3 Reasons the Steelers Beat the Bengals With or Without Big Ben

PITTSBURGH -- The Cincinnati Bengals aren't much of a threat, even with Joe Burrow. Not enough of a reason for the Pittsburgh Steelers not to worry? Ok.

While Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Williams, Vance McDonald, Jaylen Samuels and Jerald Hawkins sit on the Steelers' Reserve/COVID-19 list, the team begins to prepare for the Bengals in an unorthodox fashion.

For now, all meetings are being conducted virtually, weightlifting and body care are scheduled in intervals, and players are really only reporting to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for practice.

Still, there isn't much to worry about. The 2-5-1 Bengals head to Heinz Field to face a team that holds an 18-3 record over them, including 10-straight victories. Burrow brings excitement but lack of experience - or talent around him - against the NFL's sack-leading defense. And even if they have to do it without Big Ben, Pittsburgh should walk away victorious.

Here's why.

Controlling Burrow

There's no secret the 2020 No. 1 overall pick poses the biggest threat for any team the Bengals play this season. The former LSU Tiger has done everything he could to keep his team alive in games they had no business winning.

Through eight games, Burrow has thrown for 2,272 yards and 11 touchdowns to five interceptions. He's also added three rushing touchdowns.

"He's a competitor," Heyward said on Burrow. "You can sit up here and say he's a physical specimen. He can throw the ball. He wants to win. I know their record doesn't reflect that but the dude comes out and competes everything time he's on the field."

The Steelers have quarterbacks under control, though. The Bengals have allowed 28 sacks this season, tying the second-most in the NFL. Pittsburgh has accumulated 32 sacks, the most by any defense.

Young quarterbacks, no matter who they are, tend to make mistakes when under pressure. The Bengals have prepared Burrow for taking hits, but not against a front seven as vicious as the Steelers'.

James Conner

Say whatever you want about James Conner underperforming as of late, it's not something to worry about.

"We have to get better at it," offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett said on Wednesday. "[The o-line] know we have to get better at it. The players know. They spend as much time watching film as anybody else. It's just one of those deals."

The Steelers gameplan has changed. At first, this team was adjusting back to life with Roethlisberger. The running game opened up the passing game, which is why they leaned on it so heavily.

Now, Roethlisberger is the gameplan. The team is playing much more challenging opponents, they're fighting from behind, and when you're only touching the football nine times in a game, you can't expect to do much damage.

If Mason Rudolph is behind center, Conner is the bell cow running back Mike Tomlin continues to label him as. And when he gets his touches, he performs.

Eric Ebron and the Receiving Core

If the Steelers have or don't have Roethlisberger in Week 10, the offense has the same benefit.

Unlike 2019 when JuJu Smith-Schuster was the team's veteran receiver but spent four games out with injury, the Steelers have a well-rounded, reliable receiving group.

Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson, Eric Ebron, Chase Claypool and James Washington are more than enough to ease your way into a passing game. They showed it as Roethlisberger worked his confidence back in the beginning of the season, and they'll show it again with whoever is at quarterback Sunday.

Rudolph or Roethlisberger will need time to adjust to game speed. If Rudolph takes the field as the starter, it's his fifth snap of the season. If Roethlisberger returns, he's starting with zero practice.

The best thing, outside an offensive line, that a throwing in-experienced (or lack of preparation) quarterback can have is a tight end. It starts with Ebron and works it's way into the rest of the wideouts.

Short-yardage, high-percentage passes are the bread and butter of the gameplan this week, and the Steelers have the weapons for it.

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.

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