Bengals: Joe Burrow is set to get his first taste of a bitter rivalry

Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow is set to get his first taste of one of the Cincinnati Bengals’ most bitter rivals: The Pittsburg Steelers.

If you find yourself a part of the orange and black faithful or Steelers Nation, you know just how deep the hatred runs between the Cincinnati Bengals and the franchise that calls Pittsburg home.

There has been no shortage of events in recent history that has caused the divide between the two organizations to deepen. The 2015 wildcard playoff meltdown is the most recent incident to come to mind. Multiple players were knocked unconscious, coaches got in on the action, and the NFL swiftly fined both sides.

The injuries to Andy Dalton and Carson Palmer that came against Pittsburg also cause bad memories to resurface. Both of the signal-callers were at the helm of teams that conceivably could have made a playoff run to end the disastrous postseason drought in Cincinnati.

There’s no denying that it’s been an ugly history for the Bengals against their bitter AFC North foes. However, the new-look squad has Joe Burrow at the forefront and with the star quarterback running the show, the hope that the future can be much brighter than the past remains.

Joe Burrow can write a significant chapter in his Bengals lore

Everywhere Joe Burrow goes, optimism follows. That’s been especially true in the Queen City. The LSU product has Southern Ohio buzzing at the thought of the future of the franchise, despite a disastrous record in the current campaign.

While hopes are high and Burrow has pieced together some astounding performances, a week ten matchup against the Pittsburg Steelers gives him his first opportunity to come away with a signature win and write the first significant chapter of his story in stripes.

Mike Tomlin’s squad enters the contest undefeated, thanks, in large part, to a ferocious pass rush. Burrow leads the team into the rivalry with a weak link along the offensive trenches. It appears that the Steelers’ defense, led by the likes of T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, are slated to feast on an offensive line that has played well as of recently, but struggled overall.

But Burrow has the opportunity to breathe life into the organization. Cincinnati hasn’t come away with a win against the Steelers since 2015, but don’t expect that to last much longer with number nine under center.

There are already a number of analysts predicting an upset win for the Bengals on Sunday, including Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo. As 4:25 ET rolls around on November 15, the football world will surely be tuned in to see if Burrow, in his opening act against a historically great organization, can bring down the 8-0 Pittsburg Steelers.