The Pittsburgh Steelers hit a snag last week, after rolling to a five-game win streak that included wins over both Washington and Baltimore. They were tripped up on a visit to Ohio — a snowy one, in a loss to Cleveland on a Thursday night — but after the mini-bye, they’re back in the Buckeye state, and this time trying to avoid getting tagged again, this time by the Bengals. Cincinnati is a great passing team, leading the league in yards per game, but they’re in dire straits with five one-score losses to teams that would be in the playoffs today. They may need to win out to have a shot at the playoffs, but in any single game, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase can make a massive difference.
In the NFC, the Cardinals are in Minnesota to face the quietly 9-2 Vikings. Arizona is tied for the NFC West lead, but the Vikings have been as steady as they come at the top of the NFC this year. Yes, they play in maybe the toughest division in football — the NFC North has three of the league’s nine eight-win teams heading into Week 13 — but they can take another step toward securing a playoff spot with a win over a division contender at home.
(No byes this week)
