Steelers have opportunity to make a statement before playoffs
By Dale Lolley
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
Regardless of what happens in the early game Saturday between the Ravens and Browns – and considering Baltimore is more than a two-touchdown favorite, I think we can guess – the Steelers are going to play to win their game later in the day against the Bengals.
And it’s the correct approach to take.
It would be hard to find a stretch of games played by a team at any point in a season in the past two decades more difficult than the one the Steelers just completed against the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs, three teams with a combined record of 39-9. Adding to that difficulty was the fact the Steelers played the first two of those games on the road and the last two on short weeks.
That the Steelers went 0-3 in those games – missing some key players – is not surprising. That they lost them as convincingly as they did might be.
And that’s why playing to win against the Bengals is so important.
“For me, and I think for a lot of the guys, hopefully the whole team, it’s about just playing good football,” said Steelers defensive tackle and captain Cam Heyward. “We’ve got to get back on good footing, play with good technique. We control what we can control.
“I think going forward, ball just needs to be played the right way. It doesn’t matter what happens outside of our stadium. We understand we’re in the playoffs. So just focus on what we’ve got to focus on.”
The Steelers need to get back to playing the brand of football that got them to 10-3 and clinching a playoff spot with four weeks remaining in the regular season.
Because they clinched so early, they’re not backing into the playoffs, but they certainly don’t want to limp into them, either.
This is a team, after all, that is 4-3 against teams currently in the playoffs, even though those three losses have come in their past three games.
But they’ll have wide receiver George Pickens back. They also have defensive starters Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson, DeShon Elliott and Larry Ogunjobi back, as well. All missed at least one game in the three-game losing streak.
With everyone back and at least healthy enough to play, the Steelers can make a statement by winning their final game of the regular season that, when at full strength, they are a team with which to be reckoned.
• Public perception is a strange thing.
Yes the Steelers lost to the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs in a span of 11 days, all of which have come in their past three games.
But they also beat the Ravens, Chargers, Broncos and Commanders.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, lost to the Ravens (twice), Eagles, Commanders, Chargers and Chiefs. They did beat the Broncos last week, that win coming in overtime at home.
Yet the Bengals are favored over the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium because they’ve beaten the Cowboys, Titans, Browns and Broncos in their past four games.
The Steelers, meanwhile, beat the Bengals Dec. 1 in Cincinnati, 44-38, in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score might indicate. The Steelers led 41-24 with 11 minutes remaining and gained 520 yards of offense in the game.
The wrong team is favored in this game.
• Rest in peace Rickey Henderson, one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history who doesn’t get his due when the all-time greats are mentioned.
Henderson, who died last weekend, stole 1,406 bases in his career while also hitting 296 home runs. To put his stolen base record into perspective, a player would have to steal 70 bases every season for 20 years to come close to matching it.
Since 2000, a player has reached 70 or more stolen bases in a season just four times.
This week’s games
Bengals (minus 2) at Steelers: As stated above, the first meeting between these teams wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate. Remember, the Bengals got a gift defensive touchdown on Pittsburgh’s first offensive series when Pickens was thrown to the ground by his helmet, leading to an interception for a touchdown. The Steelers should again dominate Cincinnati’s defense, and while Joe Burrow has been excellent this season, the Steelers forced three turnovers against him in the first meeting. Take the Steelers, 34-27.
Browns (plus 17½) at Ravens: The Ravens need to win this to clinch the AFC North title. The Browns are one of many teams that have completely given up. That’s not a good matchup for a stand-alone game, as this one will be. Take the Ravens, 31-10.
Vikings (plus 2½) at Lions: One of the few games this week with meaning to both teams, the winner is the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The loser falls to the No. 5 seed. The Lions won at Minnesota, 31-29, back in Week 7. That was when their defense had at least some semblance of health. It will be tough to win in Detroit, and there will be a lot of points in this game, but the Vikings are much healthier. Take the Vikings, 41-38.
Saints (plus 14) at Buccaneers: Tampa Bay wins the division with a victory. The Saints, meanwhile, have no offense. Not a good situation against a Tampa Bay team that can score in bunches. Take the Bucs, 35-13.
Commanders (minus 3) at Cowboys: The Commanders aren’t resting any starters in Week 18 as they try to go into the postseason with some momentum. That might mean a little less running for QB Jayden Daniels, though. Without CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys are somewhat toothless, though. Take the Commanders, 24-17.
Last week: 1-4 ATS, 3-2 straight up
Overall: 47-40 ATS; 59-28 straight up
Dale Lolley hosts The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.