Burrow Will Keep Bengals Hopes Alive Against Steelers

Bengals vs. Steelers, 8:00 ET

Bengals vs. Steelers, 8:00 ET

I want to start with a word of warning about this game: Tread lightly. By the time this game kicks off, one team will know if they have anything left to play for or not. Based on the way the books have set the lines, they are expecting that one of the teams has no incentive to play, and the other has all the reasoning in the world. I’ll get to the details in a moment as we break down what could happen, and what bet to place, for the Bengals and Steelers game on Saturday evening.

The Bengals are somehow, magically, improbably, and impressively, still alive in the playoff race. What is crazy is that all season it feels like the world wants them to lose games. They had a chance to make it easy on themselves and their kicker doinked a field goal off the goal post last game. They still won in overtime, but rather than even give their kicker a chance they just say Joe Burrow, do your thing. Their defense did just enough against Bo Nix and the Broncos. I mentioned the next stop the Bengals make this season will be their first, and they did make a stop against the Broncos when they needed it last game. If they lost, their season was over. Burrow should be the MVP because without him the Bengals would probably have three wins at most. The guy has carried them over and over and should do it again in this one with their season on the line. If they lose in this game, they are out of the playoffs. As it is, they still will need help on Sunday from the Chiefs and the Jets. However, if I am the Chiefs, I am much more concerned about the Bengals getting in the playoffs than I am about the Broncos. Still, first thing is first, the Bengals need to win this game.

Here is the situation for Pittsburgh. If the Ravens somehow lose to the Browns, the Steelers have a chance to win the game and secure the division crown. If the Ravens beat the Browns, the Steelers are locked into their position and are going to be a Wild Card team. That’s the situation and that outcome of the first game will be known at the time of kickoff. Say the Ravens win, because… well, they should. If they win the game, the question becomes who plays for Pittsburgh? My guess is that TJ Watt will sit out and Russell Wilson. I’d imagine that Najee Harris plays very little as well. That doesn’t mean that the Bengals are in for a cakewalk. I think the Steelers teams always play hard for Mike Tomlin and should find a way to at least remain competitive. Justin Fields will probably start the game and he is likely playing to audition for someone else’s roster, or at least for additional responsibilities for the Steelers in the playoffs. The Steelers may also want a win. They’ve dropped all three of their games that happened in that 10-day stretch and probably don’t want to head into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak. Plus, how much fun would it be to eliminate your division rival even if it doesn’t help you much? 

When it comes to football, you can usually count on one thing – the teams are almost always going to do what they can to protect their players for the playoffs. There are certain exceptions, but in this one, there is very little reason for the Steelers to play ultra competitively against the Bengals. Cincinnati has to win the game and I think they pull out all the stops. The Steelers will have capable players, don’t get me wrong, but this just isn’t a game that will matter for them. Back the Bengals to cover the -3. 

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