The Pittsburgh Steelers discover themselves in an uncommon place as they put together for his or her regular-season finale in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Regardless of clinching a playoff berth, Pittsburgh’s current three-game skid in opposition to top-tier opponents has dampened the celebratory temper.
At 10-6, the Steelers have possible seen their AFC North title hopes slip away, whereas their sometimes dependable protection has proven regarding vulnerabilities by way of uncharacteristic psychological errors.
Nonetheless, ESPN analyst Mina Kimes sees a silver lining within the upcoming matchup, viewing it as a great alternative for the Steelers to rediscover their offensive rhythm earlier than the playoffs start.
“You guys know the idea of like a mouthwash sport, which is, when you’ve got the soccer equal of unhealthy breath, you play a sure protection, and all of the sudden your breath simply smells higher. That’s the alternative at hand for this Pittsburgh offense going in opposition to Cincinnati,” Kimes stated, through NFL on ESPN. “… So there’s an actual get proper alternative for the Steelers offense.”
.@minakimes explains how the Steelers’ offense has a “get proper” alternative in opposition to the Bengals ✍️ pic.twitter.com/BCPVxMg1lK
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 3, 2025
Her optimism stems from the Steelers’ earlier assembly with the Bengals, when their offensive method proved significantly efficient.
The Week 13 sport plan efficiently exploited Cincinnati’s defensive weaknesses, particularly within the shorter passing sport.
The working again duo of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren emerged as key in that matchup, accumulating 122 yards after catch by constantly difficult the Bengals’ linebackers with check-down passes and forcing missed tackles.
Because the Steelers put together for this significant sport, they’ll possible look to copy this profitable technique, making it an important stepping stone for constructing offensive momentum heading into the postseason.
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