Bengals Steelers Week 3: McCarthy must join the TE trend
The Bengals Steelers Week 3 matchup is a pressure test for Pittsburgh's offense: Mike McCarthy should lean harder into tight ends. Cincinnati has allowed the NFL's most tight end catches and yards, while the Steelers rank near the bottom in scoring and have barely used multi-tight end looks. That gap is the story of Sunday's game.
Key Takeaways
- The Bengals have allowed 17 receptions and 200 yards to tight ends through two games, most in the NFL.
- Pittsburgh has used multiple tight end sets on only 30 snaps, ranking 18th, while leaning heavily on 11 personnel.
- Darnell Washington (three catches, 25 yards) is the Post-Gazette's X-factor against Cincinnati's front.
- Joe Burrow's 2-0 Bengals visit Acrisure Stadium at 1 p.m. ET as 3.5-point favorites.
- Aaron Rodgers' Steelers are averaging just 11.5 points per game, second fewest in the league.
Per a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette scouting report by Christopher Carter, McCarthy's best path against a remade Bengals defensive line is simple: feed the tight ends and stop forcing the ball through a struggling offensive line.
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Why should Mike McCarthy use more tight ends against the Bengals?
Cincinnati's front — Dexter Lawrence II, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy — has made the Bengals one of the toughest run defenses in the league. They allow just 2.1 yards per carry when seven defenders are in the box, the NFL's best mark.
That squeeze leaves Aaron Rodgers needing answers in the secondary. The Bengals have surrendered 17 catches and 200 yards to tight ends in two games, leading the league in both categories. Carter argues that is exactly where Pittsburgh should attack.
Yet McCarthy has used 11 personnel (one back, one tight end, three receivers) seventh most through two weeks. Multiple-tight end sets have appeared on only 30 snaps, 18th most. Teams leading that usage include the Bills, Chiefs and Rams — clubs already among the NFL's best offenses.
The results of Pittsburgh's current mix are bleak: the Steelers rank next to last in points scored. CBS Sports notes they are averaging 11.5 points and have failed to reach 300 total yards in either game, with Pat Freiermuth still leading the team with 78 receiving yards.
How does Darnell Washington change the Bengals Steelers chess match?
Carter tags Washington as the X-factor. The 6-foot-7, 264-pound tight end has just three catches for 25 yards and needs a leap. Beyond the receiving sheet, he is a battering ram who can help Jaylen Warren's wide-zone runs away from Lawrence and Allen.
That plan pairs Washington with projected first-time starter Max Iheanachor and tackle Troy Fautanu to create an edge in the run game. Freiermuth remains the other half of a tight end duo Carter calls one of the roster's biggest strengths.
On the other side, Steelers.com frames Sunday as the first Bengals Steelers clash under McCarthy in an AFC North still defined by Burrow, T.J. Watt and Ja'Marr Chase. Burrow has thrown for 461 yards with three touchdowns and one interception on 45-of-66 passing.
Can Pittsburgh's defense slow Joe Burrow enough to stay in it?
CBS Sports has the Bengals at 2-0 after wins over Tampa Bay and Houston, listed as 3.5-point favorites with a 42.5 total. Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
Carter's keys also push a heavier blitz. When Burrow has not been blitzed, his passer rating is 122.1 with a 75% completion rate and three touchdowns. When blitzed, that rating falls to 46.4, his completion rate to 54.5%, with an interception and no passing scores.
The Steelers have blitzed only 15 times (tied for 21st), but those rushes have held quarterbacks to a 77.4 rating, ninth lowest. Both defenses are allowing 16.5 points per game; Pittsburgh is tied for second with seven sacks.
Carter's call still leans Cincinnati by a wide margin: Bengals 31, Steelers 13 — unless McCarthy finally hops on the tight end trend that already defines the league's top offenses.