Not sure which outcome was more shocking this week: the winless Jets over the 9-4 Rams, or the painfully undermanned Bengals over the formerly undefeated Steelers. A great case could be made that Cincy's victory was simply nuts. Their starters included a third-string QB with a career 54.3 passer rating and a backup RB who's steadily declined since 2017. They had no business taking this one.
But then I go back to Week 12, when I wrote on this page that Pittsburgh was the worst 11-0 team in NFL history. Sure, we can blame their recent struggles on injuries. But just as in fantasy, that's no excuse. Every team deals with injuries. Ugly throws by Big Ben, too many dropped passes, a supposedly elite defense that sometimes looks lost against B-team-caliber offenses . . . The Steelers were lucky to reach 11-0. With Indy and Cleveland on deck, no one should be surprised if they finish 11-5 and start the playoffs on the road.
Keep in mind their three four RBs are 22-25 years old. Their four main WRs are 22-24. This is a largely untested unit. Ben missed all but two games last year. There's still time to right the ship. They're still atop the AFC North. But as they said on last night's broadcast, the last time this franchise failed to score 20 points in four straight games was Ben's rookie season in 2004.
Fantasy-wise, Benny Snell got it done. But if the often-injured James Conner returns against the Colts, can we trust him knowing Snell is capable of poaching touches? Former back-end WR1 Chase Claypool hasn't caught more than three balls in his last three contests. Would anyone feel comfortable starting him as a WR3? JuJu Smith-Schuster hasn't cracked 10 points in three of his last five games. And Ben clearly hasn't given up on Diontae Johnson despite all the drops, making Johnson their only frequently reliable must-start receiver.
For Cincy, fantasy-wise this game proved nothing. Ryan Finley is a third-stringer for a reason. If he starts next week, the Texans' D (yes, the Texans) should do better than Pittsburgh did tonight. With Gio Bernard as TD-dependent as ever, I can't recommend any Bengal in Week 16.