Cincinnati Bengals: Keys to victory vs. Steelers in Week 6

Previewing the Week 6 contest between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, looking at the players to watch, keys to the game and more.

It took them until practically the fourth quarter to even get on the scoreboard last week, but the Cincinnati Bengals went on to score 24 of their 27 points in the final 15 minutes to overtake the Miami Dolphins and achieve their current 4-1 record.

As exciting as that should have Bengals fans, it is this week which really will make all the difference for them. In Week 6, they’ll be facing off at home against their hated rivals from Pittsburgh.

A win here firmly entrenches them atop the AFC North and could have them tied for the No. 1 spot in the entire AFC by the end of the day. A loss will just continue to fuel the despair wrought upon this franchise by the Steelers, and bring into question if these Bengals are truly any different from the failed iterations which we are most used to seeing take the field.

With so much on the line in this matchup, let’s view the key factors which will determine who comes out on top.

Can Cincinnati Successfully Attack The Heart Of Pittsburgh’s Defense?

One of the weakest spots in the Pittsburgh defense right now is the center of their defense. The team hasn’t been anywhere close to the Steel Curtain days of yore, tied for #15 in rushing yards allowed per game, No. 29 in passing yards allowed per game, and 29th in total yardage allowed per game. Football Outsiders’ Defensive DVOA metrics are mostly kinder to them, but they still appear exploitable (16th Total Defensive DVOA, 14th pass defense DVOA, 18th rush defense DVOA).

The area which appears most ripe for attack is right in the middle. After five games, the team is No. 19 in Defensive DVOA vs non-1/2 wide receivers and 25th against tight ends. The actual players they rely on in the middle tend to have some talent, but they’ve all been worthy targets for opposing offenses in the passing game.

Linebackers Jon Bostic and Vince Williams are the main snap-getters for Pittsburgh at their position (both have 240+; no other linebacker is over 50), but are sieves for the opposition to go after through the air with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) coverage grades: 60.3 and 48.3, respectively.

At safety, Sean Davis has been mostly good, but injuries have kept Morgan Burnett off the field; in his place has been rookie Terrell Edmunds has struggled. Slot corner Mike Hilton is also facing more struggles in his second year than he had in his strong rookie season.

One would think Cincinnati would go all-out to attack this glaring weakness, but there’s a major issue with that: their best weapon to do that with is no longer available.

Tyler Eifert has long been one of the better tight ends in the league when he’s on the field, and in the early goings this year he was yet again right there at the top of the tight end charts. Prior to his injury in Week 4 against Atlanta, he was well on his way to career highs in targets, receptions, receiving yards, yards per catch, and first downs converted.

He drew two defensive pass interference flags (one of only two tight ends with more than one) and had a 79 percent catch rate (tied for seventh in the league). Only five players rank higher in Football Outsiders’ DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement), and only three players were better in individual DVOA at his position. The offense, while still able to win games, has looked drastically worse since he went down, and it shouldn’t be a surprise.

Without him, the team must look elsewhere if it will attack a defense over the middle. While they don’t have the same sort of presence to run out there every play anymore, the Bengals do have options.

The most direct choices are Eifert’s backups: C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Kroft. Kroft was a decent facsimile of Eifert at times last season; Uzomah (albeit in a tiny sample size) has been right there with Eifert in terms of DYAR and DVOA since Eifert got hurt. There’s also Andy Dalton’s newfound security blanket in the slot: Tyler Boyd.

Boyd is either leading the team or is right behind A.J. Green on the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards, 20+ yard plays, first downs, and yards after the catch. Speaking of Green: he’s been as good as ever, and has himself been seeing a meaningful increase in usage in the slot (watch him go to work there in the first half against Baltimore).

Cincinnati needs to take this assortment of weapons and make hay with them right in the heart of Pittsburgh defense. Eifert would’ve made this much easier, but the Bengals have plenty enough to do damage where their rivals are weakest. A huge day over the middle could spell another high-scoring affair for the Cincinnati offense — and with it, quite possibly another big win.

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.