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The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals went into halftime after taking a 20-17 lead. The offense has been much improved this week while the defense is struggling. Here are our big takeaways from the first half.
Defense struggling to get pressure
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We said in our predictions for this week that the Bengals would have a much better command of the offense and keep the Steelers pass rush at bay. This has been the case and the Steelers have zero sacks on Burrow. In a close game will Pittsburgh take some chances in the second half?
A poised Pickett in the pocket
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This has been the best half of football Kenny Pickett has played in the NFL. He has 141 passing yards and a passing touchdown in a half of football and has completed 74 percent of his throws.
Special teams has been clutch
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One of the biggest worries coming into this week’s game was the kicking game and kicker Matthew Wright. After a miserable performance last week, Wright has been perfect against Cincinnati with two field goals and two extra points. In addition, wide receiver Steven Sims has proved a huge spark in the return game averaging 28.3 yards per kick return.