Steelers’ biggest AFC North rival in 2022 are Bengals
Over the past few weeks, we’ve put together AFC North divisional previews of each of the rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers will deal with twice during the 2022 NFL regular season. We looked at the draft classes, undrafted free agents, free agents lost and added.
This week, Jae Greenwald and Christina Rivers break down why the Cincinnati Bengals are the biggest rival the Steelers will face in the division this upcoming season.
Greenwald: The Bengals are “the team”
Well, I am about to say something that I never imagined I would say, even in my wildest nightmares: the Cincinnati Bengals are a scary team. They are, in fact, “the team” in the AFC North, until proven otherwise.
And, if you’re not down with that, I got two words for ya: Joe, Burrow.
Joe Burrow, “Joey B”, “Joe Shiesty, “Joe Brrr”; no matter what you call him, the kid has it. Burrow has proven to be a Top-10 quarterback in the league with his play on the field last season by putting up 4,611 passing yards and 34 touchdowns to 14 interceptions on the way to a Super Bowl 65 appearance in just his second NFL season.
The most appealing part of Burrow if you are a Bengals fan, and the most terrifying if you are a fan of any other team in the NFL, are the incredible intangibles that the young quarterback possesses.
A proven leader coming out of LSU, those leadership skills immediately transferred with Burrow into the NFL. Burrow has already demonstrated incredible mental toughness battling back from an ACL tear that ended his rookie campaign early.
He has shown himself to be nothing but an individual with high character; someone that his teammates all want to rally around, and someone that makes the people around him better.
As Chase Young of the Washington Commanders said of Burrow, “Joe’s that dude… no one is really surprised.”
Unfortunately, for Steelers fans, I think that we will be seeing Burrow involved in plenty of “hat and t-shirt” games for many years to come.
Rivers: Bengals “D” looks like the real deal
Last season, Trey Hendrickson was feeding from the right defensive end position. He bested his final season with the New Orleans Saints by setting up shop in Cincinnati last season. He recorded the same number of sacks as he did defensive starts – 14.0 – during the regular season and went to the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl as a result.
The Bengals’ defensive line looks to be formidable, especially against the run. Joseph Ossai and Zach Carter add youth to a group that includes Sam Hubbard, Josh Tupou, B.J. Hill, and D.J. Reader. Training camp should help illustrate just how deep this unit is.
Where I see Cincinnati shining in 2022 is in the defensive backfield. I expect rookie Dax Hill will make a nearly immediate impact as the Bengals coaching staff have inferred they’re openly considering a hybrid three-safety look.
Mike Hilton, Chidobe Awuzie, Tre Flowers, Vonn Bell, and Jessie Bates are presumed starters for the upcoming regular season. This unit seemed to gel as last season progressed.
The Bengals grabbed 13 interceptions, forced 17 fumbles, logged 42 sacks, and were the Cinderella to the L.A. Rams’ Prince Charming. It was an improbable story come true for a Bengals team that had lived with the title of “Bungles” for much too long.
With the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in a state of flux, the Bengals look to be the most formidable AFC North opponent for the Steelers this season.
Related AFC North previews:
- Why the Cleveland Browns aren’t “the” threat in the AFC North
- AFC North: Pre-camp look at the Baltimore Ravens
- AFC North: Pre-camp look at the Cleveland Browns
- AFC North: Pre-camp look at the Cincinnati Bengals
