Now with both offensive tackles dealing with injuries, Cincinnati’s ability to protect Burrow is even more concerning. Orlando Brown Jr. is expected to play a second straight week, despite his fibula being broken in two places, and Amarius Mims remains in question after he was unable to finish the Week 17 win over Denver with a broken right hand.
Both have been limited in practices this week. Pittsburgh will be hard to block regardless.
“They always pose challenges,” Pitcher said. “They are one of the best defensive fronts we are going to play. That forces you to account for that over the entirety of the game. Obviously, they made a big play on third down and a scoop and score on a sack-fumble where at that point in the game made a really tough deficit for us to be able to come back from. That’s one we regret and try to take measures to limit the chances they have to make those kind of plays. It’s hard to do that on every play. They made a play. We are used to that playing these guys. It’s nothing new. They are incredibly talented up front. It’s going to take everything we have to get it done.”
Brown played the first meeting with Pittsburgh after missing three straight games because of his leg injury that he had originally suffered in Week 7, but then was shelved for the next three before making his return last week.
Mims had been on the injury report with an ankle injury he played through and ended up breaking his hand in the Week 17 win over Cleveland. He wore a club on his hand last week, but lasted just two drives before he was pulled.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was shown in “Hard Knocks” looking at attacking Brown in the first matchup, likely because he knew Brown was playing on an injured leg, but now both sides might be vulnerable. Pitcher said the Bengals will have to balance how they provide help.
“Unfortunately, we don’t get to put extra guys on the field to help everybody,” Pitcher said. “We try to be as resourceful as possible. That’s one of the things I take pride in is having guys accomplish multiple tasks, multiple purposes on any given down. Do that with the right timing and detail you can do that. That’s what we try our best to do and be smart about how we call it and how we set it up.”
Burrow was sacked four times in the Dec. 1 loss to Pittsburgh and pressured 23 times. Nick Herbig, who was tasked with rushing against Brown, got four of those pressures and had the sack that forced the fumble returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Defensive end T.J. Watt finished with a team-high two sacks and five total pressures, but the Bengals can’t just be concerned with how their offensive tackles hold up when facing the Steelers. Denver got pressure on Burrow up the middle last week, and Pittsburgh’s interior rushers are just as much of a threat, particularly with Cam Heyward, who also had five pressures and a sack in the last meeting.
“The guy (Heyward) in my opinion is a shoe-in future Hall-of-Famer,” Pitcher said. “He’s one of the best football players I’ve seen over the course of time. He’s outstanding. He’s always presented a challenge to us. I don’t expect (Saturday) will be any different. It’ll take a team effort from multiple people, and we’ll do what we can schematically to help get that done. But I’m confident our guys are going to go out and play their best football game in our biggest spot of the year.”
Burrow has learned to accept that the Steelers are going to get turnovers, and he’s just got to do everything he can to make sure the Bengals can overcome that. Cornerback Mike Hilton said the defense will be looking to help Cincinnati win the turnover battle.
The Steelers have picked off nine passes in six meetings with Burrow since 2020, and he’s lost three of four fumbles against them. His worse game came against Pittsburgh in 2022 when he threw four picks, including two that were tipped at the line of scrimmage or deflected, and lost a fumble.
“They are going to make plays on defense,” Burrow said. “We have had some success against them throwing the ball but when you have TJ Watt and Minkah (Fitzpatrick) and everybody on that front they are going to make plays, they are going to cause turnovers. Sometimes there’s not a lot you can do about that. It’s just about staying focused, moving on to the next play and trying to execute to the best of your ability.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Steelers, 8 p.m., ESPN, ABC, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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