Steelers at Bengals Week 7 Preview | Steelers Live The Match Up | Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers at Bengals Week 7 Preview | Steelers Live The Match Up | Pittsburgh Steelers

After waiting 42 days to play their first AFC North game, the Steelers get their second AFC North game in just 4 days after dispatching of Cleveland Sunday at Acer Stadium, the Steelers will travel to Cincinnati and Pacore Stadium to take on the Bengals on Thursday night. Thanks very much for being with us for the matchup presented by Shell Polymers alongside Missy Matthews and Matt Williamson. I’m Rob King. Matt, AFC North victory. The Steelers are one and0 in the division. They have a comfortable lead as of right now in the division as well. Nice way to start things off. No question. Their only loss is also to an NFC team. You know, that’s great for tie breakers and whatnot. The rest of the division has been very kind and uh to the to the Steelers as well, making things a little easier on them. But I thought it was a great win. And I thought they controlled the action pretty much start to finish and did exactly what you should. It’s been almost a couple of decades, unfortunately, uh, Missy, since the Steelers have last won a Thursday night road game. We only have to go back to last year, right? You play an AFC North opponent on Sunday, you beat them. The Ravens, you travel to Cleveland. AFC North Thursday night game, you don’t win. This year, similar scenario, different teams. Um, how can the Steelers kind of break through here on Thursday night? Well, I think Aaron Rogers could potentially help. Uh, you know, the Steelers under Mike Tomlin two and nine uh on Thursday Night Football and as you said, it felt like every Thursday night game was in Cleveland the past few years. Um, but Aaron Rogers is 13 and five on Thursday night. He has thrown 42 touchdowns, only five interceptions. So maybe that will be uh a way to slay the dragon, jump start things, and get them going on a short week to get a victory. Okay, so let’s get into our key matchups as the Steelers get ready to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. And Matt, let’s start with you. You want to see more Darnell Washington and Spencer Anderson against the Bengals front. We’ve seen a lot of it over the last two weeks. I’m not sure you can see more. I just want to continue a good thing. And this isn’t a knock to Johnny Smith or Pat Fri, but Washington to me is the clear tight end one. I mean, he is such a unicorn in this league that’s full of unicorns. He’s so difficult to play against. And putting Anderson in the mix, too, just adds to the beef, the physicality, and he’s done great. And we saw them throw out of that situation a little bit more last week. It’s not just a running situation, but that’s a lot of mass and a lot of power at the point of attack to deal with. Yeah, it is. And it’s good to see the running game going a couple straight hundred yard games. And as Matt alluded to too, they use Spencer Anderson in pass protection as well, giving Aaron Rogers plenty of time to find his targets downfield. So, it’s interesting. Maybe not what we all thought about going into the season, but this jumbo package is something the Steelers have used in the past. Well, and I think that first play to Darnell Washington, no one was expecting. You’re thinking, “Okay, here they go. Uh, they’re all in. We’re going to see the run. Jaylen Warren’s back.” But I do think, you know, he is a very unique uh tight end, as Matt had said, just the way that you can use him because of his height. Um the fact that he can help block and what he’s able to do. And Arthur Smith has talked about Spencer Anderson and his basketball background and how that helps him as well. So I agree with Matt. You got to keep going with what’s working. And man, running the ball really has opened things up for the passing game. So it goes hand in hand. So speaking of the passing game, Missy, let’s get to your key. As we tape this on Tuesday, we’re not sure. The Bengals haven’t taken the field yet for practice. So, we don’t know whether Trey Hendrickson, who left Sunday’s game with a back or hip injury, is going to actually be able to play. But, if he does, the last time these two teams played last December, he had three and a half sacks against the Steelers. Yeah, there’s a reason why, you know, he was able to hold out and Cincinnati was like, “No, we’re going to end up paying you. We need you to come back to this defense.” Um, but he is dealing with that back injury. Everything from the national reporters to local people in Cincinnati said there’s still a chance that it’s more of a day-to-day thing, but I agree. Um, you know, you got to talk about Brick Jones, the rest of the offensive line, what they were able to do against Miles Garrett in the Cleveland Browns defense on Sunday. You didn’t hear much from Miles Garrett. Um, and that is usually a really good thing