Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will take over the offensive coordinator duties with Faulkner coordinating game and practice plans and Sullivan handling the play calling.
“We’ve got to score touchdowns in this business,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a press conference Tuesday. “You have got to win games in this business. And just the totality of it has us where we are today.”
The Steelers rank 28th in scoring offense, averaging just 16.6 points per game, and in net yardage on offense (280.1 yards per game), and their passing offense is the second worst in the league with just 170.0 yards per game.
Pittsburgh (6-4) has scored touchdowns on just 50 percent of its 18 trips inside the redzone.
Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett has 1,722 yards passing, six touchdowns and four interceptions, while completing 60.8 percent of his attempts. George Pickens leads the receiving corps with 604 yards and three touchdowns on 37 catches. Diontae Johnson has 335 yards receiving and one touchdown in just six games.
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have combined to average almost 100 yards rushing per game. Harris has 499 yards rushing and three touchdowns, and Warren adds 493 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
The Steelers’ defense is what has been keeping them in games. Despite allowing 367.6 yards per game (sixth most), they have surrendered just 19.5 points per game (seventh fewest), and opponents have managed only 12 touchdowns on 23 red-zone trips. Pittsburgh also is at plus-11 in turnover margin.
“They’ve always had really strong physical edge rushers; they’ve always played a very stout brand of run defense, no matter who the linebackers have been or who the interiors’ been,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “They’re well-coached. The scheme is sound. A ton of respect for what they do there and how they do it. And it’s always a typical AFC North battle, but they’ve defined what good, physical defense is supposed to look like, and then they’ve got two fantastic edge rushers that can wreck your game pretty easily. And, you know, the secondary is always coordinated with that. They do a really good job of tying those two things together. So, really good defense all the way around.”
The defense is anchored by outside linebackers T.J. Watt (11.5 sacks) and Alex Highsmith (4.5 sacks), cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Patrick Peterson and safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damontar Kazee. Fitzpatrick has been out with a hamstring injury the past three games, and defensive tackle Montravius Adams missed the last two games with an ankle injury. Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is still working back to form after missing six games following the opener because of a groin injury.
Much of what Pittsburgh does defensively centers around Watt, though. He has the third most sacks in the league and also has an interception, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
“What TJ does, what he’s done to us that’s been so disruptive is he finds ways to get his hands on the ball in really weird places,” Callahan said. “He just jumps up and grabs it and it’s happened (it) feels like three or four times over the last couple years. And he can generate some turnovers that way.”
The Bengals struggled with five turnovers in the opener against Pittsburgh last year, a game in which Burrow was still getting strength back following an appendectomy that sidelined him for much of training camp. They still had a chance to win the game but lost 23-20 in overtime.
In the second matchup, Cincinnati had no turnovers and got three touchdown catches from now-departed running back Samaje Perine en route to a 37-30 win.
SUNDAY’S GAME
Steelers at Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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