THE PROCESS HAS ENDED

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Trust The Process, that’s what the Philadelphia 76ers have been saying for years and the process hasn’t won them anything. On Wednesday night the 76ers lost to their rival the New York Knicks 110-105, giving Philly their ninth consecutive loss, their longest in nine years. Sixers’ Center Joel Embiid missed the game with a knee injury. That knee has bothered Embiid most of the season. Embiid did sign a three year 192 million dollar contract in September of 2024. 

Embiid’s injury has limited him to 19 games this season. Embiid, the third overall pick in 2014, is averaging 23.8 points per game and 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game this season. Sixers coach Nick Nurse said on Monday that he doesn’t believe the team will shut Embiid down for the season. The Sixers are currently 2.5 games behind the last play in spot in the Eastern Conference. 

Is it worth it if you’re the Sixers, to place your franchise out there in hopes of gaining a play in spot just to play the Boston Celtics? Or do you consider punting on the rest of the season, and try to come back stronger next season? Either way the “process” has failed. In the Embiid era, the Sixers have never reached the Conference Finals. Maybe it’s time the Sixers ended the process by exploring an Embiid trade this offseason.

MLB OFFSEASON WINNERS AND LOSERS (TEAM)

BY MIKE RIFKIN

The calendar has turned to February and Baseball season is right around the corner. As Pitchers and Catchers prepare to report to Spring Training, every fan base has excitement in their veins. Now it’s time to look at teams who were active this winter and others who weren’t.

WINNERS : 

DODGERS : Alright let’s start with the obvious winner of the offseason, the defending World Series Champs were aggressive and showed they weren’t satisfied with one championship. Re-signing Teoscar Hernandez, which is huge for their lineup, or adding two top starters in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, or adding two top relievers in Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott. But unless injuries play a big role, the Dodgers are going to be the heavy favorites in the NL again in 2025.

METS : Steve Cohen is the richest owner in the sport and he wasn’t afraid to throw his wallet around this winter. Cohen’s wallet won him the Juan Soto sweepstakes. Cohen also was able to retain power hitting first baseman Pete Alonso, Starting pitcher Sean Manea, both of whom played big roles in the Mets’ run to the NLCS in 2024. Cohen and David Stearns brought in former Yankee closer Clay Holmes to go into the rotation. 

YANKEES : It’s hard to be considered a win after losing Juan Soto, but Brian Cashman was very quick to replace him. Adding Max Fried to a rotation with Gerrit Cole gives the Yankees a deep rotation, Cody Bellinger’s left handed bat could be big with the short porch in Right Field. On top of all that the Yankees added Devin Williams, one of the game’s best closers from the Brewers. 

D-BACKS – The Diamondbacks shocked the world a few years ago, making a run to the World Series. Well, they shocked the world again this winter when they won the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes. Putting the former CY Young winner with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly gives the D-backs a formidable top of the rotation. Losing Christian Walker was a blow, but they got younger at the position with Josh Naylor. The 27 year old hit 31 homers and drove in 108 runs. 

LOSERS

MARINERS – Going into the winter every baseball fan knew the Seattle Mariners needed an impact bat to pair with Julio Rodriguez and to protect that tremendous rotation. But all the Mariners did was bring back Jorge Polanco and utility man Donovan Solano. The only team with a lower batting average than the Mariners last season was the White Sox, so let’s see how standing pat does for that offense. 

ORIOLES – They did add to their team with the addition of Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sanchez to the lineup. But it’s the rotation that scares me. Yes, they brought in Charlie Morton the ageless wonder and Tomoyuki Sugano from Japan but neither are an ace. So even with new ownership the Orioles are refusing to spend money. But if they were to trade for Dylan Cease that would take them out of the loser category. Eventually they have to go for it with the young nucleus they have. 

GIANTS – Every year we hear the Giants are in on the biggest free agents in the game and recently they came up empty. Until this offseason where they signed Willy Adames from the Brewers to a seven year 182 million dollar contract. Adames is coming off a career high 32 homers and 112 RBI. Adames will be 30 in September. The Giants also added future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander to the rotation. What makes the Giants losers in this situation is even though adding Adames was nice, they didn’t do nearly enough to make themselves competitive in the NL West. 

