The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are set to clash on Thursday Night Football. These two teams are on very different trajectories. The Steelers are 4-1 and hope to extend their division lead, and the Bengals have lost their last four, but hope Joe Flacco can turn their fortunes around tonight.

With a win, the Steelers would be 5-1 and in a prime position to lead the AFC North race for the rest of the year. However, if the Bengals win, this could be the beginning of a turnaround, and just maybe they can stay afloat until Joe Burrow returns.

This game will end up having some serious playoff implications down the line, one way or another. Here are some storylines, players to watch, and bold predictions for TNF.

Key Storylines

Can Joe Flacco lead the Bengals to a much-needed victory?

Joe Flacco was very disappointing in his first four games this season with the Cleveland Browns. He threw for 815 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions, but as soon as he got some weapons like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, he went off for 219 yards and two scores against a very good Green Bay Packers defense.

Now, he faces yet another stingy defense. The Steelers just held Flacco’s former team to nine points, but with these new weapons at his disposal, can he find success against Pittsburgh? I think he can, but the Steelers should be able to score quite a bit on the Bengals’ defense, which ranks 30th in scoring, so I’m not sure it’ll be enough to keep up.

Also, a fun note: Flacco is 11-11 against the Steelers in his career. Tonight will tip the scales one way or another.

Can anyone outside of DK Metcalf step up for Pittsburgh?

DK Metcalf has been on a tear this season. Through five games, Metcalf has caught 19 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns. He’s averaging 18.7 yards per reception, and he leads the team in receiving by a country mile. So, the question is, can anyone outside of Metcalf step up in the pass game?

The Bengals are going to key in on Metcalf. He’s their only real receiving threat, and if they can slow him down, they can slow the Steelers’ entire pass game down. They have Clavin Austin Jr., who’s a fine receiver, but he only has 10 catches for 139 yards this year and has been ruled out for the game. The only other two WRs with a catch for the Steelers are Ben Skowronek and Roman Wilson, who have one and two, respectively.

Obviously, stopping Metcalf is a lot easier said than done, but someone needs to step up. He can’t do it all by himself, and with Austin Jr. out, Skowronek or Wilson need to step up.

Will the Bengals’ OL hold up?

One thing that makes the Steelers’ defense so dangerous is their pass rush. Through five games, the Steelers have 20 sacks, and they come from everywhere. TJ Watt has 3.5, Nick Herbig has 4.5, Derrick Harmon has two, and even Jalen Ramsey has a pair. This week, they face a Bengals OL that ranks 29th in run blocking, per PFF.

This could be a massacre. Not only do the Bengals have one of the worst pass-blocking OLs in the league, but they have arguably the least mobile QB in the league. Last week, Flacco got the ball out in an average of 2.35 seconds. He’s going to have to average a very similar number this week if he wants to avoid being sacked 4+ times.

Players to Watch

TJ Watt (OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers)

TJ Watt is one of the most dominant pass rushers you’ll ever lay your eyes on. He may not be having an All-Pro season, but he’s still playing very good football right now. Through five games, Watt has logged 19 pressures, 10 hurries, and 3.5 sacks, and I think he’s in for a big game against a very weak Bengals OL. If he gets after Flacco all night long, the Bengals have no shot in this game.

Ja’Marr Chase (WR, Cincinnati Bengals)

This just feels like a game that Ja’Marr Chase could take over. It felt like we’ve been waiting for a big game from Chase all season (we being his fantasy owners), and they’ve finally come in the last couple of games. He’s finding his rhythm, and if the Bengals want to win, they know they need to get him the ball early and often.

Chase is very much a downfield threat, but he’s also very slippery in the open field. Flacco doesn’t need to hold the ball for 3+ seconds and launch it downfield to get him involved. They can work him in the screen and short passing game, and he can be just as effective.

There’s just something in my gut telling me this could be a 150+ yard game for Chase. Flacco targeted him 12 times in his first game with the Bengals, and that number could rise this week.

DJ Turner (CB, Cincinnati Bengals)

DJ Turner has been one of the lone bright spots on the Bengals’ defense. He has been locked down this season, allowing just 44.4 percent of his targets to be caught for 182 yards and one touchdown. He’s broken up 11 passes, picked off one, and has given up a 64.1 passer rating.

This week, Turner will be tasked with covering DJ Metcalf. He will be given some help at times, but for the most part, he’s going to be on an island with himself. If he can win that matchup and take Metcalf out of the game, the Steelers’ offense is REALLY going to struggle.

If Turner can win that matchup, I think the Bengals’ odds to win this game skyrocket. But if he gets beaten consistently, then the Steelers could run away with this game pretty early.

Bold Predictions

Aaron Rodgers throws for under 150 yards

This season, Aaron Rodgers has thrown for under 200 yards just one time. The New England Patriots held him to just 139 yards, but he still tossed a couple of scores in the win. This week, I think it will be a similar story.

With Austin Jr. out and Metcalf facing one of his toughest CB matchups of the season, passing yards could be limited on Thursday. I also think the Steelers will find a lot of success on the ground, which will also play a big factor in Rodgers’ passing yards.

If the Bengals can limit the damage Rodgers does through the air, they’ll have a pretty good shot at pulling off the upset.

Under 20 total points are scored in this game

The over/under for this game is set at 44.5 points, but I think this game is going to go way under. Is there a world where the Steelers’ offense decimates the Bengals’ defense and Joe Flacco actually puts up 17-24 points? Definitely, but with some injuries to both offenses, I wouldn’t be too surprised if this is more of a defensive game than an offensive game.

If Turner can take Metcalf out of the game, I think the Steelers offense could really struggle. It’s a big ask, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I also think that the Steelers’ pass rush could completely neutralize what the Bengals want to do offensively.

I could see it going either way, but it’s Thursday night and an AFC North matchup. Tell me it doesn’t just feel like a 13-7 type of ball game.

Bengals miss game-tying field goal with under a minute to go

Do I think the Bengals have any business hanging around with the Steelers? No. Do I think AFC North games are always scrappy and unpredictable? Yes.

I see a world where Joe Flacco gets the ball out quickly to his weapons and they just go off. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and even Chase Brown could all have big games on Thursday if the Steelers’ defense isn’t careful, so there is a very clear path for this game to be close in the fourth quarter, and I think the Bengals could have a shot to send this to overtime or potentially win it with a late kick.