Next opponent: Internal issues aside, Bengals are coming in hot

The last time the Steelers faced the Bengals, they put up their first 400-yard game on offense in 59 games and humbled Jake Browning and the Bengals in their own stadium. However, the Steelers haven't won since that day as their playoff hopes hang by a thread, and culture appears to be crumbling to pieces. Meanwhile, the Bengals are red hot and determined to bury their AFC North rivals for good.

Here's a breakdown of what Cincinnati brings into Week 16:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Record: 8-6
Standing: Third, AFC North
Last result: Won over Vikings, 27-24

THE TREND

The 2023 season has not gone as those in southwestern Ohio expected. Instead of being the Super Bowl contender they were thought to be prior to the season, the Bengals are now in a fight just to clinch a berth in the very crowded AFC playoff picture.

Rest assured, though, this is not the same Bengals team the Steelers played just a few weeks ago. Despite losing franchise quarterback Joe Burrow for the remainder of the season with a torn ligament in his right wrist, the Bengals have bounced back from a 5-6 record to win three straight.

The last time these two teams played, the Bengals were reeling. They had lost two straight games and just lost Burrow for the season the week prior. The Steelers' 16-10 win over the Bengals was the game that put them under .500 after 11 games, but this Cincinnati team has found a way to rally amid the adversity.

Now at 8-6, the Bengals are currently the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture, thanks to head-to-head tiebreakers over the Colts and Bills. The Bengals are in a position the Steelers were in last week -- full control over their playoff fate. That's a great spot to be in with three games remaining on the schedule. 

THE QUARTERBACK

When the Bengals turned to Browning, he was a 27-year-old undrafted quarterback with only 15 NFL passes under his belt. Expectations weren't very high for those who didn't know Browning. But, he came into the league with some pedigree at the high school and college levels, so his performance shouldn't be all that surprising.

Prior to his NFL career, Browning excelled at both the high school and college levels. At California's Folsom High, Browning was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons, and also set state records for passing yards (16,675) and touchdowns (229). He played his college ball at Washington, where he threw for 12,296 yards and 94 touchdowns, both of which were school records.

In 2017, Browning suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery, and his draft stock plummeted. He went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the Vikings. He spent two seasons in Minnesota, but was waived during final cuts ahead of the 2021 season. He signed with the Bengals a week later and has remained in Cincinnati since.

Browning's first NFL start was against the Steelers, and he flashed some signs that he can do enough with the Bengals' offense, completing 19 of 26 passes for 227 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He's followed up that performance with even better ones, completing 76.7% of his passes for 953 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in wins over the Jaguars, Colts and Vikings. His 9.3 yards per attempt during that stretch really shows how Browning is balancing efficiency with the ability to stretch the field, trusting his receivers to make plays:

With the Bengals playing well under Browning, and the middle of the Steelers' defense decimated by injuries, expect him to attack down the field, regardless of the injuries that impact the Bengals' offense.

THE OFFENSE

The supporting cast to the quarterback hasn't changed much for the Bengals. Just as the Steelers want to run the ball to be successful, the Bengals want to throw it. And, with their cast of receivers, it's understandable.

Ja'Marr Chase is the alpha, and is having yet another great year, despite a really slow start. To nobody's surprise, he was the Bengals' leading receiver in the first matchup between these two teams, catching four passes for 81 yards on six targets. However, Chase will be out this week due to injury, turning things over to the rest of the Bengals' impressive receiving corps. 

Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd complete a dangerous trio of receivers, though Higgins has missed some time due to injury this season and didn't play against the Steelers a few weeks ago. Boyd is averaging less than 10 yards per reception, but is a very reliable possession receiver. Tanner Hudson is also a nice complement at tight end, hauling in 33 passes for 298 yards in nine games. But, with Chase out, Higgins seems to be the one that could step up and be a dangerous threat against a banged up Pittsburgh secondary:

Joe Mixon is still the feature back in Cincinnati, though his season on the ground's been a bit underwhelming. He's carried the ball 211 times for 815 yards, but he's also rushed for eight touchdowns. Of course, he's also a threat out of the backfield in the passing game, as he's caught 45 passes this season, which is third on the team.

Overall, this offense hasn't been nearly as scary as it was expected to be, and they still remain one of the league's worst rushing offenses, ranking 31st with 84.4 yards per game. However, the Bengals have moved up five spots in passing offense and six spots in total scoring since they lost to the Steelers, and they're now averaging 5.2 yards per play, which is up from only 4.8 yards per play average they carried into that loss. This is a unit that's on the rise, despite losing their star quarterback, compared to a Steelers team that's looked as bad as possibly imagined since that victory at Paycor Stadium.

THE DEFENSE

While the Bengals are trending upward on offense, and as a team, their defense is still a vulnerable group.

