Bengals' Burrow seeks rare 4-TD streak against Steelers' stingy defense
Cincinnati's offense aims for a historic run in Sunday Night Football, while the Titans' Tony Pollard faces a Jacksonville defense rebuilt via five draft picks.
By Alyssa Parker ·
Joe Burrow has a chance to join Peyton Manning in NFL history this Sunday night. If the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback records at least four total touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he becomes the second player ever to post four-plus total touchdowns in five consecutive games. Burrow is currently the first player in league history to combine a completion percentage of 70% or higher with four or more total touchdowns in four straight games. The Bengals hold the second-highest scoring offense in the league at 30 points per game.
The Steelers, however, present a formidable obstacle. Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed just 12 total touchdowns in eight games. That total is tied for the second-fewest in the NFL, trailing only the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed 11. The Steelers have allowed only 18.0 points per game, tying them for the fourth-fewest in the league. When these two teams met in Week 3, the Steelers won 30-27 after Burrow fumbled with 53 seconds remaining. He completed 28 of 37 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns in that loss.
In other matchups, the Jacksonville Jaguars have undergone a major defensive overhaul. Before the trade deadline on Monday, the Jaguars held the No. 2 scoring defense at 15.1 points per game allowed. They acquired three players: defensive tackle Jordan Davis, safety Jessie Bates III, and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. The trade cost the Jaguars a 2027 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, a 2028 fifth-round pick, a 2028 sixth-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick. These three new defenders will make their debut against the Tennessee Titans.
Tennessee running back Tony Pollard is in contract year and is making a strong case for an extension. He is the fourth player in Titans history to rush for 100-plus yards and multiple touchdowns in consecutive games. In Week 7 against Cleveland, he rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. In Week 8 at Cincinnati, he rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Only Derrick Henry, Chris Johnson, and Earl Campbell have achieved this feat for the franchise.
The Minnesota Vikings are testing a new quarterback dynamic after trading a third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Kirk Cousins. The Vikings currently have the league's best defense but the second-fewest offensive touchdowns with 12, tied for the fewest by a team with a 6-2 or better start since 1950. Cousins leads the league with 20 passing touchdowns. He returns to Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, who have the second-most takeaways with 19 and the second-most interceptions with 13.
Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney leads the league with five interceptions. Fellow safety Evan Williams has three, tying him for seventh in the NFL. The Packers are expected to disrupt Cousins, who has a 98.9 average passing yards per game with Justin Jefferson, the best mark for any quarterback and receiver pair with at least 50 games played together.
In Kansas City, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson faces a tough test. He leads the league with 880 rushing yards. He has 6,778 career scrimmage yards, the fifth-most in NFL history before age 25. The Chiefs defense allows 17.9 points per game, ranking third best in the league. They have allowed just 12 touchdowns, tying the Steelers for the second-fewest. The Chiefs also allow just 97.5 rushing yards per game, the 10th fewest in the NFL.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will face Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. Watson has been sacked 33 times, the most in the league. Anderson has 9.5 sacks, the most in the league through nine weeks. Watson’s average time to throw is 3.08 seconds, the ninth-longest among qualified quarterbacks. He will throw to rookie receivers KC Concepcion and Benzel Boston.