CARDINALS –  The Cardinals have been the standard of the National League for a long time. But right now the Cards are directionless, they lost Paul Goldschmidt and have discussed trading Nolan Arenado. Problem is with everyone knowing they have to trade Arenado they might not get what they think. It’s rare to put the Cardinals on this kind of list, but here we are asking ourselves what are the Cardinals doing. 

Higgins or Chase : Who Should The Bengals Pay ?

By Bill Murphy 

Now that we are in the off-season,  the Bengals have a decision to make.  Both Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins have been vital to the success of the offense. Higgins had a career high 10 touchdown receptions, while Chase won the triple crown for receivers, leading the NFL in catches, yards and touchdowns. Now The Bengals have to decide who are they going to pay , as one  contract is up and  the other is up after next year .

Tee Higgins: Tee Higgins was drafted by the Bengals from Clemson in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.  Over his career Higgins  has wracked up 330 receptions ,4,595 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns.  This season Higgins  had 73 receptions ,911 yards and  a career high 10 touchdowns. The one major knock on Higgins is his durability. He has played in 12 games each of the last two seasons. The Bengals have to decide , if he is worth keeping because of his injuries. Last year, Higgins was signed to a one year deal  valuing  $21,816,000 after he was  franchise tagged. Now at the start of the league year Higgins will be a free agent.

Ja’Marr Chase :  Ja’Marr Chase was drafted in 2021 from LSU (where he played with Joe Burrow) as the fifth pick in the draft. In his Rookie Season, Chase had 81 receptions, 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, winning the offensive rookie of the year that season. During his career, Chase has 395 receptions , 5,425  receiving yards  and 46 receiving touchdowns . This season , he had 127 receptions ,1,708 yards and a career high of 17 touchdowns , leading the league in all three categories giving him the receiving triple crown. Chase holds the NFL records for Receiving yards in a season including postseason by a rookie, Youngest NFL player with multiple 100 yard receiving games in a single postseason game ,Receiving yards in a game by a rookie  and Receiving yards in a postseason by a rookie. He holds the franchise records of Receiving yards in a game ,Receiving yards in a rookie season ,Receptions in a game , Receptions in a season ,Receiving yards in a season ,Receiving touchdowns in a season and Total touchdowns in a season.  Chase is going into his last season of his rookie contract. 

How do they stack up vs the league?:  The  highest paid wide receiver in the league are Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings  , who last season signed a $ 140 million contract extension and $ 110 million guaranteed , making it the biggest contract for a non QB player.  The second highest paid  wide receiver in the NFL is Cee Dee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys, Lamb signed a $ 136 million , four year  contract with $100 Million dollar guaranteed with a wide receiver bonus of  $38 million dollars making it the second biggest contract for a non QB player in  the NFL after Jefferson. 

  • How does Higgins stack up?:  While I think Higgins has good numbers , I don’t think  he stacks up against Jefferson or Lamb.  .  If the Bengals re sign Higgins , I don’t think he should be getting Jefferson or Lamb type money . 
  • How does Chase Stock up?:  I think Ja’marr Chase stacks up against the rest of the  league very well .  Chase has two seasons where he threw more than 10 touchdowns unlike  his competitors. He also has won the wide receiver triple crown which has been awarded 17 times in the NFL’s history . I think Ja’marr Chase should be one of it not the highest paid Wide Receivers in the NFL . 

Now Who Should They Pay ?:  I think the answer is simple , If they were to pay one of the two , I would say  pay Ja’Marr Chase .  The reason I say that is because his performance this year has been outstanding and Tee Higgins is injury prone . The Bengals should try to find a way to pay both of them , but it would be a difficult decision on what to do the on that matter. If they have to make a choice then they should let Higgins walk 

 What if Higgins Walks?:

If Higgins walks, I think the Bengals will go to the draft and get wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan from University of Arizona . This year McMillan  wracked up 84 receptions ,1,319 and eight touchdowns.  He would be  compliment to Chase , if Higgins walks.  The Bengals can also sign a free agent someone like DeAndre Hopkins could make sense.

ALL IN (FOR MYLES)

BY MIKE Rifkin

Monday morning of Super Bowl week and before either the Eagles or Chiefs can make headlines, an ALL-PRO stole the headlines. Browns Defensive End Myles Garrett has requested a trade to a contender. 