The Bengals have a solid front built around Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard on the edge with DJ Reader and B.J. Hill in the interior, though Reader is now out for the season. Much like the Steelers, their 38 sacks ranks near the middle of the pack, so they can get after the quarterback, though it's not nearly as overpowering as they'd like it to be.

Pretty much, Hendrickson is a one-man wrecking crew in regards to this Bengals pass rush. He's got 15 sacks this season, which is tied for third in the NFL and one sack behind leader T.J. Watt. And with the way Dan Moore Jr. is getting worked week after week, there's concern for Mason Rudolph's blindside with this kind of speed off the edge:

As for the rest of the Bengals' defense, it gets rather ugly from there. They're giving up 6.0 yards per play, which is tied with the Broncos and Commanders for the worst mark in football. They rank 27th in pass defense (254.1 YPG), and are giving up 8.0 yards per attempt, which is tied with the Commanders for the worst in the NFL. They have improved in run defense, moving up three spots since playing the Steelers, thanks to keeping the Jaguars to 71 yards on the ground and stifling the Colts to only 46 rushing yards. This is still a group that gave up 153 rushing yards to the Steelers four weeks ago, and is now without an impact player and leader up front in Reader.

The Bengals are still one of the best in the league at forcing turnovers, as their 23 takeaways are only two behind the NFL leaders (Jacksonville and San Francisco). The Steelers will have to find the balance between being aggressive but also take care of the football. There are points to be scored here. The Bengals may have won three straight, but they've still allowed 23 points per game during that stretch. Rudolph has also had success against the Bengals during his career, so exploiting this defense isn't out of the question.

THE SPECIAL TEAMS

Evan McPherson remains the Bengals' kicker, and his strong leg shortens the field for the Bengals' offense. However, he's made only 7 of 12 field goal attempts from beyond 50 yards this season, though those are his only misses this season. Charlie Jones and Trenton Irwin have each had a hand in punt return duties this season, though Jones has the upper hand as the primary guy. It's well earned, as he's rattled off an 81-yard return for a touchdown this season.

THE INJURY REPORT

• Ja'Marr Chase, WR (shoulder) -- Chase injured his AC joint in the Bengals' win over the Vikings last week, and didn't have a promising prognosis for Saturday's matchup. After missing practice all week, Chase was ruled out by head coach Zac Taylor on Thursday. That paves the way for increased roles for Higgins and Boyd, along with Irwin as a shifty third option.

• Jake Browning, QB (right forearm) -- Browning was part of the Bengals' injury report with a forearm issue, but fully participated in practice all week. He also doesn't carry injury designation into Saturday's game, so he's good to go. It's worth watching a little closer to see if the issue hampers his throwing over the course of the game.

• Chase Brown, RB (hamstring) -- Brown missed five straight games earlier this season, but has played in the past three games and earned at least nine touches on 18 or fewer snaps in each of those games. He was limited on Tuesday, but fully practiced on Wednesday and Thursday, so he's cleared to play and reprise his role as the No. 2 back behind Mixon.

• Alex Cappa, G (knee/ankle) -- Cappa was limited on Tuesday, but was able to fully participate in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and earned clearance to play Saturday. Cappa is the Bengals' starting right guard.

• Cameron Sample, DE (knee/ankle) -- Like Brown and Cappa, Sample was limited on Tuesday, but was able to fully participate in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He's also earned clearance to play as one of the Bengals; depth option at defensive end.

• Joe Bachie, LB (oblique) -- Bachie was listed on the Bengals' injury report all week, but fully practiced all week. Bachie, primarily a contributor on special teams, is cleared to play Saturday.

• Jackson Carman, G (illness) -- Like Browning and Bachie, Carman was listed on the injury report but was a full participant all week in practice. Carman is also cleared to play. He's one of the Bengals' depth option on the offensive line.

• Notable players on injured reserve: QB Joe Burrow, CB Cam Taylor-Britt, DT DJ Reader

QUOTABLE

"It just shows the lack of camaraderie that's over there. I can't really talk for anybody, but when things ain't going well, you still gotta perform at a high level and do what you can to help your team. ... That's something that they gotta deal with, and when things ain't going good, that's when your true colors show. I like to be the same player week in, week out, whether it's going good or bad for me.” -- Tyler Boyd on George Pickens, Steelers' culture

"There's no quit in this team. Obviously, that starts with Coach Tomlin. His whole career, he's just been a winner. He puts that through his whole team. We know they're going to come prepared. Their playoff lives are on the line, so they're going to give everything they've got. We've just got to match them." -- Mike Hilton on Saturday's pivotal matchup against the Steelers

"We're playing one of the storied franchises in the NFL, it's a playoff game. We need it. They need it. We just had one of our best walkthroughs (Tuesday) we had all year in terms of guys locked in, communication, everything. And that was my message this morning very firmly. I don't think there's a person in this building that would ever take the Pittsburgh Steelers lightly." -- Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo on facing the Steelers