The 5: Steelers to watch in Week 16 versus Bengals
The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) host the Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, December 23. The Steelers are looking to bounce back from a three-game skid that has landed them in a must-win situation against the Bengals if the team hopes to make the playoffs.
Ahead of the AFC North rivalry game, we look at five Pittsburgh Steelers players to watch in the match with the Bengals.
Patrick Peterson
Without Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damontae Kazee, the Steelers asked Peterson to assume a much larger role in the defensive backfield last week. Peterson is tasked with using his veteran experience to lead the backfield against the Bengals.
“That was what was exciting about him and he was excited about the opportunity to do some different things,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Wednesday about Peterson and why he fit with Pittsburgh as a free agent. Peterson’s overall defensive snap count at safety was increased as a result of the loss of Fitzpatrick, Kazee, and later injury to Trenton Thompson (stinger) in last week’s game with the Indianapolis Colts. He’ll play more safety, as needed, against the Bengals if Thompson isn’t able to recover in time to play Saturday.
“(Pat) does have a skill set for it I think moving forward. I mean, I still see him as a corner-nickel-slash kind of guy that does it all. And I think moving forward, we’re set to play it by ear and see where we are in terms of our depth in terms of what we need from that.” – Teryl Austin
Elijah Riley/Eric Rowe
The Steelers are extremely thin in the secondary, especially at safety should Thompson be a no-go this weekend, and are hoping to activate Elijah Riley from injured/reserved to the game day roster.
“I am on the mend, ready to get back to playing. The space is open for me to step up and help this team out.” – Elijah Riley
If Riley isn’t activated, the Steelers may utilize Eric Rowe, a nine-year veteran. Rowe was added to the Steelers practice squad at the end of November and has starting NFL experience.
“(Rowe’s) a guy that, depending on how this thing shakes out, probably you may see him out there this week and doing some stuff for us, and I would have a comfort level with that… you know that he’s a football player that understands what goes on in this league and will have a skill set that helps.” – Teryl Austin
Mason Rudolph
News that quarterback Kenny Pickett was able to participate in limited practices this week was encouraging. It’s not likely he’d replace Rudolph as the starting quarterback on Saturday, though.
“Mason’s got a confidence about him we feel good about… (he) works like a pro, he always has. And from that standpoint we feel confident about putting him in there. I’d expect him to go in and execute.” – Eddie Faulkner
Rudolph didn’t get much of an opportunity to show he can lead the Steelers offense when he replaced Mitchell Trubisky in Week 15. This week, the tenured backup gets an opportunity to step out of the shadows and get Pittsburgh’s offense moving in a positive direction.
“Guys are excited for me and I’m excited to go out there… I finally get to earn it this week and put my hand in the pile and go fight for victory together.” – Mason Rudolph
Isaac Seumalo/Nate Herbig
Seumalo has been dealing with a shoulder injury that has limited his participation in practice. The guard has played banged-up in the past, but if he’s not 100 percent on Saturday, the coaching staff may call on Nate Herbig to take the left guard position.
George Pickens
The wide receivers group has come under some scrutiny this season for how they’ve handled challenges, changes, and adversity. While Diontae Johnson appeared to recover, second-year receiver Pickens has been a tad more expressive. He has drawn attention from fans for not finishing plays, especially when he hasn’t been the focal point of a play. He has been seen along the sidelines with his head in his hands or visibly upset.
The coaching staff, including Mike Tomlin, and Pickens’ teammates have expressed their roles in helping the young receiver.
“I think the only thing you can do as a group is lean in,” veteran receiver Allen Robinson said this week when talking about communication and overcoming adversity. “That takes everybody… everybody locking in on how we can be better at different aspects of our game.”
The commitment is there to help Pickens mature, and there has been acknowledgement that Pickens is on-board, even if the how is not something shared outside of the organization itself.
The Steelers could use a boost offensively, and the team’s leading receiver could offer a big one if he shows up against the Bengals and makes the necessary plays, despite frustration he feels. A big game has shown, in the past, to give young players a new level of confidence that outweighs negatives they may have been weighed-down by in the past. That makes Pickens a guy to keep an eye on in this matchup.
