Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season will have a classic AFC North showdown, as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals face off at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The Bengals will be looking to build off their impressive playoff run in 2021. As for Pittsburgh, they will be looking to turn a new leaf, with a new QB for the first time since 2003.
Historically, the Steelers have gotten the better of Cincinnati. However, the Bengals throttled Pittsburgh in both of their games last year.
Cheap shots have been exchanged, tempers have flared, and terrible towels have been trashed. Win or lose, the game is gonna be a physical one filled with extracurriculars and foul play.
Passing Game: New And Improved
Mitchell Trubisky showed that he’s capable of operating this Pittsburgh offense during the preseason, but that was only preseason. Can he continue to build off the momentum from last game’s impressive performance against Detroit?
While Trubisky will handle all starting QB duties for now, Kenny Pickett will continue to lurk in the shadows. He also looked promising this preseason, but for now, he will take a seat. That is unless disaster strikes.
While the QB room is not the best in the league on paper, there will be an interesting group of young weapons for these signal-callers to play with. Diontae Johnson‘s ability to get open consistently will certainly be an asset. As will Chase Claypool, with his size and ability to make big plays downfield. George Pickens showcased his ability to make tough catches with his frame this preseason. Pat Freiermuth has an impressive blend of size and mobility at TE. And Najee Harris is no joke as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
On the other side will be a respectable secondary in Cincinnati. Chidobe Awuzie was a great pickup for the Bengals in 2021 and will look to keep things going in his second year with the team. Jessie Bates will be back from his holdout, anchoring this secondary unit. Eli Apple is a capable player, despite the slander he receives from fans and the media. And Mike Hilton will be fired up to play his former team again, especially after the pick-six he got last year.
Pittsburgh Offensive Line: Are They Getting Better?
For the past few years, Pittsburgh’s offensive line has been highlighted as one of the league’s worst units. They added a couple of pieces to the interior, and the tackles from last year will remain the same. Are they doing enough to improve in the trenches? They struggled in pre-season, but will they show more life against Cincy?
Dan Moore will need to take the next step in his second season as a pro. They’re asking a lot from the former fourth-round pick to be a blindside protector, but he’s the best option they have right now (outside of the newly-acquired Jesse Davis). Kevin Dotson is fine as an option at LG but will need to look better than he did in the preseason. Mason Cole, so far in his career, has played at a replacement level. The right side of the offensive looks better than the left, but neither Chukwuma Okorafor nor James Daniels are world-beaters.
Will this offensive line be able to open up lanes for Najee Harris? Harris had to fight tooth and nail to gain his yards last year as the Steelers struggled up front. Will they be able to hold up in pass protection? There aren’t any weak links in Cincinnati’s starting defensive line. DJ Reader is a space-eating 1T that’s hard to run on. Trey Hendrickson is one of the league’s premier pass rushers. Pittsburgh will have their work cut out for them trying to block this defensive line.
Pittsburgh Pass Rush vs. Cincy Passing Game
There’s not another WR trio in the NFL that compares to Cincinnati’s. Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins are all receivers capable of starting on NFL teams. Instead, they find themselves in Cincy catching darts from Joe Burrow.
Ahkello Witherspoon, Cam Sutton, and Levi Wallace will be hard-pressed to cover these receivers all game. They might need to rely on Pittsburgh’s pass rush to get home quickly. The Steelers may not have the number one pass rush on paper, but they still have a consistent one year in and year out. With guys like TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Cam Heyward, that should continue to pressure offenses in 2022. Watt is amongst the NFL’s elite when it comes to terrorizing QBs. Heyward is a solid interior presence as a pass-rusher; even if he can’t get to the QB, he will frequently bat passes down. Highsmith is not bad as the other edge rusher, using his speed and quickness to beat pass blockers.
It’s also going to take contributing efforts from guys like Larry Ogunjobi and DeMarvin Leal to make sure Burrow feels pressure all game. If the pocket stays clean, Joe Burrow will pick the Steelers apart with the receivers he gets to play with. It’s important for the pass rush to show up against Cincy.
Operation: Stop Joe Mixon
Normally known for having a defensive front hard to run on, that was not the case for the Steelers in 2021. Things only got worse for them in both of their games against the Bengals. Joe Mixon gave Pittsburgh nightmares last year, rushing for 90 and 165 yards, respectively.
Joe Mixon breaking off a big run against the Steelers ?♂️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/t5FK6TMtgA
— Luke Johnson (@Scoop_Johnson) April 5, 2022
Adding Larry Ogunjobi to the mix and getting Tyson Alualu back from injury, Pittsburgh’s defensive line should be stronger than they were last season. Myles Jack will immediately strengthen this team’s LB core with his ability to make plays from sideline to sideline. As for Devin Bush, this is a prove-it year for the former No. 10 overall pick.
If the Steelers want to go back to being a defensive juggernaut, it starts with making a statement against the Bengals and stopping the run.
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