Garrett said in a statement “ While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.” Garrett signed a five year 125 million dollar contract in 2020, but there is no guaranteed money left on the deal for the final two years. The Browns have said they’re not even going to entertain offers for Garrett. 

Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player Of The Year, who was announced as a finalist again this season after having another 14 sack, three forced fumble season should have a long list of suitors. Now Cleveland says they’re not entertaining offers, but we know how this works, eventually it will get to the point they have to entertain offers. Let’s be honest Cleveland isn’t trading within the conference, so that leaves the NFC, and there’s one team that should push their chips to the table. 

The reason why the Detroit Lions lost in the playoffs, after a sensational regular season was they had too many injuries on defense. The biggest injury was to pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who tore his ACL in week six and kept holding hope if the Lions reached the Super Bowl he’d be able to play. That never occurred and the Lions were upset by the Commanders in the Divisional round. The Lions as a team registered 37 sacks on the season, putting them near the bottom of the league. The Lions possess one of the most explosive offenses in the league, now they need to work on the defense. The Lions shouldn’t be in a mode where their draft picks matter, they should always look to upgrade and Myles Garrett is a perfect addition opposite Hutchinson. That duo would put the rest of the NFC and the NFL on notice.

Bad For The Game?

By Mike Rifkin

The Los Angeles Dodgers won their first legitimate World Series since 1988 (sorry 2020). This offseason has shown that they are not satisfied with just this title and want to run it back. Here is a list of players the Dodgers have signed this offseason with salary. Blake Snelll ( 5//182 million), Tommy Edman (5/59.5 million), Tanner Scott (4/72), Teoscar Hernandez (3/66), Blake Treinen (2/22), Michael Conforto (1/17), Roki Sasaki (1/ 6.5) ). 

So, are the Dodgers spending this kind of money bad for the game? No, this is what big market teams should be doing, spending their resources. Now if you do want to be mad about something it is the deferred money in some of those contracts, but they found a loophole in the system. 

Now is it bad how much they’re outspending other teams? Yes, but that isn’t the Dodgers fault it’s on the owners of these other teams that refuse to spend money. Now I am unsure if baseball will implement a salary cap in the next CBA, but it is something to consider. But I really think what baseball should do ( and they won’t ) is to get owners, who operate these teams to win games. Winning goes hand and hand with attendance, so if you win games people will show up putting more money in the owner’s pocket. But the owners who refuse to spend money to make these teams watchable, that’s the real problem in Baseball. 

As fans we can complain about what the Dodgers are doing, but it’s the same thing as the Yankees under George Steinbrenner, they have spent money. The whole issue of what the Dodgers are doing is really the fault of Major League Baseball itself. But at the end of the day, the Dodgers have become the villain in Baseball, and we’ll have to wait and see in the next CBA if MLB addresses it.

2025 Coaching Carousel 

By Bill Murphy 

Another NFL season has come and gone, meaning coaching positions have opened up.  Who will be filling these positions, as interviews are underway? The  New England Patriots have already hired  Mike Vrabel, at the time I am writing this, here is where I can see the other positions being filled 

New York Jets 

Pick: Pete Carroll 

Resume: Head Coach Of The Seattle Seahawks (2010-2023 ) Head Coach at USC (2001-09), New England Patriots Head Coach (1997-99) Jets HC (1994)

The New York Jets can not afford more on-the-job training and need an experienced head coach. What says more experience than Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll?  He should be picked  because he is more recently out of a head coaching position than other candidates like Ron Rivera, Matt Nagy, and Brian Flores. In 10 seasons with the Seahawks, Caroll only missed the playoffs four times and took them to the Super Bowl twice.  Carroll can bring a culture change to the organization and he can  work with Aaron Rodgers (if he stays ) ,just like he did with Geno Smith resurrecting his career.  Finally, while Carroll was in Seattle on top of being  head coach, he was also de facto General Manager. The Jets also have a GM position so the Jets can either hire him as Head Coach and GM , hire him as GM or hire him as head coach and he can be an asset to the new GM whoever it will be.  Carroll was a part of the Jets organization before as the defensive coordinator from 1990-93 and the head coach in 1994. 

