Fresh off their beatdown of the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals are coming into Sunday's divisional matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers cooking with gas and eager to overtake their longtime rival. After showcasing a ton of explosion and depth during their rout of the Raiders last weekend, the Bengals have proven themselves as a legitimate playoff contender with great upset potential.

Heading into their Week 12 showdown with the Steelers, they'll look to draw first blood once again and set the tone early on. As they continually play through a battle-hardened season with their fair share of challenges, this up-and-coming Bengals squad seems to get better with time.

For more insight on the Bengals' Week 12 matchup against the Steelers, listen below:

Now that they've already shown what they're capable of at full strength, we'll now dive into four bold predictions for the Bengals' Week 12 matchup against the Steelers.

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Cincinnati Bengals Week 12 Predictions

4. Joe Mixon will have another big rushing day for the Bengals 

Coming off a strong performance with over 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Raiders last weekend, Joe Mixon is amped and ready to have a big rushing day against the Steelers in Week 12. If he is able to find the weaknesses in the Steelers' frontline and break away for some big gains, Pittsburgh will be in huge trouble.

Currently stating his case as one of the league's most reliable dual-threat running backs, Mixon is primed for another big day against a determined Steelers squad that'll be looking to avenge a tough loss from last weekend. As he continues to progress and add to his already stellar game, Mixon will be going all-out and aim to run all over the Steelers.

3. Tee Higgins and C.J. Uzomah will have a bounce back game for Cincinnati 

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Even though the Bengals completely blew the Raiders out of the water last weekend, Tee Higgins and C.J. Uzomah were essential non-factors during their big win. So, it can definitely be expected that both players will come out with a bang and have a stellar game for Cincinnati in Week 12.

While the Bengals continue to grow and evolve into a legitimate playoff contender, Higgins and Uzomah will be critical to their success on offense. Be on the lookout for Higgins and Uzomah to both have a productive day against the Steelers and be a pivotal part of the Bengals' game plan on Sunday.

2. The Bengals will have a balanced attack on defense 

With a deep and talented defensive rotation, the Bengals currently possess one of the league's most talented defenses, ranking sixth in rushing yards allowed per game and eighth in points allowed per game. After completely dismantling the Raiders' offense last weekend and applying a multi-dimensional approach to their defensive game plan, Cincinnati was playing lights out and looked as if it couldn't be scored on by anybody.

Heading into their divisional showdown with the Steelers, we should expect to see more of the same from their deep and dynamic defense. In their relentless pursuit of the AFC North title, the Bengals will be locked and loaded on Sunday as they hope to come away with another quality win.

1. Cincinnati will come away with another big win 

Now that we're in the home stretch of the 2021 NFL season, lots of teams are starting to find their groove while others still seem to be figuring things out. For Cincinnati, Sunday's battle with its longtime AFC North rival marks a pivotal game. It's one the Bengals will need to win in order to improve their chances of beating out the Baltimore Ravens as division champions and clinching home-field advantage in the NFL Playoffs.

This game will prove to be highly crucial to the Bengals, so they'll need to bring their A-game against a frustrated and laser-focused Steelers team coming off a tough loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11. With all this going for the Bengals, there's no doubt they'll hail victorious against the Steelers in Week 12.