The streaking Cincinnati Bengals need a Week 18 victory and some help to crash their way into the playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Steelers just want to end their recent funk and improve their postseason fortunes.
The two AFC North rivals will have a lot on the line when the Bengals visit the Steelers on Saturday night.
Cincinnati (8-8), which has won four straight games, needs to beat Pittsburgh and have the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins lose their respective games.
“It’s going to be a bloodbath,” said Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton, a former Steeler. “One team is in the playoffs. We’re fighting for our playoff lives, so it’s going to be fireworks.”
Pittsburgh (10-6) twice failed to clinch the AFC North and now trails the Baltimore Ravens by one game in the division race. The Steelers previously clinched a playoff spot but recently lost three straight games in an 11-day span, getting outscored 90-40.
The Steelers will win the division if they beat Cincinnati this week and if the Ravens lose to the Cleveland Browns.
So getting back on track is a big deal this week for Pittsburgh.
“We got to get the stench of the last few performances off of us,” coach Mike Tomlin said, “and there’s no better way to do that than a home divisional win versus a formidable group going into the tournament, and so that’s our mentality as we stand here.”
Pittsburgh recorded a 44-38 win over the Bengals in Cincinnati on Dec. 1 when Russell Wilson passed for a season-high 414 yards and equaled a season best of three touchdowns to go with one interception.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns against one interception.
Burrow has passed for at least three touchdowns in eight straight games — including outings of five and four to start the streak.
Overall, Burrow leads the NFL with 4,641 passing yards and 42 touchdowns. He has been intercepted eight times.
Star wideout Ja’Marr Chase is on the verge of winning the rare receiver Triple Crown — he would be the fifth since 1970. He leads the NFL with 117 receptions, 1,612 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“He works for it. He grinds for it,” Burrow said of Chase, his former college teammate at LSU. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime-type player, and our careers will forever be tied together from college into the pro landscape. That’s just fun to be a part of.”
The play of Burrow and Chase is a big reason why the Bengals have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor is looking for more of the same against the Steelers.
“We know it’s a big game,” Taylor said. “We know what is at stake, but want our guys to continue to approach every day like they have been.”
The Steelers performed superbly with seven victories in eight games before the current slide.
The urgency has hit the squad, as nobody wants to enter the postseason with four consecutive setbacks.
“Everybody has got to realize what’s at stake,” Pittsburgh linebacker Patrick Queen said. “Understand it’s one and done. There’s no room for error. No mistakes. You got to go out there, have a complete game, and the best way to practice that is this week.
“I think we’re anxious to get back out there and just play like how we’re supposed to be playing. That’s the biggest thing, just going out there and showcasing it to the whole world on Saturday night.”
The Steelers appear healthy, as nobody missed practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Cole Holcomb (knee) was limited and might be available for the first time this season after his devastating injury against the Tennessee Titans 14 months ago.
Holcomb, 28, said earlier this week that he considered retirement early in his rehab.
The Bengals are concerned about the status of standout running back Chase Brown (ankle) after he missed a second straight day of practice. Brown has rushed for a team-high 990 yards.
Defensive end Sam Hubbard (knee) and tight end Drew Sample (groin) also didn’t participate Wednesday for Cincinnati.
–Field Level Media
