Bengals Players, Coaches Embracing Enormity of Steelers Game and Its Playoff Feel

While everyone else weighs the “ifs,” “thens,” and “buts” of playoff possibilities, Cincinnati Bengals players and coaches have no interest.

As far as they’re concerned, the Bengals are already in the playoffs. And they start Saturday at Pittsburgh against the reeling but respected Steelers.

“We’re playing one of the storied franchises in the NFL,” Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “It’s a playoff game. They need it. We need it.”

The Bengals Say the Playoffs Start Saturday in Pittsburgh

The Steelers (7-7) have lost three in a row, two of which were at home against bad two-win teams. They have failed to score more than 18 points in five straight games, their longest streak in 1969, and they fired their offensive coordinator in the middle of it.

And two days ago, head coach Mike Tomlin announced he was benching backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky in favor of Mason Rudolph, who hasn’t started and won a game since 2019, if Kenny Pickett is able to return from an ankle injury that has forced him to miss the last two games.

On top of it all, there are questions about Tomlin’s future with the team, even though he has never had a losing season in his first 16 years at the helm.

But Anarumo knows none of that matters, and he made sure the players know it, too.

“That was my message, very firmly,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a person in this building that would ever take the Pittsburgh Steelers lightly.”

MORE: Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart

“We just had one of our best walkthroughs we’ve had all year in terms of guys locked in, communication, everything,” Anarumo added after Tuesday’s first practice of the week.

This is just the eighth time in 54 trips to Pittsburgh the #Bengals have been been favored, per @pfref

They're 2-5 in their previous seven trips as favorites, but one of the wins was last year when they put up 37 points and 408 yards w/o Ja'Marr Chase. pic.twitter.com/Ci2h0RPnBN

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) December 20, 2023

Life at Paycor Stadium is different from Pittsburgh these days.

The Bengals have won three in a row, with backup quarterback Jake Browning announcing himself to the league by putting up historic numbers.

Head coach Zac Taylor gave the players the day off Sunday after Saturday’s stirring comeback win against the Minnesota Vikings, and the Bengals are back on a normal schedule after back-to-back short weeks.

And no one knows what’s at stake and what’s in store for the Bengals on Saturday than former Steeler Mike Hilton.

“There is no quit in that team,” he said. “Obviously it starts with the head coach, starts with Mike Tomlin. Throughout his whole career, he’s been a winner. We know they’re gonna come prepared. Their playoff lives are on the line. They’re gonna give everything they’ve got, and we’ve got to match it.”

Players aren’t required to have worn the black and yellow to know what the Steelers are all about, especially at this time of year, especially at home.

This will be Cincinnati defensive end Sam Hubbard’s sixth trip to Pittsburgh, but his first in December since his rookie year in 2018.

Does it feel like a playoff game to him?

“Yeah, no question,” Hubbard said. “We have not played well in our division like we like to. And there’s a lot of implications. There’s no other way around it. This is a huge game for us.”

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