Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Final Score: PIT 44 – CIN 38
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp on Twitter)
There is nothing like a classic AFC North battle between two potential playoff teams. This game went very back and forth during the first half. The Steelers would eventually take advantage of the Bengals’ turnovers in the second half and pull away from this game. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson looked fantastic and led this offense to many touchdown drives. He got his backfield involved, and the Bengals could not stop them. The Bengals side of the ball played well overall, but Joe Burrow doomed the team with three turnovers in this game.
Three Up
- Najee Harris – After disappointing last week, Najee Harris bounced back in a big way. He even showed off some of his receiving ability and dominated the Bengals linebacker group.
- Pat Freiermuth – The young tight end has been quiet this season, but this was Pat Freiermuth’s best game of the season.
- Mike Gesicki – This season, there has been a narrative that Gesicki can’t perform with Tee Higgins on the field, but he managed 5 receptions for 53 yards. It’s encouraging that Gesicki could produce even with Higgins on the field.
Three Down
- Jaylen Warren – There were talks that Jaylen Warren should have been the guy after outperforming Najee Harris last week. Warren didn’t get a touch until later in the game and wasn’t even the primary pass-catching back.
- Mike Williams – Where was Mike Williams!? The trade deadline receiver was nowhere to be found and did not record a single target in this game.
- Joe Burrow –It’s more of an NFL down than a fantasy down for Joe Burrow. Burrow turned the ball over 3 times and helped the Steelers beat the Bengals. Burrow was a big reason they lost this game.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Russell Wilson : 29/38, 414 yards passing, 3 TDs, INT | 3 carries, 3 yards
Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson had one of the best games of his Pittsburgh career. Wilson didn’t start the game well, as the first drive was his worst of the game. He missed his receiver and then threw a pick 6. The pick 6 wasn’t totally his fault since Pickens lost at the line of scrimmage and fell, leaving the defender alone on the quick throw Wilson made. Wilson did well in this game as he was able to move around in the pocket and keep driving down the field. Wilson was a consistent rollout and finding the open receiver in this game. In the first half, many of Wilson’s attempts were short passes to his running backs. The Bengals allowed Wilson to make all those throws. In the second half, Wilson was able to air the ball downfield more and made plays that way. Wilson did really well, but I wouldn’t expect Wilson to be throwing 400 yards in any more games this season.
Running Back
Najee Harris: 16 carries, 75 yards rushing, 1 TD | 6 targets, 6 receptions, 54 yards
The Steelers starting running back Najee Harris had a bounce-back game after an underperforming last week. Harris got involved early in the passing game as he was a consistent check-down player for Wilson. He would see at least five of his targets in the game’s first two drives. He did well and got yards after the catch for each of them. His last target was late in the fourth quarter. On the ground, Harris ran hard and produced yards after contact. He made defenders miss and broke off tackles all game long. He would get his 10-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It seems like the Steelers may have rotated drives with their backfield. Harris would handle most of the groundwork in the second half with 11 carries. Harris continues to show us that he is the Steelers starter, even with inconsistencies.
Jaylen Warren : 3 carries, 9 yards rushing | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 55 yards
Backup Jaylen Warren would get some playing time in the early portion of the game, but it wasn’t until late in the second quarter that Warren would see his first touch. Warren was ineffective on the ground and did not move the ball. He would see benefits similar to those of Harris in the receiving game as the Bengals choose not to stop dump-off passes. Warren would have a solid 29-yard catch and run in this game. Warren showed plenty of speed to run past defenders and force tackle breaks off of that. Warren is a risky running back to trust since his opportunity is inconsistent.
Cordarrelle Patterson : 3 carries, 16 yards rushing | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 37 yards
The Steelers third running back, Cordarrelle Patterson, got some opportunity in this game. He actually touched the ball before Warren, which was interesting. Patterson played the entire third drive for the Steelers and saw similar success in his receiving game. He was running over the defense and gaining those extra yards. Patterson has some role in the offense, but not enough to trust in fantasy.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
George Pickens: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 74 yards receiving, TD
The Steelers’ star receiver, George Pickens, had an up-and-down performance in this game. The Bengals made it a point early in the game to stop any deep balls, which is why Wilson dumped it off a lot in this game. The catches that Pickens did have were really great plays for the Steelers’ offense. He had a solid touchdown, where he had a catch and ran past a defender to score a touchdown. His other big moment was a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch from Wilson to Pickens. Pickens found separation for a small window to make the play. Pickens was fine in this game, but he had two bad penalties that caused the offense to lose 30 yards. Pickens remains a high-upside WR2 in fantasy for the rest of the season.
Pat Freiermuth: 7 targets, 6 receptions, 68 yards receiving, TD
Pat Freiermuth had a solid game in Week 13. Freiermuth was used as Wilson’s underneath and short-area target in this game. He couldn’t do much after the catch but was a reliable target in this game. His touchdown was all on him, even with a great pass from Wilson. Freiermuth would fake the short curl and pull in the safety, which led to Freiermuth being wide open for an almost walk-in touchdown. Freiermuth hasn’t been much of a great option at tight end this season, but it’s good to see the young tight end can still produce at a high level if he can see targets.
