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Week 16 will feature an AFC North battle between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Not only do the two teams hate each other and have a history of violent but exciting battles, but the two will be playing each other during a game on Saturday. In this article, we will explain how you can watch that game.
The AFC North is considered by many to be the best and most competitive division in the NFL. That has proven true this year, as all four teams in the division are playoff-caliber teams and are fighting for spots in the postseason. Action in the AFC North always picks up at the end of the year as well, and you can always expect a dogfight between the teams in that division during the last few weeks of the regular season.
When and where is the NFL game on Saturday?
For the second week in a row, the NFL has action on Saturday. The Bengals and Steelers play on Dec. 23 at 4:30 p.m. ET at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
How to watch Bengals vs. Steelers
NBC will be broadcasting the game, and you can also stream it with their streaming service, Peacock. FuboTV is another option for streaming the game. Noah Eagle will be on play-by-play, with Todd Blackledge as the color commentator. Kathryn Tappen is the sideline reporter.
Date: Saturday, Dec. 23 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Acrisure Stadium — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
TV channel: NBC | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Odds: Bengals -1.5 | O/U 37
Bengals storylines
When Joe Burrow went down with a season-ending injury, everyone assumed that the Bengals' season was over. That has not been the case, and Jake Browning has created one of the best Cinderella stories in recent memory. The Bengals have won the last three games with Browning under center, and their offense has been better than it has been all season.
Despite being one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Burrow struggled as he nursed an injury to start the season. The offense and their star quarterback started to figure things out over time, but this season, they had never been as good offensively as they have been with Browning. The Bengals have scored 34 points twice and 27 points once during their recent three-game winning streak. The team has also found a way to grind out wins, even when it is not in dominant fashion. Two of their wins during this winning streak came in overtime.
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Browning has 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns this season, which is impressive considering the limited amount of time he has been out there. The quarterback plays the game with passion, and that was on display during his fiery rant towards the Minnesota Vikings last week. While Ja'Marr Chase is set to miss this game, the Bengals still have a talented receiving corps without him, and their defense always brings their A-game when they play the Steelers.
The division title is out of reach for the Bengals, but they can most definitely secure a Wild Card spot in the coming weeks. The AFC has a ton of teams in the hunt, though, so a win this week over the Steelers is crucial.
Steelers storylines
The Steelers are in last place in their division, but they are not yet out of the playoff hunt. Their odds are quickly dwindling, though, and the team only has a 7% chance to make the postseason, according to NFL.com.
Their season is now in the hands of Mason Rudolph. Mitch Trubisky took over at the quarterback position when Kenny Pickett went down with an injury, but he wasn't getting the job done in Mike Tomlin's eyes.
“We don't like what we're looking at and the consistency of it,” Tomlin said. “What I mean is we're not scoring enough points.”
The Steelers were 7-4 before Pickett got hurt, but they have lost their last three games. Trubisky filled in for an injured Pickett against the Arizona Cardinals, and the Steelers only scored 10 points. The team only scored 31 points combined in the two games after that with Trubisky as the starter. Rudolph has been an occasional starter for the Steelers since 2018, and the team hopes his familiarity in the system will give the offense a boost.
Like always, the Steelers' ferocious defense will show up to play. The team has a great defense led by T.J. Watt, one of the best players in the league on the defensive side of the football. The team needs more from the offense to keep their playoff hopes alive, and staying above .500 will be another thought on everyone's mind, especially considering Tomlin-led Steelers teams have been at or above .500 for 15 straight seasons.
If the Steelers manage to beat the Bengals, they will tie Cincinnati in the standings in terms of records. A loss would signal that their playoff dreams would most likely be over.