Chicago Bears 

Pick: Kliff Kingsbury 

Resume: Offensive Coordinator of the Washington Commanders (2024-present ) , Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinals (2019-2022)

Everybody says that Ben Johnson would be a good choice for Chicago , but hear me out . We saw Caleb Williams this season that could use some further development.  Kingsbury has aided in the development of two young quarterbacks , Kyler Murray in Arizona , who won rookie of the year in 2019, and Jayden Daniels in Washington, who had a rookie of the year quality season In Washington. Kingsbury has a personal relationship with Williams , he was an offensive Analyst while Williams was at USC. 

  • Note this was written before Ben Johnson was hired

New Orleans Saints 

Pick: Aaron Glenn 

Resume: Defensive Coordinator of the Detroit Lions (2021-present), Defensive backs coach of the New Orleans Saints(2016-2020)

Aaron Glenn had taken a bad Detroit defense and turned it into a top 10 defense in the NFL and he did it even with all the injuries including Aidan Hutchinson.  New Orleans Defense was absolutely  abysmal this year and  hopefully bringing Glenn into New Orleans where he was defensive back coach can they turn them around .  This could be the start of the New Orleans rebuild and Glenn is the guy to do it .  He has received an endorsement from Saints legend Drew Brees saying “Everybody in the organization loves Aaron Glenn. He played for us in 2008 and then he was a coach on our staff for several years. As a defensive coordinator, highly respected, a leader of men. Everyone loves him, highly competitive and he’s  a great teacher.”

Jacksonville Jaguars 

Pick: Ben Johnson 

Resume : Offensive Coordinator of the Detroit Lions (2022-present )

Under Ben Johnson , Detroit had the top offense in the league with 33.2 points per game (the highest in franchise history) and set the record with most 40 point games without any turnovers.  The Lions had six games of 40 points or more during the season. Though it is risky picking a rookie head coach to coach a team with an already set QB , I think Johnson could be a solid one to do so. Trevor Lawerence was inconsistent this season , I think Johnson can help him , just as he did with veteran quarterback Jared Goff in Detroit. 

Las Vegas Raiders 

Pick: Liam Cohen 

Resume: Offensive Coordinator of the Tampa Bay Bucs (2024-present), Offensive Coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the University of Kentucky (2023) Offensive Coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams (2022)

The Raiders need someone who is going to wake up their offense, Liam Cohen would be the guy for that . Under Cohens reign as offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay , they have ranked third in both yards per game and passing yards, they ranked fourth in rushing yards.  This year he helped Baker Mayfield who threw 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns, he can possibly do the same for Aidan O Connell ( or a QB they decide to draft) and the run game .

Dallas Cowboys 

Pick: Kellen Moore 

Resume: Offensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles(2024-Present), Offensive Coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers(2023) Quarterback coach & Offensive Coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys (2018-2022)

There could be a homecoming in Dallas and no I am not talking about Deion Sanders.  Kellen Moore has been  a player and a coach in Dallas and could be a potential successor to his former boss. During his time as Offensive Coordinator, the Cowboys offense ranked in the top 10 including number one in 2019 and 2021. In 2021, The Cowboys offense was the highest-scoring in the league. The offense that past season has been abysmal, they have no run-and-pass game, maybe Moore can wake them up, as he has a strong connection with Dak Prescott. His magic even worked with a division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, especially with Saquon Barkley who has had a 2,005-yard season.

WILD CARD WEEKEND X FACTORS

BY : MIKE RIFKIN

Here we are Wild Card weekend, one of the best weekends of the year. This piece will show each team’s x factor this weekend to advance. 

CHARGERS AT TEXANS : BOTH: PASS RUSH : Two teams in the top 10 in sacks and two of the most sacked quarterbacks duel in Houston. Both defenses are also top 10 in turnover differential., whichever defense generates the better rush, and forces the other into a major mistake will win the game. 

STEELERS AT RAVENS : STEELERS – Russell Wilson : Yeah, I know it’s weird to say the starting quarterback is an x-factor, but at this point this is what Russ is. Russ’s best game during the Steelers four game losing streak was against the Ravens, where he threw for 217 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Russ is also going to have to get the ball out of his hands quickly, before the Ravens pass rush (second in sacks) gets to him. 

