Why Stopping Chris Boswell Is the Key To A Bengals Victory
Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel via Imagn Images
The Bengals are 4-7 and spent Thanksgiving consuming extra helpings of humble pie after two straight losses in prime time. After a much-needed bye week, the Bengals are welcoming the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers to Paycor Stadium. The Steelers are 8-3 and have allowed the second fewest points in the entire NFL (186). It is officially a do-or-die matchup for Cincinnati, as it’s a divisional matchup and the beginning of a possible “run the table” stretch run that the Bengals are (we hope, anyway) more than capable of.
The Cincinnati #Bengals next 3 games..
What will be their record after these next 3?
Can they win all 3 and get to .500 (7-7) on the Season?? pic.twitter.com/uz7sFoKZTi
— Josh Iles (@WDNToday) November 28, 2024
What are the keys to the Bengals beating the Steelers and keeping their season alive?
Keep Pittsburgh Out Of Field Goal Range
Chris Boswell has been nothing short of diabolical in 2024.
Step aside Brandon Aubrey – there’s a new sheriff in town.
Chris Boswell would rank as the:
RB18
WR6
TE1 👑 pic.twitter.com/DAIJOnE3Xc— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) November 18, 2024
Boswell has averaged exactly three field goal attempts per game this season, and he’s only missed two of them all year. These stats are without the benefit of the He-Man-like performances that he’s put up against the Bengals. In his career against Cincinnati, Boswell is 41-for-43 on field goal attempts and has converted all of his 31 PATs.
oh yeah @bengals Chris Boswell is your daddy
— Kat (@voodoo3385) November 26, 2019
(Though, fun fact: One of those misses clanked directly off the upright near where I was sitting in Paycor Stadium. That sound still rings in my head to this day. I actually fell backwards in shock.)
Boswell’s production through Week 12 is historic. He’s on pace to break David Akers’ record of 44 made field goals in a season, a record set back in 2011. The Steelers are 5-0 when Boswell makes at least three field goals, and two of those five wins were games in which he made six field goals. Both of those games did not feature a single Steelers touchdown, but Pittsburgh still escaped victorious.
The Steelers have the kind of stingy defense that will likely limit the Bengals’ opportunities to score. If the Bengals can limit the Steelers’ opportunities as well, they very much have a chance to snatch away the victory.
Play Mistake-Free Offense
Pittsburgh’s defensive prowess isn’t solely because of their ability to limit yards or big plays. They also boast the second-best turnover margin in the NFL. The Steelers’ defense has 22 takeaways, which is one shy of the NFL lead.
Some underlying reasons on why the Steelers are 8-3:
They're +13 in the turnover differential margin, 2nd-best in the NFL.
They're +153 in the penalty differential margin, 2nd-best in the NFL.
Isn't always pretty but they've won the margins consistently.
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) November 25, 2024
The Bengals and Steelers are two of the NFL’s better teams in terms of not committing turnovers, as they both have 10 and nine giveaways, respectively. Pittsburgh’s ability to dominate the turnover battle and play disciplined football has been a big factor as to why they’ve been able to overcome their offensive inefficiency.
Their defensive line is led by T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward, both aging stars who nonetheless remain gamebreakers. Containing their defensive stars (which might be a struggle for the Bengals’ struggling and potentially banged-up offensive line) will be essential to keep Joe Burrow upright and mistake-free. It’s doubly important, considering that Burrow’s wrist injury from last year might be a factor as the weather gets colder.
Stop the Big Plays
Despite their meager offensive production and a slightly below-average offensive line, Pittsburgh is still loaded with big-play threats who can change the course of the game at any moment. Russell Wilson still throws a beautiful deep ball. George “Antonio Brown At Home” Pickens can still heavily produce and put up WR1-like numbers on the road, even as he spends most of his time on the bench arguing with a pigeon for no reason whatsoever.
There’s also Calvin Austin III, the Steelers’ electric speedster, who can come out of nowhere and catch secondaries off-guard to log a long touchdown reception. Of his four career touchdown receptions, the shortest of those was from 23 yards out. Jaylen Warren is still the speedy backfield threat he’s always been, and he’s notched at least 40 rushing yards in each of his last five games, with last Thursday seeing him notch his first touchdown of the season.
The Steelers are above-average in terms of passing big plays, and they’ve got the receiving threats to do it. That said, the Bengals are coming off of a bye and will likely start rookie Josh Newton at cornerback. Newton is coming off of a strong performance against the Chargers and has a decent chance to be matched up with George Pickens due to Cam Taylor-Britt’s struggles. Addition by addition and subtraction.
With all the defensive struggles the Bengals have faced this season, they’ve done a fairly good job at eliminating chunk plays (only 30 20-plus yard passes allowed this season, tied for 10th in the NFL). With a defense that is figuring itself out, they have a major opportunity to face an offense that plays directly to the Bengals’ defensive strengths.
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