On Thursday Night Football, the 2-4 Cincinnati Bengals are hosting the 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in what would be a battle for the AFC North division lead if the Bengals weren’t two games out. But, they are so it’s not.
As always, the game will be televised on Amazon Prime, so if you were hoping for the inability to flip back and forth while watching the game while enjoying subpar video quality, you’re in luck.
Let’s get to tonight’s inactives:
Pittsburgh Steelers:
WR Calvin Austin III
OL Andrus Peat
DL Logan Lee
DL Demarvin Leal
Cincinnati Bengals:
CB Cam Taylor-Britt
C Matt Lee
WR Jermaine Burton
TE Tanner Hudson
DE Trey Hendrickson
DT McKinnley Jackson
USA Today experts are divided on the Cincinnati Bengals against the spread
The Steelers are favored by 5.5 points tonight on the road. The oddsmakers in Las Vegas are apparently like the rest of us and really don’t like the current state of the Bengals.
USA Today had some of their experts make predictions on tonight’s games against that spread and the results are mixed.
Lorenzo Reyes likes the Steelers to cover tonight.
“Mike Tomlin is a little cranky about the Joe Flacco trade the Bengals just swung, but Pittsburgh’s bend-but-don’t-break defense – one that’s tied for fourth in red zone efficiency – should give Cincinnati’s weaker offense problems all game long,” Reyes writes. “On a short week, Flacco probably still doesn’t even know all his teammates’ names.”
Christopher Bumbaca and Black Schuster are going to go ahead and trust the Bengals, which may or may not be a great idea (this is why I don’t bet).
“Home dogs on Thursday Night Football are on a roll so why not stay with the trend,” Bumbaca writes. “Of course, Pittsburgh’s pass-rushers could foil that bit of mojo against a bad Bengals offensive line. But let’s believe in Joe Flacco one time.”
Bumbaca isn’t the only one that wants to put some faith in the Bengals’ newly acquired quarterback.
“Division battles are almost always close and Joe Flacco knows Mike Tomlin’s Steelers as well as any team in the league,” Schuster writes. “If Cincinnati can generate even a little more offense this week it should cover.”
Shemar Stewart returns for the Cincinnati Bengals
Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer says that the Bengals’ atrocious (my word, not hers) defense will get some reinforcements when first-round pick Shemar Stewart is expected to make his return to the field. Stewart hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Al Golden said Shemar Stewart will play and see a lot of action vs. the Steelers,” Conway posted on X.
Golden, the Bengals’ defensive coordinator, is excited for Stewart to return.
“He’s a gifted young man,” Golden said. “If you are going to play an offense like Pittsburgh you need guys like that out there.”
The Bengals will need all the help they can get from Stewart, especially since defensive end Trey Hendrickson was a long shot to suit up. This 31st-ranked defense in the NFL needs all hands on deck.
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