The 5: Things to watch for from Steelers in NFL Week 12
In Week 12 of the 2023 NFL regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium with two wins, one loss in AFC North divisional play. The Steelers enter the game just days removed from a defeat in Cleveland to the Browns and the release of offensive coordinator Matt Canada. In this article, we outline five things to watch for from the Steelers in Sunday’s game.
Faulkner and Sullivan coaching changes
Eddie Faulkner was already coaching the running backs, and he’ll be tasked with coordinating the entire Pittsburgh offense this upcoming weekend. There’s real pressure that’s being felt, especially since Faulkner openly discussed how close he and Canada are in personal life in a press conference this week and how the team has been hearing the rumblings from outside their inner circles.
“When you sit back and you see all that goes on and all this being said about (Matt Canada) and the offense, we all – and I’m speaking for the offense when I say this – we all felt that we’re all part of that,” Faulkner said. “And so nobody’s absolving themselves from anything that’s happened in that regard.”
Although Faulkner will be the OC, he’ll work hand-in-hand with quarterback coach Mike Sullivan on the sidelines. Sullivan is expected to be the primary on sending in the offensive play calls. Communication was a key focal point leading up to the game, by his own admission, and the coaching duo expect that to continue and improve.
“(Sullivan) and I are going to work real hard to be in lockstep with each other… we’re gonna have enough conversations and tee ourselves up as well as we can. So when we go into that game atmosphere, we’re all on the same page when the chips start to kind of fall out from there.” – Eddie Faulkner
It’s pretty clear the entire playbook has not been rewritten – it’s a bit too late in the season to just toss everything the team has worked on into the garbage heap – but there should be some noticeable changes. What those will be are what make Faulkner and Sullivan two key members of this 2023 Steelers team to watch in Week 12, though.
Elandon Roberts
If there was one guy who seemed to be all over the field last week, when the Steelers needed strength at interior linebacker, it was Elandon Roberts. Playing in the “green dot” role due to injuries to Kwon Alexander and Cole Holcomb, Roberts didn’t just step up; he played out of his mind.
“We kind of leaned on (Roberts) because he’d been here the longest, knows our stuff. Even though he hadn’t played a lot of (six-defensive backs) ‘Dime’ defense for us he did it and he did it well.” – DC Teryl Austin
The veteran linebacker played 100 percent of all defensive snaps against the Browns and logged 15 tackles. He was often one-on-one with a Browns player and limited yards gained. He was playing sideline-to-sideline while still keeping the middle of the field guarded, and applying pressure.
“I’ve always looked at myself as a leader, a guy that’s dependable… I prepare hard, man, I practice hard. I have good coaches and good teammates around me.” – Elandon Roberts
How will Roberts do quarterbacking the defense against Cincinnati? If he plays the way he did in Cleveland, there’s nothing but positives to look forward to.
Kenny Pickett
If the young quarterback is going to earn respect from fans and media around the league, he’ll need to shake everything off from past games and put his best self out on the field against the Bengals. Fans want to see “preseason perfect Kenny,” and analysts would like to see if he can snap out of the funk the offense has been in and lead the Steelers to a decisive win.
What makes Pickett someone all eyes should be on is that he has shown he could be “the guy.” This week, he’ll get an opportunity to (hopefully) be given options that cater better to his skill set and allow him to operate with a full compliment of skill players surrounding him.
“I have full confidence in Kenny. Full confidence in everyone on the offense to get this thing going.” – Pat Freiermuth
Keeping the Bengals offense uncomfortable
The Steelers have been fortunate to have been as successful as they have been despite several major personnel changes due to injuries. Their tenacity has shown up in tough situations. They’ll be tasked with keeping quarterback Jake Browning from having a big game in his first NFL start, and keeping the Bengals offense from finding any comfort in the game.
That will require players, across the board, on defense playing up to the competition and being accountable to each other in their roles.
“They are a capable team with or without Joe Burrow… It’s not like the Cincinnati Bengals are going to feel sorry for themselves. They are going to go out there and try to make plays. It’s up to us to stop them.” – Cameron Heyward
The Steelers need a win in Week 12 in order to keep pace in the divisional race. That’s not lost on anyone. Despite the situation the Bengals may be in, the Steelers can’t afford back-to-back losses. The team isn’t playing to not lose, however.
“This is November, and like ‘Coach’ [Mike Tomlin] always talks about, this is a time where contenders and pretenders start to separate themselves.” – Patrick Peterson
