W2L4: How One Win Over Steelers Could Change Everything For Bengals, Move Into Playoff Position

Steelers (6-4) at Bengals (5-5) Sunday, Nov. 26 at Paycor Stadium (Field Turf), 1 p.m. ET, TV: WKRC-TV Ch. 12 (Cincinnati), Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn. Radio: Dan Hoard, Dave Lapham. 700 WLW-AM, WEBN-FM (102.7 FM), ESPN1530.

CINCINNATI — One win could change everything for the Bengals.

If the Stripes can snap their two-game skid Sunday at Paycor, the Bengals would suddenly be in playoff position.

They would also prove that they can win with Jake Browning leading them the rest of the way.

Those two factors would be enough for most Bengals fans to shake off the misery of losing Joe Burrow to a mid-season injury for the second time in four seasons and pay attention to the final six games.

Of course, they’ll have to suddenly rediscover their defense, which disappeared in losses to the Texans and Ravens. And the other part of that is they’ll have to beat T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and the Steelers in a huge game where Pittsburgh is playing with a new offensive coordinator and play-caller.

So it is. Two teams undergoing significant midseason change and turmoil meet when the Bengals (5-5) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) Sunday afternoon.

The Bengals have followed four straight wins with two losses, including a painful 34-20 setback in Baltimore on Nov. 16.

The loss to the AFC North rival Ravens was not only costly in the standings, but it was also devastating to their playoff chances going forward as franchise quarterback Joe Burrow was lost for the season to a right wrist injury.

Jake Browning stepped in following Burrow’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Joe Mixon in the second quarter and will be taking over starting quarterback responsibilities going forward. Sunday against Pittsburgh will mark his first career NFL start.

The season that began with a strained right calf on the second day of training camp ended with a torn ligament in his right wrist.

“It’s unfortunate to see (this happen to) a guy who works as hard as he does,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “The time and energy he puts into his body and making sure he’s at his best for this organization. It kills you to watch somebody have to go through this several times now.

“That’s football. You look around the league, and this is something that happens to quarterbacks. Now it’s on the rest of the team to rally around each other and find a way out of this.”

When Burrow exited the game, Cincinnati turned to QB Jake Browning, a first-year player whose only previous regular-season action in his career came late in the fourth quarter of Week 1 at Cleveland.

“I don’t think you need to cut anything back,” said Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. “He’s mentally capable of handling the system as it stands. And, that’s a positive, that’s a positive thing. And I think if you were to ask him, he’d probably get irritated if you felt like he had to cut back at all.”

While he replaced Burrow in the season opener in Cleveland in the fourth quarter, Baltimore marked his first meaningful NFL snaps. Browning completed eight of 14 passes for 68 yards with one touchdown. He led a 10-play FG drive to open the third quarter and a threw a 2-yard TD pass to Ja’Marr Chase to account for Cincinnati’s final 10 points on the night.

The Steelers aren’t changing their quarterback but instead their offensive coordinator as Matt Canada was fired on Tuesday and replaced with Eddie Faulkner, the team’s running backs coach.

On Saturday, Burrow was officially placed on injured reserve. Running back Chase Brown was activated from injured reserve after being cleared to practice Monday. Brown had been on IR list since Oct. 28 with a hamstring injury.

The Bengals also elevated quarterback AJ McCarron from the practice squad to the active roster. McCarron is classified as a standard elevation. As a practice squad player being elevated to the active roster for the game, he will automatically revert to the practice squad on Monday.

Pittsburgh enters the game in playoff position despite an offense that is ranked 28th in both scoring (16.6 points per game) and yards (280.1).

After last week’s 13-10 loss at Cleveland, head coach Mike Tomlin fired Canada and replaced him with Faulkner.

“We’ve got to score touchdowns in this business. You have got to win games in this business. And just the totality of it has us where we are today,” Tomlin said.

“I’m excited about Eddie Faulkner coordinating our efforts,” Tomlin added via the team’s YouTube channel. “Organizing staff responsibility in meetings. Organizing game planning. Leading our unit as a collective in review of our tape in preparation of our upcoming opponents and things of that nature. Things that a coordinator does. He has full authority in that regard and my support.”

While Faulkner will assume the coordinating duties, Tomlin indicated quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will be the chief play-caller.

Here’s what to look for:

• Jake Browning vs. himself:

The 26-year-old is making his first NFL start after two seasons on Minnesota’s practice squad and another on Cincinnati’s last season. Now, this season, as Joe Burrow’s backup, Browning appeared in the season opener in Cleveland and last week against Baltimore. This time, it’s Browning’s show from start to finish. How will he command the huddle. How will he handle things on the sideline when things go well, when things don’t and everything in between? This the great unknown with Jake Browning. At some point, Browning needs to show he can lead. If he clears that hurdle, he should be more than able to handle the Xs and Os.

• DJ Turner, Chido Awuzie vs. George Pickens, Diontae Johnson:

With No. 1 corner Cam Taylor-Britt out with a quad injury, how will the Bengals secondary handle the talented duo? How this question gets answered by a defense that’s been victimized by gash and explosive plays in the last two weeks will go a long way in determining Cincinnati’s chances for hanging in with the Steelers. The Bengals obviously don’t want to put Browning in a position where he’s in a track meet with anyone.

• Orlando Brown Jr., Jonah Williams vs. T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith:

The Bengals signed Orlando Brown Jr. to that massive contract for games like Sunday. The left tackle needs to answer the bell against Watt and Highsmith, two of the best edge rushers in football. Watt has wrecked games against Joe Burrow in the past, intercepting him twice on freakishly athletic plays. Jonah Williams has had the best season of any offensive lineman. They’ll need that kind of consistency this week. The Bengals faced a similar challenge against Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead of San Francisco. They’ll need a similar effort.

• Sam Hubbard vs. Steelers OL:

It’s been like beating a dead horse but the Bengals have not been the same defense without Sam Hubbard. He returns Sunday and it should be noticeable in the ability to set an edge and stop explosive run plays. Trusting Hubbard’s ankle holds up, he should look rested and good to go. The Bengals need him desperately if they are to contain Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

• Chase Brown, Andrei Iosivas vs. Steelers D:

The Bengals desperately need a boost from their rookies. Brown and Iosivas return from injuries and could make a big difference in the offense, which needs all weapons they can get with Tee Higgins out for a third straight game.

• Bottom Line:

This is a winnable game for the Bengals if Jake Browning plays a clean game and if the defense returns to the form it showed over its four-game win streak. The Steelers are the only team in the NFL more opportunistic than the Bengals in the turnover battle in the NFL. Pittsburgh is plus-11 in the turnover battle, tied with San Francisco for tops in the NFL. Cincinnati is right behind at plus-10. Minkah Fitzpatrick is out with a hamstring and starting nose Montavius Adams is out with a ankle injury. That helps the Bengals cause a bit and could lead to the Bengals being able to run the ball with Joe Mixon and Chase Brown. Get on top, keep the lead and force Kenny Pickett into mistakes. It’s expected to be cold (45 degrees) and rainy so Bengals need to hang onto the ball if they are to hang onto playoff hopes.

Bengals 18, Steelers 17