because as coach said going into that game, when he is able to take advantage to wreck a game, that is when you get onedimensional. that is when things do not go well for the Steelers. So, another tough test and Brick said it yesterday, you know, it doesn’t get any easier. You’re playing in the AFC North, so they know what is at hand. Um, if Trey is able to go, but like everyone else, I’m interested to see what their practice report says today. And then, of course, the status report before Thursday and they might have Shamar Stewart back. They spent a first round pick on him a couple years ago. They spent a first round pick on Miles Murphy. That hasn’t really paid dividends for him. But when you think about Trey Hendrickton, four-time Pro Bowl, AllP Pro last year, led the league in sacks. The team had 36 sacks. He had 17 and a half of those sacks. He’s kind of a one-man wrecking crew, which is why they’ve used these early picks on the other defensive ends that have a lot of ability, just not as proven as Hendrickson at this point. He’s a great player. I mean, I would have Garrett and Watt just a smidge above him, but boy, the production is hard to argue with. Okay. So, uh, for me, look, we’ve we’ve run the ball, right? Uh, behind your jumbo package. We’ve blocked Hendrickson. That’s very good. I I I like that. So, mind is now let’s find DK Mataf versus high coverage. And if you can force a team into that high single safety coverage, that’s going to open things up for DK Metaf. Aaron Rogers said as much in his postgame comment said, “Look, um, you know, you you start to run the ball now, they go single high, and I think he’s going to look for DK Metaf. I would say roughly 100% of the time in those scenarios. And uh we saw DK Dalin DK Metaf. He actually likes Dalin. I think we have to go with DK because that’s how everybody knows him. Four straight games now with the touchdown for DK Metaf. Yeah, I got a chance to catch up with him right after the game um on our radio broadcast. And just the smile on his face that you guys couldn’t see when asked about getting comfortable in Pittsburgh and working with Aaron Rogers. Uh there there’s definitely something brewing in working well and as you said he is just a monster of a player. Why not take advantage in a one-on-one situation and he finds ways to get open too? Um and it is good that you know Arthur Smith is the way he’s calling games and getting guys like him open. Uh a testament to what they were able to do. I really liked their game planning and scripting for this Browns game. You know they have some singular players the Steelers do. And I one of the things I like about Metaf, you’d mentioned this with Washington too. You know, when you roll that coverage up and the Steelers want to run the ball, do you really want DK Metaf blocking you or Darno Washington blocking you? And now good luck covering them as well. No question. And it all starts with Rogers though. You mentioned, you know, verse single high. If there was a perfect defensive scheme, everybody would run it. They every scheme has holes and he knows them to no end. No doubt. And he’s always going to attack. You know, there was a lot of talk, why aren’t the Steelers attacking downfield? Well, they were getting a lot of too high. Well, when you get single high against the Browns, well, he attacks downfield. Yeah. Yeah. It’s It really is like, “Hey, we’re playing cover two.” Gotcha. We’re playing single high. Gotcha. We’re playing. He’s always going to know. He’s always got an answer for it. Yeah, for sure. Okay. We’re hoping you have some answers for our predictive game question. Uh each week you have an opportunity to play along with the rest of Steelers Nation. Here is your immaculate prediction question. Will Nate Herbig have plus or minus one sack? More than one sack? Less than one sack? Nick Herbig. Did I say Nate? Did I say his brother? His brother I don’t think will have any. Probably not. Nick Herig’s chance. Will he have more? Yeah, I know. He has been unbelievable. Will he have more than one sack? That is yes or no. Thank you for the sight edit, Missy. As uh I got the wrong Herbig out there. But your opportunity is to win a football autographed by none other than Nick Herbig. As you can see there, two K there in the end of the big, but we got the K in there, not the T. So Nick Heric and we see the 51. That kind of a giveaway as well. Up next, a look at Joe Flacco and a potentially explosive Bengals offense against the Steelers D when the matchup presented by Shell Polymers resumes. Get all your Steelers gear direct from the team. Shop the Steelers Pro Shop in store or online for all things black and gold. You can get jerseys, hats, authentic memorabilia, custom gear, and exclusives you can’t find anywhere else. And of course, get the ultimate Steelers game day accessory, the Terrible Towel. Steelers Nation shops here. Get your gear in store or online at shop.steelers.com. Well, give