RAVENS :  Mark Andrews : Since he’s come into the league Mark Andrews has been nothing short of phenomenal for the Ravens. Andrews’ 11 touchdowns all came after week five, including one against the Steelers a few weeks ago. In his playoff career Andrews has 22 catches for 227 yards in six games. If Zay Flowers misses significant time with his knee injury, expect Lamar Jackson to look for old reliable. 

BRONCOS AT BILLS : Broncos – Nick Bonittto – The former Oklahoma Sooner was third in the NFL with 13.5 sacks on the season. He also had two forced fumbles, and an interception ( returned for a touchdown). But on Sunday the ultimate key for the Broncos will be limiting Josh Allen’s running ability, so expect maybe Bonitto to play as a spy. 

BILLS – Khalil Shakir/Keon Coleman – If Denver uses Pat Surtain to shutdown Amari Cooper, Shakir is going to have to be a big target for Allen. Shakir led the Bills with 821 yards, while Coleman had 556 yards. Both had four receiving touchdowns, and if Riley Moss isn’t 100 percent, that should be advantage Bills. 

PACKERS AT EAGLES :  BOTH THE TRENCHES – Both of these teams are top 10 in both total offense and total defense. Green Bay gives up less than 100 yards rushing per game, while the Eagles run for 179 yards per game. Whoever wins the trench battle should win this game. 

COMMANDERS AT BUCS – COMMANDERS – Zach Ertz – Ertz had a great year for the Commanders, as an outlet for Jayden Daniels. Ertz had 66 catches for 654 yards and six touchdowns. Ertz is also one of the few Commanders with playoff experience. He has 36 catches for 381 yards and two touchdowns in eight playoff games. 

BUCS – BUCKY IRVING – The rookie from Oregon established himself as the lead back in Tampa rushing for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns, while also accounting for 392 receiving yards. If the Bucs win expect a heavy dose of Irving, mainly because the Buck doesn’t stop there. 

VIKINGS AT RAMS – VIKINGS – SAM DARNOLD : I know I said it’s rare that the starting quarterback is an x factor, but for Minnesota it definitely is. As good of a season Darnold had and he had a great one, he has never played in a playoff game before. If Darnold can lead his team to a win, he’ll regained some confidence lost from last week’s stinker. 
RAMS – Demarcus Robinson – Robinson had a solid season with 31 catches for 505 yards and seven touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came in the earlier meeting with the Vikings. If Robinson has a good start, he can open things up for Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua.

WEEK 18 RECAP 

SIN BLITZERS

Bengals Vs Steelers:  By Bill Murphy 

The Bengals end their regular season by winning five consecutive games, by beating the Steelers 19-17.  Even though the Bengals finished the season strong , unfortunately due to the Broncos victory over the Chiefs, the Bengals were eliminated from playoff contention. 

Stars Of The Game 

Bengals 

Joe Burrow : Burrow was 37- 46  for 277 yds and one touchdown . Burrow throws his ninth consecutive game  with 250 yards or more . Burrow unfortunately snapped the record of having three or touchdowns. 

Ja’marr Chase : Chase wound up winning the receiving triple crown. He had 10 receptions , 96 yards and one touchdown, which was a 12 yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow.  Chase finished the season with 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. Chase and his agent know those numbers and the Bengals will have to pony up.

Trey Hendrickson-  In big games your best players have to be the best players.  I said in my preview that Hendrickson was going to be a big part of the Bengals defense against the weak Steelers offensive line, well I was right. Hendrickson had three and a half sacks ,five total tackles and three solo tackles.

Steelers 

Russell Wilson: Wilson threw 17/31 , 148 yds  and one touchdown. 

Pat Freiermuth : Fremuth had eight receptions , 85 yards  and one touchdown which was a 19 yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson. 

The Defense: The Steelers defense rocked this strong Bengals offense , only holding  Burrow to 277 yards and breaking his record of having three or more touchdowns.  They sacked Burrow four times  buy Patrick Queen , Keenu Benton ,Preston Smith and Nick Herbig .  They held the rushing offense to  only  68 yards .

