Monday, October 13
Up for the challenge: Another week.
Another AFC North challenge for the Steelers.
This time it's in the form of the Cincinnati Bengals and a pair of star receivers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Chase has 42 receptions for 468 yards and four touchdowns. Higgins has 18 receptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns.
"I feel like they've always been good," said cornerback Joey Porter Jr. "They always have their weapons. It doesn't really matter who the quarterback is really when you've got weapons on the outside that can really make any play happen.
"So, we're not going to look at it any different way. We know what Joe Flacco brings to the table. We know what those guys bring and we're going to be ready for that.
"From my time here, I faced both of them one-on-one multiple times. I never really had no problems with those guys. I know those guys are good. But I mean, we're going to handle business like usual."
The Steelers secondary took on a new look this season, adding Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Brandin Echols, Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers.
And it's for games like Thursday night's showdown against the Bengals at Paycor Stadium they made the additions for.
"Coach (Mike) Tomlin told us from the jump, right from training camp, we got all of us for a reason," said Porter. "Every corner, every defensive back, he picked was for a reason. It was to lock these guys up and be able to play man across the board.
"And now we get to really show what we really made of. So, we're all ready and we're all prepared for that."
The defense, a unit that there have been high expectations for since the start of the season, continues to grow every week, and the joy for Porter is they still haven't played their best.
"I feel like we're playing to our potential, but we're still not satisfied," said Porter. "We all know that we still have stuff to work on and improve on. So, we've just got to stay with that chip on our shoulder, and I think we're going to keep climbing."
A player who has helped the defense climb to where they want to be is Ramsey, who was acquired via a trade with the Miami Dolphins before training camp. He has played multiple roles in the secondary, and showed his toughness on Sunday when he returned from a hamstring injury to not just play against the Bengals, but dominate.
"We all think he's a Gold Jacket type of player," said Porter. "I mean, he put it on tape for years. So just the energy he brings, the knowledge he brings. Him and Slay, they just elevate our room to another level, to where every guy wants to be on that type of level and compete on that level.
"So, I feel like just them being here brings the morale up."
Solid as a rock: The Steelers offensive line set out to do multiple things against the Browns.
One was to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers, especially with the likes of Myles Garrett on the other side of the line.
Another was to establish the ground game.
They were successful in both.
Rodgers wasn't sacked once against the Browns, while the Steelers ran for 100 yards.
And Garrett's impact, well, he had just two assists on the day.
When asked how he would evaluate their performance, tackle Broderick Jones kept it simple.
"It was solid," said Jones. "I would say it was solid. It was enough to get us out of the stadium, for sure.
"But, it's always trials and tribulations you've got to come through. I feel like I could have played a little bit better. But just me, trying to uphold the standard for myself. I feel like I've got to play at a better, more consistent level. That's what it has got to be."
While the offensive line was 'solid' on Sunday, it won't mean much to them if they don't come out on fire on Thursday night against the Bengals.
"This is the NFL, man. It never gets easy," said Jones. "You've got good players every week. So, you've just got to continue to prepare the right way.
"We're going to Cincinnati in an away game. We're going into their home turf. So, I know they're going to be fired up. It's a rivalry game, so we've just got to be on it."
Take a look at the best photos from the Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (10) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
A defensive huddle during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (81) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Special Team warmups during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) and cornerback James Pierre (42) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
A young fan during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (25) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre (42) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (80) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo (73) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Interior view of the stadium during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end/fullback Connor Heyward (83), center Zach Frazier (54), wide receiver Scotty Miller (13) and tight end Darnell Washington (80) during a regular season game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end/fullback Connor Heyward (83) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
The line of scrimmage during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (81) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Fans during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Fans during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Interior view of fans during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Juan Thornhill (22) and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers guard Mason McCormick (66) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (80) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin after a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
All about yourself: The Steelers could see a change in the defense they have become accustomed to over the years from the Bengals, with new defensive coordinator Al Golden.
Golden, who spent the last three seasons at Notre Dame, is in his first season in the role with the Bengals and that newness can create challenges.
"They have a new defensive coordinator in Al Golden. That certainly has our attention," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "There's intimacy in these divisional relationships. Most cases, you know them, they know you, and it creates an awesome chess match that's competitive and challenging and fun.
"They probably have a better handle on what we're capable of in this component of the match-up. Not highly familiar with Coach Golden's schematics. Just getting a first look at it.
"They're doing some things differently than they have done in the past, and that's reasonable to expect when you have a new coordinator. Because it is a short week, that really has our attention.
"We're really working with some urgency there. We've got to be good. We can't be surprised by any schematics, obviously. So, we'll be working around the clock to level the playing field in terms of familiarity in that area."
Tight end Jonnu Smith knows that might be a challenge for the coaches, but from a player's standpoint, the focus is on what each of them has to do as opposed to what the opponent is doing.
"You always got to focus on yourself," said Smith "It starts with yourself.
"At the end of the day, you can study your opponent as much as you can. But if you're not prepared and confident in what your plan of attack is, then you don't really put yourself in a position to win.
"The reality of it is we can watch as much tape as we should. We can do all those things that it takes to put us in the best position to win, but that doesn't guarantee us a win. And what I mean by that is, our opponents, as much as we can come out there (prepared), they have a different plan that week.
"So, we've got to focus on ourselves regardless always. It has always been about us and always will be about us."
A clear vision: When the Steelers signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers not long before the team's minicamp in the summer, Coach Mike Tomlin didn't have a full-out preconceived notion of what the offense would look like with the four-time NFL MVP at the helm.
Yes, he had a vision of what it could be, but nothing where he had a outline as to where the team would be at this point.
But the ideas that he did have, well, five games in with a 4-1 record, they have been confirmed.
"I certainly had an overall vision of what it could look like, but it wasn't so detailed that I could compare it to our present state," said Tomlin. "I think sometimes when you're inflexible from a planning perspective in that way, you're not adaptable enough to be what you need to be.
"A lot of ideas certainly that we had about what it would look like have been confirmed, but you really don't know what you've got until you get it. Being around him day-to-day and that component of it, his experience, what's natural and fluid for him, the relationships that he's able to develop with others, all of that's a component of the equation that could alter the vision component.
"I'm never too married to a vision. It's certainly moving in the general direction that I anticipated it doing, but it's also reasonable to expect that to continue as we push forward."
Receiver DK Metcalf said nothing has surprised him about Rodgers, because he went in to playing with him with an open mind.
"I don't go into a relationship or a teammate or one-on-one with a person expecting for them to act a certain way," said Metcalf. "I let them show me everything that they want to show me or talk to me how they want to talk to me, and then I'll be the judge of that from the rest.
"What I've seen and heard from him is he loves the game of football, loves hanging out, loves the people who are playing for him and works hard. I can respect a guy like that, especially with the work that he's put in since I was 3, I want to say, in the league. He's done this for a long time at a long clip. Just happy he's throwing me the ball."
Bringing you the action: For fans who don't want to miss any of the action, NFL+ is here, which means you can now watch the Steelers live and on the go! Watch live local and primetime regular season games on mobile, plus NFL RedZone, NFL Network, live audio and more - all in one place.
