The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the odds to make it to the postseason despite missing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for four games due to injuries. Now, they will face the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals in Saturday's AFC wild-card matchup at Paul Brown Stadium.
Here's what you need to know about the Saturday's game:
Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Date and Times: January 9, 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: CBS Sports
Live Stream: CBS Sports Online Broadcast
Notably, the Steelers are 3-point favorites against Cincinnati in this game. However, Pittsburgh running back DeAngelo Williams may be on the sidelines after suffering a foot injury during the regular season. The team is reportedly preparing running back Jordan Todman and rusher Fitzgerald Toussaint to take over the offensive department.
The experience could also be a factor for the team as head coach Mike Tomlin can set effective plays to split the offensive workload between Toussaint and Todman.
Furthermore, tight end Heath Miller, linebacker James Harrison, cornerback William Gay, linebacker Vince Williams and receiver Martavis Bryan returned to the team's practice after suffering a couple of injuries. Sports analysts said it is good news for the team as they head into the Saturday's game.
According to Yahoo Sports, if the Steelers score 30, they have an enormous advantage to beat an AJ McCarron-led Bengals team. Moreover, the Steelers are favored in the Saturday's game because of their explosive offense.
On another hand, Cincinnati Bengals is set to make their fifth-straight postseason appearance. However, their MVP candidate Andy Dalton suffered an injury. Fortunately, the team has some great talent around the quarterback position. The roster is stacked from top to bottom.
Second-year quarterback AJ McCarron will be the replacement for Dalton. The quarterback has gone 2-1 in the first three starts of his career, completing 66.4 percent of his attempts for 854 yards and six touchdowns to two interceptions.
The backup quarterback of Bengals looked very confident and he won't be scared by starting a playoff game, not after the big games he started at the University of Alabama. Experts said he just have to make good plays and have a solid, mistake-free night. Moreover, the Steelers should look for Bengal's early running game. The Cincinnati-based team can make incredible plays on the ground that might be a huge factor to win the matchup.