After back-to-back ugly performances, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-22 win over Baltimore could not have come at a better time. Now, the Steelers have a commanding lead in the division even though it’s just a one-game advantage. Wins have been hard to come by for both Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and the Steelers have the edge before the teams play each other again to close the regular season. However, if there’s one team for the Steelers to worry about, CBS Sports’ Adam Schein thinks it’s actually the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I think the Cincinnati Bengals, and Joe Burrow played really well [Sunday]. Tee Higgins was outstanding. I know all the issues, historically inept on defense. The Bengals, who played well in the snow in Buffalo, will finish the season 8-9, and win the AFC North,” Schein said on The NFL Today.
With the ineptitude both Pittsburgh and Baltimore have shown this year, many have thought the Bengals still had a chance in the division despite how bad they’ve been this year. And at the same time the Steelers won their own thriller over the Ravens, the Bengals were in a back-and-forth game of their own against Buffalo.
But it was a game the Bengals lost, 39-34. They now sit 4-9, a sizeable distance behind the 7-6 Steelers. With a three-game advantage and four games to go, it would take quite a collapse from the Steelers here. Especially since the Bengals don’t own the initial tiebreaker over the Steelers with the teams splitting the season series.
Schein isn’t wrong that the Bengals have played better with Joe Burrow back. They play the Ravens next week, but even a win then would still leave them third in the division. Yet, they have some easier matchups afterward. Cincinnati will play Miami, Arizona and Cleveland to end the season.
The Bengals likely have to win out to have any chance. And if they do finish 8-9, that would leave them with a 5-1 divisional record. The Steelers also play the Ravens and Browns one more time each. If the Steelers finished 8-9 as well, they’d have a worse divisional record than the Bengals giving the latter the tiebreaker.
While the Bengals could be dangerous, it’s quite a hot take from Schein. The Bengals need to win their own games first, something that’s proven hard for them to do. And the Steelers have some favorable matchups of their own. If they simply take care of Miami and Cleveland, they’ll get to nine wins, and that would eliminate Cincinnati.
The AFC North could get pretty wild over the last month of the season. But while the Bengals are still alive, it will be extremely hard for them to come back and win the division.