07-13-2022, 04:30 PM
(07-13-2022, 02:36 AM)WestCoastBengal Wrote: Bengals need to get off to a fast start this season, no better way than to beat the Steelers. 38 wins vs 67 losses including 2 playoff losses. Going to take years to even things up for our team. Bengals have won the last three. Longest win streak VS Steelers, 6 (1988-90)
Steelers longest win streak vs Bengals, 11 (2015-2020)
From the little I have read about the steelers from fans is they have improved the defense and expect to be top 5 this year. Bengals new O line going to be tested early with a healthy TJ Watt, we got lucky the games we played last year TJ was beat up and injured. I'm ready to get this season started baby! Lets send them home wondering how it all went so wrong!
A KEY to this game is that it is the first time in decades that Big Ben is not the Steelers QB, now retired. Big Ben was a HOF with Super Bowl rings. no doubt about it. Decades ago the Steelers struggled at QB before Big Ben. So whoever the Steelers start at QB will not have the timing down yet. Their new QB has to play The AFC Champion Bengals In Cincinnati. The Bengals return a Super Bowl Defense, and The Steelers Defense was weak against the run last year. Team ran at will on The Steelers. So the Steelers Defense was not that good last year, and now they no longer have Big Ben at QB.
So I give a huge edge on QB's in this game to Super Joe Burrow. If the Steelers still have problems against the run and Mixon gains over 100 yards, that will set up Burrow passes to Chase, Higgins, Boyd, Hurst and others. A good day by Mixon sets up what Burrow excels in at LSU and Bengals, getting the ball to the open man hitting many receivers. That is Joe Burrow. Great in a 2 minute HURRY UP drill and can work fast using all his pass options. Run yards by Mixon would slow down the pass rush. Hopefully Bengals Run Block better in 2022 so that Burrow isn't again the most sacked QB in the NFL. Bengals need to put up more Run Yards, and that will slow the pass rush. The Bengals were good at WR's Blocking on the outside in their Super Bowl run, but much improvement needed from Tackle to Tackle and not so weak up The Gut of the field on Run and Pass Blocking. Bengals did FOCUS n this in Free Agency heavy, brining in some Blocking Bell Cows at Center, Right Guard, Right Tackle. Left Tackle brings back Jonah Williams. Which leaves somebody needing to step up at Left Guard in Training Camp. Bengals Blocking Bolstered By Free Agency.
The Bengals bring back a Super Bowl Defense, and a Super Bowl Offense. So I think it is the Steelers without Big Ben now who are the underdog in this game. I look for passes to Steelers WR's to be OFF and the Timing not there yet. That could set up Bengals Defense getting some turnovers.
Mike Thomas and Stanly Morgan are great Blockers at WR and Chase, Higgins, Boyd can Block. The 2021 Bengals were the best group of WR Blockers in Bengals History, and I've seen Bengals since 1968. The average Fan may not have noticed, but these WR Blocks were huge in getting Play-Off Wins to Super Bowl. Also very few Penalties. This is a Well Coached Bengals Team. They don't make all the Delay Of Game and Procedure Penalties going backwards as they did under Marvin, the fewest penalties since Paul Brown was the coach.
1968 Bengal Fan
