It’s another AFC North rivalry on Sunday as the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers take on the 4-7 Cincinnati Bengals. Earlier this week, I spoke with Anthony Cosenza of Cincy Jungle to preview the matchup.

You can read my questions and his answers below:

Cincinnati entered 2024 with a roster that many thought was Super Bowl caliber. However, the Bengals enter Week 13 with a 4-7 record. What’s gone wrong this season? And is Zac Taylor’s head coaching job safe?

A myriad of issues have plagued the Bengals this year. First and foremost has to be their disastrous outside free agent signings. Of six “major ones” they brought in, only one (Mike Gesicki) is having a positive impact on the field. The others (Vonn Bell, Geno Stone, Zack Moss, Sheldon Rankins and Trent Brown) are either on I.R., have battled smaller injuries and/or have been abysmal in their roles.

Additionally, the roster may have been overestimated, in general. Right now, three stars (Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson) are carrying the team, proving that it is extremely “top-heavy.” A lack of ancillary pass-rushers, as well as the inabilities to defend the pass and close out games have been their kryptonite.

Still, the Bengals’ offense is a top-10 unit this year. How do they match up against the Pittsburgh defense?

On one hand, the matchup seems favorable for the Bengals to score points and make a game of it—especially coming off of the restful bye. Burrow was seen at the facility (sometimes the only player there) on the days off during the bye, showing that he is determined to turn things around.

On the other, the Steelers’ ferocious pass-rush and ability to generate pressure from multiple spots is problematic for Cincinnati. Burrow has shown the ability to overcome pressure to be productive, but the Steelers are just a different animal for the Bengals. Cincinnati very infrequently rises to the occasion nor do they seem to match the intensity seen from Pittsburgh during “Steelers Week”.

How does the Bengals’ defense match up against the Pittsburgh offense?

This is hard to say, given the lack of a big sample size of Pittsburgh’s quarterback play. We used to have a ton of context with the long tenure of “Big Ben” and others, but with the Steelers employing two signal-callers this year and their surprising success, this is a hard one to gauge.

It’s going to take a monster game from Hendrickson and able play from rookie corner Josh Newton, who is stepping in for both Dax Hill and DJ Turner—both now on I.R. They’ll also need to establish some sort of a tone, as the Steelers love playing physical in all facets of the game—an element which the Bengals don’t often match.

Who are some under-the-radar players who could affect Sunday’s game?

It sounds weird, but rookie punter Ryan Rehkow is a wild card in this one. He’s been great at booting the ball and field position, but some conjectures have surfaced that his being the new holder for McPherson has been a part of his accuracy issues. I”m also wondering when Khalil Herbert, who came over via trade right before the deadline, will have an impact. Moss is on I.R. and the Bengals have been searching for a competent complimentary back to Chase Brown, who’s having a nice year.

The Bengals are 2.5-point favorites over the Steelers entering Week 13. What’s your final score prediction and how do you see the game playing out?

Part of me likes Burrow’s approach over the bye and that the team has had time to regroup and rest in what’s going to be a slugfest. The other, larger part of me has watched too many Steelers/Bengals games wherein Pittsburgh just imposes its will on Cincinnati—regardless of each team’s record.

Russell Wilson is 1-1 vs. Cincinnati lifetime. The Bengals are 4-4 against the Steelers in the Joe Burrow era (Burrow has only played in five of those contests with a 3-2 record). I think Cincinnati makes a game of it with Burrow back at the helm, playing MVP-type football and the season on the line, but their roster isn’t as strong as it was in 2021-2022, so I’m not overly-optimistic they pull out the win at home.