has a 16.4% blitz rate, second lowest in the league.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase had 10 catches for 94 yards and his 50th career TD last week. He has 13 games with double-digit catches, second most by a player in his first five seasons. Chase needs 107 yards to reach 6,000 in his career.
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