It sounded like a dream scenario: the Cincinnati Bengals, riding a three-game winning streak, head to Pittsburgh to play a Steelers team that looked like it was coming apart at the seams, continuing their quest to make an unlikely run at the playoffs without their biggest star, Joe Burrow.
I was confident. The Steelers players were throwing each other under the bus, and the whole city seemed to be calling for Mike Tomlin’s head. They were without Kenny Pickett, just benched Mitch Trubisky, and they were walking Mason Rudolph out there without an offensive line.