Can Steelers defense slow down red-hot Joe Burrow, Bengals offense with AFC North lead on the line?

Can Steelers defense slow down red-hot Joe Burrow, Bengals offense with AFC North lead on the line? appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.One of the biggest games on the NFL Week 10 slate is one that will decide a division lead in one of the most competitive races in football. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals will complete their season series on Sunday night in the Buckeye State with first place in the AFC North on the line, as both teams enter at 6-2.The two teams first met in Pittsburgh back in Week 3, and the Steelers won a highly-entertaining game 30-27. Another Steelers win on Sunday would give Pittsburgh a game advantage with the head-to-head tiebreaker, and Mike McCarthy and company would be in pole position to win the division and host a playoff game in front of the Terrible Towels.But this Bengals team looks a lot different than it did back in September. Cincinnati lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars the next week in Week 4, but they are now on a four-game winning streak and playing some of the best football of anybody in the NFL.Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)The biggest story from the first meeting was the Bengals struggling to slow down the Steelers offense and Aaron Rodgers. But coming into this game, the Bengals have arguably the hottest offense in the NFL and the Steelers have been difficult to move the ball on this season, so that matchup is the main focus.Can the Steelers slow down the Bengals’ red-hot passing game? Let’s get into the specifics.Joe Burrow has evolved as a passerJamie Sabau-Imagn ImagesJoe Burrow has long been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, and he finds himself right in the heart of the MVP race once again this season. But the way that Burrow is getting it done this season is unlike how he has in any previous season, and it has made him arguably the most efficient passer in football.Burrow has always leaned on his two star receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (more on them later). That is true once again, and Higgins is having a career year while Chase keeps dominating on the other side. But the Bengals have targeted the middle of the field more often this season, and it is really opening things up for the passing game.On throws in the middle of the field that travel 10 or more yards, Burrow is putting up staggeringly good numbers this year. On those throws, he is 30-of-37 with 598 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception, per PFF. The former No. 1 overall pick is posting more efficient numbers over the middle of the field than he ever has before, and he is also not turning the ball over on those throws.A lot was made of the changes that the Bengals were planning on making this season. Zac Taylor wanted the offense to operate from under center more often and use on the running game to set up the play-action game.That hasn’t exactly taken shape. The Bengals have tinkered with some of the under-center stuff, but they haven’t had great results out of it. Cincinnati currently has the ninth-worst EPA per play on under center snaps in the entire NFL, and they are just a middle-of-the-pack unit when running the ball from those looks. Instead, Taylor has resorted back to the shotgun-heavy version of the offense that Burrow has thrived in over the years.Out of the gun this year, the Bengals have been absolute juggernaut. Their +0.21 EPA per pass leads the NFL, and their +0.16 EPA per play overall ranks third per Next Gen Stats. It’s clear that is where Burrow is most comfortable, and he has torn defenses apart from those looks.The play-action looks that the Bengals have tried to get to also haven’t been all that fruitful this season, largely because of a running game that has been below average. On play-action dropbacks, Burrow ranks just 16th in the NFL in EPA per dropback, per Next Gen Stats. In straight dropback situations, he ranks second behind only Brock Purdy.The Bengals will still try to keep it somewhat balanced early in Sunday night’s game to keep the Steelers honest. But when things get tight, expect Burrow to be back in the shotgun and letting it fly.Can the Steelers slow down Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins?Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesBurrow is obviously the engine that makes everything go for this Bengals offense, but having both Chase and Higgins operating at the peak of their powers is what makes this Cincinnati passing game feel so overwhelming and unstoppable.So far this season, that has unquestionably been the case. Higgins ranks fifth in the NFL in receiving yards with 758, and Chase is 12th with 647. Both of them are in the top 20 in the league in EPA per target, and Higgins ranks fourth.Higgins has been extremely effective specifically on those intermediate routes that Burrow is throwing so well this season. On 32 intermediate targets this season, Higgins has 26 catches for 445 yards and four touchdowns, all numbers that lead the league. While Chase continues to dominate on the outside and after the catch on underneath throws, Higgins has morphed into the perfect complement for him as someone who works over the middle of the field and gives Chase space horizontally to work.Chase hasn’t seen his usual high volume of deep targets this season, with just six catches on 11 balls coming his way down the field. But, on those six catches, he has a league-leading five touchdowns, so he is still a big play waiting to happen.Where Chase has continuously dominated this season is with the ball in his hands. He ranks sixth among wide receivers in missed tackles forced after the catch this season with 12, per PFF. He is also third among wide receivers in YAC over expected, per Next Gen Stats. When he gets the ball in his hands, he is still one of the most dangerous players in football regardless of position.How these two attack the Steelers defense is going to be very interesting to watch. The Steelers have been excellent against quarterbacks throwing into the intermediate area of the field this season, giving up the second-fewest yards per game on those throws and the fourth-lowest yards per play on those throws. However, the Bengals were far more successful on intermediate passes than anyone else against the Steelers. In Week 4, Burrow threw for 110 yards on eight attempts on those plays. How Pittsburgh counters that in this meeting will be a key to watch.While the Steelers have shut down intermediate throws this season, they have been susceptible to deep passes. On the season, Pittsburgh is giving up the fifth-most yards per game on deep throws, so look for Burrow to take his chances down the field to Chase and Higgins to find those big plays. Burrow attempted just two deep passes in the first meeting against the Steelers, but both of them went for touchdowns.How Pittsburgh slows down Chase and Higgins will be the key to slowing down the Bengals offense on Sunday night. What their plan is for doing so is one of the biggest storylines coming in.Related: Tony Gonzalez identifies ‘most underrated’ player in the NFL todayRelated: Fernando Mendoza will make 1st start vs. Seahawks, and he will have his work cut out for him vs. Mike Macdonald