Joe played for many years. Then he rounded to the Bengals. He is now quarterback for his third North and the second time he will be back to the Cincinnati Bengals. Thanks for being with us once again for the match represented by along the next one. Yeah. And you know when you think about him funny I think being successful against him. He was 11 starter against this. So he knows something about winning games against right and has played 22 games against Cincinnati. So on Thursday the highest team of the most games he’s played against his career. But uh yeah, I guess maybe ask what he thinks about the Browns treating him this and that. Let’s put it that way. you can you can go look up his comments if you want to get a little descriptive that so I’m going to start with matchups here and for me it’s inside linebackers I think been fantastic Wilson Patrick but also you know those inside lineback group has been really good and slowing down Chase Brown is key for me Chase Brown look we’re going to talk about that because that’s obvious headline but Chase Brown you just had to be wary um you know about 95 yard way below that this season 2.7 yard they have not found way I think if we was going to be successful you can’t be completely one game you passing speed as well that last year he got a very very heavy workload with Ben year ago but they cut back last week and they’re the happiest league in terms of run percent. So it isn’t something they’re comfortable with right now. No, and it hasn’t successful and you might not want to be comfortable because you have on the outside and look this has been we’ve been kind of waiting this game. I know I have because when you go out and you get your match up the corners as this is like number one you’re thinking about getting corners like that. Well, nice thing, you know, it speaks to it as well when Chase after their loss on Sunday against the Green Packers immediately flips it to Thursday night. I guess it’s a short weekend, you know, start talking about, you know, we don’t know what the Steelers are going to want to come in and are also, you know, responding to some of those comments. But as you know, at the beginning of the season, all the questions were how are they going to deploy all these guys and Jay even Jaylen Ramar Chase we all want to see him on Jamar Chase that’s what you have to give your credit to you come back on Sunday I still just marvel injuring just by came in and played the way that he did against the Brownsit joking about the game, but he just how versatile he is. It will be interesting to see and also said that it’s not just but for Chase and Joe to only have 12 practice together as if you know it was the same quarterback he was playing with. So imagine that with you know actual track history and I think it’s going to be something really in on and is kind of one of those watch for this team they really haven’t gotten he hasn’t done much but Jamar is my good four straight pros last year. I mean he is just a phenomenal talent a phenomenal talent and easily conver has isn’t bashful at all. I mean, at this stage of his career, he’s going to put the ball plays and worries me quite a bit in that regard. By the way, one-on-one match up. I thought I thought he looked better than he did in round two last week with like pretty much practices. You know, they tough couple of huge huge drops for the Bengals. He’s their number three receiver, but look at the record. The off this My past week I was not very impressed with performing. Well, he’s still much he’s better on understand 16 quarterback hits last week against Cleveland. He’s played 22 games against 50 times to that level and he’s less mobile than um ar that pass rush is fierce right now and they’re blitzing at a really high rate. They’re bring five. They’re bringing six. They’re bring queen. They’re bring up for oneonone walking. They’re exploiting it. A nice addition to the group as well. But Herbert can’t get it around. I mean, that guy produces at such a high level of passer. He is phenomenal. And all those guys together, but that’s okay. And then the guys obviously bring you know it is coming from all angles the number of players that defense but I agree with 12end that’s not something you just thought out of it of respect with brothers on the team when you get a sack shake hand but you know this defense they’re getting healthy they’re having too much fun because it has been great to see since Sunday you want to have on the field second the corner edition really opened up the exact Right. You feel comfortable with that coverage which would mean the rush but then you also stop the run the last couple weeks obviously production crew. Thanks for watching this edition of the matchup presented by polymers.

Rob King, Missi Matthews, and Matt Williamson review the keys to the Steelers’ Thursday night clash with the Bengals

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