A lot will be on the line when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18 of the 2024 season. NFL season. The Steelers are playing for playoff positioning, while the Bengals need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Pittsburgh (10-6) will already know whether or not it can win the AFC North by the time the ball kicks off Saturday night. If the Ravens beat the Browns earlier today, the best the Steelers can do is advance to the AFC’s fifth seed, which would mean a matchup with the Texans in Houston. But if Baltimore is upset, Pittsburgh can move into third place with a win over Cincinnati. The Steelers would fall to sixth place (and face Baltimore in the first round) if they lose to the Bengals and the Chargers beat the Raiders.
Cincinnati (8-8) must beat Pittsburgh and will also need losses to the Broncos and Dolphins to clinch the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot. Denver will face a Kansas City team that will rest several starters, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Miami will face the Jets in what could be the final game of Aaron Rodgers’ career.
The Steelers and Bengals will enter Saturday’s game in polar opposite directions. Pittsburgh has lost three straight and is 1-3 since beating the Bengals in Week 13. Cincinnati has won four straight games since losing to Pittsburgh, including last Saturday’s dramatic overtime victory against Denver.
Below you’ll find all the information you need to follow the action, plus a full game preview and predictions for how Saturday night’s game will play out.
- Date: Saturday January 4 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh)
- TV: ABC/ESPN | Live broadcast: fubo (try for free)
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Odds: Bengals -1.5, OR 48.5 (via BetMGM)
When the Bengals have the ball
Cincinnati’s offense is having a very successful season, led by Pro Bowlers Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow, who currently heads the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes, recently became the 11th quarterback in history to throw at least 40 touchdowns in a season. Chase is one game away from becoming the fifth catcher since the merger to win the “Triple Crown.”
The Bengals offense is still good, but it’s nearly unstoppable when Tee Higgins is healthy. The Bengals are 7-4 in games Higgins has played this year and 1-4 in games he has missed. Last Saturday, Higgins suffered two multiple injuries, but still managed to catch three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s game-winning victory over Denver. Higgins threw a career-high 10 touchdowns this year despite missing five games due to injury.
Higgins (ankle/knee) and running back Chase Brown (ankle) are both questionable for Saturday. Higgins is expected to play, while Brown’s status is truly uncertain after he didn’t practice all week after getting injured almost late in last week’s win. Khalil Herbert, who has only eight carries for the Bengals since being acquired at the deadline, will replace Brown if he can’t go.
Brown’s absence would be quite significant in terms of how the Bengals will likely attack Pittsburgh’s defense. Two years ago, when the Bengals posted a 37-30 victory in Pittsburgh, the Bengals leaned on Higgins (who caught nine passes for 148 yards with Chase injured) and now Chiefs running back Samaje Perine, who caught three touchdown passes. Like Perine, Brown is an excellent receiver out of the backfield, and it’s conceivable to think the Bengals will use that element of his game against the Steelers if he plays. If he doesn’t, more of Burrow’s intermediate throws will likely go to tight end Mike Gesicki, who caught a season-high 10 passes against Denver.
As they have every time Higgins has been healthy this year, expect the Bengals to take full advantage of their talented receiver duo while using their running game as a complementary piece. The big key will be protecting Burrow, who has been brought down seven times by Denver’s league-best pass rush. Like Denver, the Steelers employ several formidable passers, led by Pro Bowlers TJ Watt and Cameron Heyward. Expect the Bengals to place more emphasis on blocking Watt, which could lead to more opportunities for Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig (who had a big strip-sack on Burrow in Week 11 ) on the left side.
When the Steelers have the ball
On both sides of the ball, Pittsburgh has a lot to clean up before the playoffs, and it will use Saturday’s game to do just that. More specifically, Pittsburgh’s defense hopes to capitalize on its turnover opportunities after largely failing in the last three games. On offense, the focus is on better handling the ball after committing several crushing turnovers during the three-game losing streak.
It wasn’t entirely his fault, but Russell Wilson was nevertheless responsible for three turnovers in Pittsburgh’s last two games, including one resulting in a pick-six. Wilson’s interception in the end zone against the Chiefs on Christmas Day was another throw he would surely love to recover.
Expect a cleaner game Saturday from Wilson, who had his best game of the season (sans his pick-six on the game’s first series) against the Bengals five weeks ago. But given Wilson’s recent turnovers, as well as the fact that the Bengals defense has been extremely opportunistic of late, one would think that Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will lean more on the ground game and Najee Harris, who had 129 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati in Week 11.
Pittsburgh might run more than it has in recent weeks, but rest assured Smith will still dial up deep balls for Wilson, who had considerable success throwing downfield earlier this year. It’s no secret that Pittsburgh’s passing game needs some work heading into the playoffs, so expect Wilson to have plenty of opportunities to throw the ball. Expect Wilson to focus on getting the ball to George Pickens, who had a career-high 195 yards and two touchdowns the last time the Bengals came to Pittsburgh. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is surely hoping Mike Williams or Van Jefferson can make a big play to help open things up for Pickens and Calvin Austin III.
Turnovers will be key in this game. Cincinnati forced 12 turnovers during its four-game winning streak that included eight steals. If the Bengals defense can force a two-man turnover, the chances of winning will increase significantly. Conversely, it’s hard to imagine the Bengals winning this game without getting at least one turnover from the defense.
Prediction
This game can go either way; this is as balanced a match as possible, with a considerable amount at stake for both teams. The Bengals have more at stake, however, and their determination to move closer to a possible playoff berth is why I’m picking them to win this game.
If Cincinnati wins, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad night for the Steelers, especially if their offense performs well against a defense that has made a lot of other units (including their own) look good this season.
Score: Bengals 24, Steelers 20
