Steelers DBs Taking High Road Before Bengals Game

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Week 10 contest, Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. shared how much of a challenge it will be to go against two “great” wide receivers. 

“They’re just great receivers,” he said about Chase and Higgins. “They got great routes. Strong at the catch point, yards after catch.” 

Why This Matters for Steelers 

Samuel’s comments are just the latest from this defense, sharing the same message. They have gone in the complete opposite direction in the buildup to this battle. Instead of taking the bait and offering any bulletin board material to the Bengals, the Steelers are the picture of gamesmanship. 

That’s important for two reasons. The first is that the Bengals deserve that respect. With such a dynamic and productive passing game, it’s impossible to ignore. And it’s not as if the Steelers contained Burrow, Chase and Higgins. It was quite the opposite for the Black and Gold, winning in Week 3 despite allowing so much offense to come from Cincinnati’s top three players.

The Steelers are well aware, specifically, of the big-play capability the Bengals' offense presents. They’ve been able to make splash plays and keep drives going by picking up big plays at timely moments.

“That’s how they thrive, off of explosives,” Samuel said. “That’s their M.O., you know? We just gotta control that and make our plays that come to us.

The second is that it continues an ongoing mentality the Steelers have embodied this season. Running back Jaylen Warren said it best after they defeated the Cleveland Browns. There was a ton of trash talk going into that game, but following the victory, Warren summed up the Steelers’ mentality as “some walk, some talk."

The Steelers get the chance to walk instead of talk once again in Week 10.

“As a DB, you’re a competitor,” Samuel said. “You want to go against the best, and this is the best. So, it don’t get no better than this.”