Next Week 

  • As stated the Bengals are eliminated from the playoffs 
  • The Steelers will be facing off against the Baltimore Ravens in AFC Wild Card game on Saturday

Dolphins at Jets : The Dolphins had an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Jets and a Broncos loss. The Broncos won 38-0, but the Dolphins were still playing to go over .500. Snoop Huntley was 25-41 for 227 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. De’von Achane went for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Rodgers threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns in what could be the last game of his career. 
Vikings at Lions : The number one seed was up for grabs and the story was Aaron Glenn’s defense against Sam Darnold. Jahmyr Gibbs had four total touchdowns and the NFC playoffs will run through the Motor City.

A GIANT DECISION

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Giants owner John Mara announced on Monday that both GM Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll will be returning for the 2025 season. The biggest takeaway from Mara and Schoen is that this brass needs to find their franchise Quarterback. The Giants released Daniel Jones during the season, after he once again struggled. The Giants signed Jones after Daboll’s first season. 

So what are the options for Schoen and Daboll to find their franchise QB. If Daboll and Schoen aren’t guaranteed anything beyond 2025 then drafting a QB should not be on the forefront. Personally I would trade the third pick to accumulate more picks because this team isn’t one player away. Guys like Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson are going to hit the free agent market, but long term they’re not the answer. Kirk also really struggled before Atlanta benched him for Michael Penix. The Giants could pair a Cousins or Wilson with a guy drafted in the mid rounds (Dillon Gabriel) but I think there’s a better answer. 

Ironically this player was drafted by the Bears in a trade with the New York Giants during the 2021 NFL Draft. Justin Fields is one of the bet dual threat quarterbacks in the NFL. When the Bears were dangling him this offseason, the Giants should’ve been all in on him, instead he went to Pittsburgh and had to keep Russel Wilson’s seat warm. 

Yes, Fields is 14-30 as a starting QB (mainly for the Bears) but he is a dual threat, which is big in today’s NFL. But the biggest thing for me is he is only going to be 26 in March. So a 26 year old Quarterback, who needs and deserves an opportunity, if I was Schoen and Daboll that’s the guy I would put my trust into. They can mold him into what they want and he isn’t going to command a massive deal at the moment. But for the Giants entering next season I would sign Justin Fields to be the quarterback of the present and hopefully the future. 

Bengals vs Steelers:Preview         

By Bill Murphy 

The Bengals have won four in a row , after winning an overtime thriller against the Denver Broncos last week by a score of 30-24. Joe Burrow threw  39/49,412 yards and three touchdowns, all to Tee Higgins , including the game winner.  The Bengals are still in the playoff hunt they need a win and both  Miami and Denver to lose.  The Bengals are facing off against AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers  in a week 13  rematch , in which the Bengals lost 44-38. The Steelers are coming off of  a 29-10 , Christmas day loss against the defending super bowl champion  Kansas City Chiefs. With a win and a Ravens loss the Steelers can win the AFC North.

Keys to the Game 

Bengals 

Offense 

Joe Burrow 

Joe Burrow is currently on fire for the Bengals . Burrow has consecutive eight consecutive games where he has thrown at least 250 yards and three touchdowns.  Burrow would have to hit Ja’Marr Chase because Tee Higgins is currently questionable due to an ankle/ knee injury.  He would have to utilize Khail Herbert on the run game because Chase Brown might be miss the game due to an ankle injury. Burrow would have to hold down the fort on offense .

Defense 

Trey Hendrickson 

Hendrickson currently has 30 tackles ,  14 sacks and two forced fumbles.  Hendrickson got a  half sack  and one tackle for loss against the Broncos last week.  Hendrickson would be lethal weapon against the Steelers weak offensive line which has ranked 26th sack rate at 8.8 %.

Steelers 

Offense

Najaee Harris 

In eight of his last 11 games , Harris has rushed for 50 or more  yards.  Last week Harris had 74  yards on 13 carries against the strong Kansas City Rush Defense.  Harris is  facing a struggling Bengals rush defense that is 29th in defensive rush EPA  and 31st in rush defense success rate. 

Defense 

Cornerbacks 

With a Wide receiver duo like Higgins and Chase , the cornerbacks are going to have to come through . Cory Trice Jr. and Joey Porter are going to have cover both receivers. If Higgins is out due to injury they will have double up on Chase. 

Prediction Steelers 27 Bengals 24