Van Jefferson : 3 targets, 1 reception, 43 yards receiving
Van Jefferson wouldn’t make much noise in this game. He would see a target early on during the first quarter, but it was one of Wilson’s few poorly thrown balls. It wouldn’t be until the fourth quarter that Jefferson would secure his only catch. It was a short slant route that went for a big gain. Jefferson may have been able to score if he didn’t turn back into the middle of the field. He doesn’t hold any fantasy value.
Calvin Austin III: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards receiving, TD
Calvin Austin brought his big game from last week into Week 13. Austin’s first target of the day was a beautifully thrown touchdown in the second quarter. Austin would use his speed to outrun his defender for an easy, open touchdown. Austin would create another ball until the end of the second quarter, but he took a nasty hit. He did not come back in as he was ruled out with a concussion. He is likely to miss next week if that is the case. Austin has been a boom-or-bust type of receiver this season.
Darnell Washington: 1 target, 1 reception, 10 yards receiving
The Steelers backup tight end, Darnell Washington, was a little quieter in the offense than in recent weeks. He saw his only target of the game in the first quarter on a short catch-and-run play. He was doing a great job blocking, which helped set up the Harris touchdown later in the game.
Ben Skowronek: 1 target, 1 reception, 23 yards receiving
MyCole Pruitt : 3 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards receiving
Ben Skowronek has been on and off the Steelers practice squad this season. He caught a solid ball for 23 yards as he would find space from his defender. He doesn’t have much value in fantasy at this point of the season. MyCole Pruitt had his best game of the season, but he had 19 total yards before this game.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: 28/38, 309 yards passing, 3 TDs, INT, 2 FUM | 2 carries, 9 yards
Joe Burrow gave fantasy managers a strong outing with 300 yards and three touchdowns. For the Bengals, it was a different story. Burrow would be responsible for three turnovers in this game. His two fumbles were all his fault in not being aware of his surroundings. The interception was a ball batted by the defensive line; then Tee Higgins was picked off by the defender. Those turnovers led to the Steelers scoring. Burrow did what he could with a lot of pressure he was dealing with in this game. Burrow consistently moved around the pocket, trying to find his receivers downfield. His best touchdown was to Andrei Iosvias with a tight window throw for the game’s last touchdown. Burrow remains a top QB1 in fantasy despite turning the ball over.
Running Back
Chase Brown: 12 carries, 70 yards rushing, 1 TD | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards
The Bengals backfield was all Chase Brown. Brown handled all but one of the touches in the backfield. Brown ran well in the first half of this game. He showed off his explosiveness for solid runs up the middle and to the outside. It wasn’t until the second half that Brown could not move the ball all that well on the ground. Brown’s best run was in the first half, as he exploded up the field and had an almost touchdown on the run. Thankfully, he would score on the very next play. Brown continues to be a check-down player for Burrow, and he made the most of his targets. He would make defenders miss and be able to gain yards after the catch. Brown has cemented himself as a borderline RB1 option for the rest of the season.
Khalil Herbert: 1 carry, 14 yards rushing
In the second quarter, Newcomer Khalil Herbert finally got his first touch as a Bengals. That would be the only touch he got in the game. It was confusing since Herbert looked great on his one run. He ran with speed and power toward the outside and got a first down for the team. The Bengals were ahead at one point, so it was a surprise that they didn’t run more.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ja’Marr Chase: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 86 yards receiving, TD
Ja’Marr Chase had a strong game against the Steelers. He had the first target of the game, but Wilson would miss him on the attempt. Chase would do what he could with the opportunities he got. He was consistently open on plays and would gain yardage after the catch. Chase’s touchdown would be on him and his ability to get open and find separation from his defender. Burrow would extend the play and find Chase in the endzone. Chase remains a WR1 fantasy player.
Tee Higgins: 10 targets, 5 receptions, 69 yards, TD
Tee Higgins, like Chase, would also have a strong game. Higgins started the game with a strongly contested catch with a defender on his back. He would catch a few solid balls, but Higgins felt like the scapegoat on pass interference calls. There were two times that Burrow would throw towards Higgins, hoping the defender would cause a penalty. Higgins’s only bad play was that he had an easy short drop pass from Burrow. Higgins’ touchdown play was very impressive. Higgins remains a strong fantasy option for the rest of the season.
Mike Gesicki: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 53 yards
One player who was a surprise in this game was tight end Mike Gesicki. Gesicki usually wasn’t a producing member when Tee Higgins was playing in games. Gesicki played well as a pass catcher. He could find the holes in the secondary, and Burrow would hit him in open space. While Gesicki played well, we can’t expect this type of production consistently for the rest of the season.
Andrei Iosivas: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 35 yards receiving, TD
The second-year receiver had a few nice catches in this game. His first target would result in a pass interference. In his next two plays, Iosivas would take advantage of some zone coverage and find the open space in the defense. His touchdown catch was well-concentrated in the end zone with two defenders right over him.
Tanner Hudson: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 28 yards receiving
Drew Sample: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards receiving
They saw some involvement in this offense for the Bengals’ backup tight ends. Tanner Hudson sees more production in the offense for fantasy, but it’s usually not consistent. All of Hudson’s receptions were short passes, and Hudson would get some yards after the catch. Drew Sample is primarily a blocking tight end, but he catches a few short passes as a check-down option.