5 Players to Watch: Week 7 Steelers vs. Bengals
This week the Steelers will be hosting one of their AFC North rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals.These two teams have a colorful history in recent years. In these matchups, it’s not uncommon to see unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and a handful of scrums.
Coming off their bye week, the Bengals will be looking to expand on their two-game win streak after starting the season winless. It’s up to the Steelers to assure this doesn’t happen. Here are five players to watch that may play a pivotal role in this game…
T.J. Watt
T.J. Watt makes this list because he is due for another splashy game. While Watt’s play has been quiet lately, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s been bad. He’s done very well in run defense and has been solid with his pass rushing and coverage.
This week could be another big week for Watt because he’s going against the Bengals underwhelming offensive line. Through 5 games (they had their bye week last week) the Bengals have given up 15 sacks – an average of three per game. I anticipate Watt taking advantage of this matchup and having a big day.
Martavis Bryant
It’s worth prefacing that I’m not including Martavis Bryant on this list out of pity following the shady reports that he is unhappy and wants to be traded. Ignoring all of that news, I think Bryant has a big day because the Bengals have had success in capping Antonio Brown in recent years.
When Bryant has gotten the ball this season he’s been great, he just needs more opportunities. With the Bengals likely focusing on neutralizing Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, now is Bryant’s chance to finally have the breakout game we all knew was coming. I expect Ben Roethlisberger to look his way frequently.
Giovani Bernard
Maybe not the running back you’d expect on this list, but Giovani Bernard is a dangerous weapon for the Bengals. While he may not be as well-round as Joe Mixon, the reason the rookie didn’t make the list is that I anticipate the Steelers having success shutting down the Bengals run game. Because of this, I can see them turning to Bernard for his receiving ability.
If you look back to 2016 during the September game between this teams, Bernard had a huge day as a receiver. That game he had nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. It’s fair to assume the Bengals will look to replicate that success so the Steelers will need to be ready for Bernard.
Vontaze Burfict
This man doesn’t need much of an introduction. Every Steelers fan knows Vontaze Burfict, the linebacker infamously known for playing recklessly, dangerously, and hurting players.
He is a player to watch because we don’t want him hurting any of our players. We’ve seen him hurt Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell in the past and those injuries significantly impacted the Steelers’ season. The team must be cognizant of Burfict on the field and do their best to neutralize him.
A.J. Green
The last player is somebody who’s given the Steelers headaches for years, and no not the same kind of headaches Burfict gives. A.J. Green is one of the most talented receivers in the league. Like Antonio Brown with the Steelers, the passing attack of the Bengals funnels through Green and often with success. We’ve seen countless examples of Green making game-changing plays in past match ups.
While Green started slowly in 2017 since the Bengals fired their offensive coordinator he’s been on the rise. In his previous game versus the Bills, he caught seven balls for 189 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers secondary has yet to face a wide receiver of Green’s caliber in 2017 and he will test if this secondary has truly improved over the previous years.
