The Cincinnati Bengals wanted a win on Saturday night time to maintain their playoff hopes alive going into the ultimate day of the common season. They bought it within the type of a 19-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now they must hope for a Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins loss on Sunday.
Listed here are some takeaways from their win.
Knee-jerk response: The Steelers are in hassle
Whereas the Bengals maintaining their playoff hopes alive is important, they nonetheless want a whole lot of assist and are removed from a positive factor to make the playoffs.
The Steelers are within the playoffs, they usually wanted to indicate one thing on Saturday after three straight ugly losses to contenders.
Defensively, they did. They restricted one of many league’s greatest offenses and an MVP-caliber quarterback to solely 19 factors, pressured a turnover and sacked Joe Burrow a number of instances.
It was a successful effort from that facet of the ball.
Sadly for the Steelers, their offense fully wasted it, struggling to generate any constant offense towards one of many worst defenses in soccer.
George Pickens dropped three passes, Russell Wilson led one of many ugliest two-minute drives conceivable, they usually did nothing as a gaggle to indicate they may compete at a championship degree on the most important stage towards top-tier competitors.
If the protection performs this manner subsequent week, that shall be adequate to provide them an opportunity towards both Houston or Baltimore.
The offense taking part in at this degree will give them an opportunity towards no one.
That has to scare them at an important time of the season.
Sport MVP: Joe Burrow, quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals
This was removed from Burrow’s greatest recreation of the season, and the absence of operating again Chase Brown (and later extensive receiver Tee Higgins) actually damage, however it was nonetheless a formidable exhibiting by Burrow to assist his crew in a must-win recreation.
He was sensational on the sport’s first two drives, leading to 10 fast factors, and despite the fact that he was below stress a lot of the night time, his elusiveness and skill to keep away from the frenzy helped hold some drives alive.
He does not at all times must put up MVP numbers to play like an MVP.
That was the case on Saturday.
Turning level: Bengals cease the Steelers on fourth down earlier than halftime
The Steelers had an opportunity to get factors earlier than halftime and probably take the lead going into the break.
However a chaotic sequence of occasions that noticed them get stopped on two quick yardage performs, together with on a fourth down play deep in their very own territory, gave the Bengals a brief discipline to work with below a minute to play.
They ended up kicking a discipline purpose on the ultimate play of the half to take a 13-7 lead.
These three factors ended up being important.
They have been arrange by one of many Bengals’ greatest defensive performs of the season.
Goat of the sport: George Pickens, extensive receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens is a headache for the Steelers.
He’s their most gifted playmaker on offense and the one man that may flip a recreation for them.
However he additionally makes too many psychological errors and is inconsistent along with his skill to get open and make contested catches. He was terrible on Saturday, dropping three passes, together with a deep ball down the sidelines that would have set the Steelers up for factors.
They want him to be a key participant for them to win. They want him within the lineup. Additionally they want greater than what they bought from him on Saturday.
