Safety DeShon Elliott may not be available tonight for the Steeler’s game against the Bengals. He did not travel with the team to Cincinnati and is listed as “questionable” due to personal reasons. Linebacker Malik Harrison is also listed as questionable, although he remains on injured reserve and he just began practicing this week after suffering a knee injury September 7th in the first game of the season.
Wideout Calvin Austin III and special teams captain Miles Killebrew are officially listed as out.
The Bengals have their own injury problems. Yesterday, they placed star tight end Mike Gesicki, the former Penn Stater, on injured reserve with a pectoral muscle injury suffered Sunday against Green Bay. They had already ruled out another tight end, Tanner Hudson, with a concussion. NFL Defensive Player of the Year Trey Hendrickson is listed as questionable with a back injury, and receiver Charlie Jones and guard Lucas Patrick are questionable.
The Steelers come into the game 4-1 while the Bengals are 2-4 and have lost four games in a row.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin expects a great atmosphere tonight for a key AFC North game.
The Steelers’ defense will have to contend with the Bengals Pro Bowl receivers, Tee Higgins and Ja’Mar Chase. Cornerback Darius Slay says they are elite.
Rookie first round draft pick Derrick Harmon is playing on a short week for the first time in his career. He says he is watching his veteran teammates to learn how to approach a quick turnaround.
Tonight’s game is only the third time in NFL history that two quarterbacks over age 40 have started against each other. Aaron Rodgers of the Steelers is 40. The Bengals’ Joe Flacco is 41. Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward calls it “The Icy Hot Bowl.” (The only other times two quarterbacks over 40 have played against each other were in 2020, when the Buccaneers’ Tom Brady and the Saints’ Drew Brees played against each other twice. By the way, Rodgers has started against Flacco three times in his career, and has won all three, in 2009, 2013, and 2019.
The field conditions at Acrisure Stadium were “embarrassing” according to ESPN, which reports that players from both the Steelers and Browns reported the potentially dangerous turf to the NFL Players Association. The sod was to be replaced this week with the hope that it will have time to take root before next Saturday’s Pitt game. The Steelers play there next Sunday.
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