After dropping the last three games, even the most ardent Pittsburgh Steelers fans are weary of their team’s imminent future. A nightmare scenario awaits the Black and Gold if their downward trajectory continues.
Riding a four-game win streak (second only to the Kansas City Chiefs’ six), their forthcoming Cincinnati Bengals opponent got hot at the right time. And the Steelers went cold at the wrong time.
Fans pointing to Pittsburgh’s Week 13 victory over the Bengals in enemy territory need to rethink their argument. At that time, the Steelers had a top-ranked defense that has struggled mightily since.
The Bengals offense, led by Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, are lighting it up. The unit is first in the NFL in total passing yards and yards per game. The Steelers’ defense simply cannot keep up if they play as they have been recently.
A loss to Cincinnati, coupled with an all-but-guaranteed Los Angeles Chargers win over the Las Vegas Raiders, would give the Steelers the No. 6 seed heading into the playoffs. This nightmare scenario would send Pittsburgh back to Baltimore, the scene of the Week 16 34-17 crime. It’s tough to imagine the Steelers pulling off a first-round win, something they’ve failed to do in four opportunities since 2016.
