Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Players that must shine vs. Bengals in Week 4

Surprisingly, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have a chance at success this season. However, that relies on them pulling out a Week 4 win against Cincinnati.

While I was lamenting what felt like the end of Pittsburgh’s season, I realized the Pittsburgh Steelers are only two games out of the division lead. Not only that, but the Steelers aren’t much worse off than most of their divisional opponents.

While the Baltimore Ravens currently control the AFC North with a 2-1 record, the Cleveland Browns sit at 1-2 with their only win coming against Luke Falk and the New York Jets. The Cincinnati Bengals, who the Steelers face this week, are winless. If Pittsburgh wins this week and Cleveland loses to Baltimore, the Steelers will be second in the division. If the Browns pulled out a miracle win, then Pittsburgh would only be one game off of the division lead.

The Steelers may have looked terrible through the first three weeks of the season, but there’s still a chance for the team to turn things around and make this year interesting. There’s no reason to tank anyway since Miami now has Pittsburgh’s 2020 first-round pick. The team might as well continue fighting for a playoff bid.

With all of that being said, it’s crucial that Pittsburgh beat the Bengals this week. To pull off a convincing win, these three Steelers need to have measurable impacts on the game.

3. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S

Pittsburgh gave away a major asset, perhaps the best draft asset the team has had in the last 20 years, for Fitzpatrick. To say that expectations for him are running high would be a crude understatement. This is the guy tasked with saving the Steelers’ secondary from its own mediocrity.

That being said, Fitzpatrick has already started to pay dividends. Last week against the San Francisco 49ers, he intercepted a pass and forced a fumble that Pittsburgh recovered. In terms of raw talent, he’s the best defensive back the team has had since the Troy Polamalu era.

If Fitzpatrick doesn’t continue to play at a Pro Bowl level though, his season will be viewed as a disappointment. That’s just the nature of acquiring a young player for a potential top-10 first-round pick.

Through the first three weeks, Andy Dalton has played fairly well. However, he has thrown three interceptions in the last two games. If Week 3 taught us anything, it’s that Pittsburgh’s offense is going to need as many opportunities as possible to put points on the board. Fitzpatrick could help them out with a big play or two.