Cincinnati Bengals: 5 bold predictions for the 2021 season
By Aaron Burd
Bold predictions for Cincinnati Bengals 2021 season
Bengals sweep the Steelers for the first time since 2009
Everybody knows that the Bengals hate the Steelers.
Unfortunately, everyone who knows this fact also knows the for the majority of the rivalry, the Steelers have essentially dominated the Bengals. With an overall lead of 67-36, the Bengals rivalry with the Steelers has been largely one-sided for the most part. However, after the Bengals embarrassed the Steelers on primetime television in their most recent matchup, the tide could be turning.
After losing to the Bengals and their third-string quarterback in 2020, the Steelers fell apart. This ultimately ended in their humiliating playoff defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Browns. Since the Steelers’ devastating end to their 2020 season, things have only gone downhill.
In the 2021 offseason, the Steelers lost multiple big-time contributors. Among these losses were crucial players like Alejandro Villanueva, Bud Dupree, James Conner, Steven Nelson, Mike Hilton, and more. Perhaps most notable of all was Hilton, who left one side of the rivalry to join the Bengals.
These losses combined with a Ben Roethlisberger who is getting worse every time he hits a football field are a sign that the Steelers are trending down and that the ship is sinking fast.
On the other hand, the Bengals have only gotten better. Their franchise quarterback Joe Burrow is expected to reach new heights in 2021 and new faces all over the roster show that the Bengals are on the upswing.
Given how the Bengals publicly embarrassed the Steelers last time the two played, they have all the momentum for the first time in years. While they have not swept the Steelers since 2009, that may very well change in 2021.