The Pittsburgh Steelers could see some trouble this week, according to a few NFL experts.
Against the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense was only able to generate three points.
This was a poor showing all around, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers taking shots at the play-calling after the game. So, heading into the team's Week 3 matchup with the AFC North rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh will need a much stronger plan of attack.
Pittsburgh enters the contest sitting at 1-1 on the season, while the Bengals have started the year 2-0. Both teams understand how big each division game can be, making this one of the more interesting games on the NFL schedule this weekend.
Entering this game, multiple experts from Bleacher Report decided to pick the winner between the Steelers and Bengals. But the majority of them went with Cincinnati, leaving some potential trouble for the Steelers.
Analysts Gary Davenport, Brad Gagnon, Kris Knox, Moe Moton, Brent Sobleski, Wes O'Donnell, and Ian Hanford all made picks for the game. Only Gagnon and O'Donnell went with the Steelers, showing some distrust in Pittsburgh's current regime entering this week.
For the Steelers, everything starts and ends with the defense this season. Through the first two weeks of the NFL season, Pittsburgh has looked much stronger on that side of the ball, leading to a lot of success.
But going up against the Bengals offense will be a challenge for this group. However, the two teams know each other very well from all the contests over the years, and this tends to make these games very close.
No matter what the records are for the two teams, the Steelers and Bengals always find a way to have a close game at the end. With the game being in Pittsburgh, this could push the slight advantage toward the Steelers.
The Steelers offense will be called upon to make a statement here, going against a revamped Bengals defensive unit. But thankfully, the Steelers defense has been solid this season, even if the offense were to sputter again.
The Steelers will need to make sure to pressure Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow early and often, making him uncomfortable in the pocket. When Burrow gets any time to throw the ball, he is among the best in the NFL, and he can pick apart any defense.
Pittsburgh knows how good of a player Burrow can be, and the entire game plan will be centered about slowing him down. And if the Steelers can make this become a reality, they will give themselves a good chance to grab the win this weekend at home.
