Next opponent: What can Browning do for the Bengals?

After losing to the Browns last week, the Steelers are now thrust into a must-win scenario in order to have a chance at the division crown and maintain pace in the AFC playoff picture. But up next, the Steelers will go back to Ohio, this time to face a banged-up-yet-hungry Bengals team that's played far below expectations.

Here's a breakdown of what Cincinnati brings into Week 12:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Record: 5-5
Standing: Fourth, AFC North
Last result: Lost to Ravens, 34-20

THE TREND

Needless to say, 2023 has not gone as those in southwestern Ohio expected. Instead of being the Super Bowl contender they were thought to be prior to the season, the Bengals are in the cellar of the AFC North -- granted, the toughest division in football -- with some tough sledding the rest of the way.

The biggest reason for the Bengals' underwhelming performance thus far has centered around franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. A calf injury during training camp threw a dark cloud over the team, and Burrow simply wasn't himself during an 0-2 start to the season when the Bengals were stifled, 24-3, by the Browns in the season opener, then lost by three to the Ravens in their home opener in Week 2.

Through Week 11, Burrow's numbers were rather pedestrian, at least for the standard we've expected after two phenomenal seasons. He's completed 66.8% of his passes for 2,309 yards, but is averaging only 6.3 yards per attempt, the lowest of his career. Even so, after the team fell to 1-3 with an embarrassing 27-3 loss to the Titans, the Bengals rattled off four straight wins -- including victories over the 49ers and Bills -- to improve to 5-3, earning a spot in the AFC playoff picture.

However, the Bengals have now lost two straight and are now 0-3 in the division. More importantly, Burrow is now out for the remainder of the season with a torn ligament in his wrist. With their starting quarterback out and the defense ranking near the bottom of the league, the Bengals are limping into Week 12.

THE QUARTERBACK

With Burrow out, the Bengals will turn to Jake Browning, a 27-year-old undrafted quarterback with 15 NFL passes under his belt. But, before you judge him, some background on Browning paints him in a bit of a different light.

Prior to his NFL career, Browning excelled at both the high school and college levels. At California's Folsom High, Browning was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons, and also set state records for passing yards (16,675) and touchdowns (229). He played his college ball at Washington, where he threw for 12,296 yards and 94 touchdowns, both of which were school records.

In 2017, Browning suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery, and his draft stock plummeted. He went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the Vikings. He spent two seasons in Minnesota, but was waived during final cuts ahead of the 2021 season. He signed with the Bengals a week later and has remained in Cincinnati since.

Browning's only had one extended look at the NFL level, taking over for Burrow when he exited last week's game with his season-ending injury. And, Browning didn't do too bad, completing eight of 14 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He made some NFL-caliber throws and reads, and made the Ravens pay a couple times with his legs. This breakdown really highlights what Browning can do:

Of course, the Steelers typically do well against inexperienced quarterbacks. But, Browning showed that he's capable of executing throws within the Bengals' system, and Cincinnati won't handle him the same way Cleveland handled Dorian Thomspon-Robinson last week. Expect some aggressive throws here and there, and apparently the Bengals aren't dumbing down the playbook for Browning. The Steelers will have to be buttoned up in that regard to limit chunk plays.

THE OFFENSE

The supporting cast to the quarterback hasn't changed much for the Bengals. Just as the Steelers want to run the ball to be successful, the Bengals want to throw it. And, with their cast of receivers, it's understandable.

Ja'Marr Chase is the alpha, and is having yet another great year, despite a really slow start. He's caught 71 passes for 833 yards and six touchdowns thus far, with all three of those stats being at least top 10 in the NFL. Browning's first and only touchdown pass was to Chase. He's a force, regardless of who's at quarterback.

Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd complete a dangerous trio of receivers, though Higgins has missed some time due to injury this season. Boyd is averaging less than 10 yards per reception, but is catching 70.1% of his targets, which is highest among Bengals' receivers. Tanner Hudson is also a nice complement at tight end, hauling in 18 passes for 175 yards in five games.

Joe Mixon is still the feature back in Cincinnati, though his season on the ground's been a bit underwhelming. He's carried the ball 153 times for 605 yards and four touchdowns. Of course, he's a threat out of the backfield in the passing game, as he's caught 31 passes this season, which is third on the team.

Overall, this offense hasn't been nearly as scary as it was expected to be. The Bengals rank 19th in passing (217.8 YPG), 30th in rushing (80.9 YPG) and 21st in scoring (20.2 PPG). They're averaging only 4.8 yards per play, which is tied for 25th in the NFL. They're also converting only 35.7% of their third downs, which ranks 22nd in the NFL. They are pretty good in the red zone, turning 59.3% of their trips into touchdowns (8th in the NFL), and their eight turnovers are tied with the Steelers and Chargers for least in the NFL.

THE DEFENSE

The biggest reason for the Bengals' issues this season falls on this side of the football, puzzling as it may be.

The Bengals have a solid front built around Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard on the edge with DJ Reader and B.J. Hill in the interior. Much like the Steelers, their 26 sacks ranks near the middle of the pack, so they can get after the quarterback, though it's not nearly as overpowering as they'd like it to be.

Pretty much, Hendrickson is a one-man wrecking crew in regards to this Bengals pass rush. He's got 9.5 sacks this season, and after the way Dan Moore Jr. got worked by Myles Garrett last week, there's concern for Kenny Pickett's blindside with this kind of speed off the edge:

As for the rest of the Bengals' defense, it gets rather ugly from there. They're giving up 6.1 yards per play; only the Broncos are worse. They rank 27th in pass defense (247.8 YPG), and are giving up 8.0 yards per attempt, which is second-to-last in the NFL. They rank second-to-last in run defense (138.3 YPG) and are allowing 22.6 points per game, which is tied for 20th in the NFL. Opposing offenses are converting 43.8% of their third downs against the Bengals, which is the fifth-worst mark in the league.

The only redeeming quality? Same as the Steelers, it comes down to splash plays. In addition to being able to pressure the quarterback, the Bengals are tied for sixth in the NFL with 18 takeaways, 12 of which are interceptions, the second-most in the NFL. Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt leads the way with four picks, Logan Wilson has three, Germaine Pratt and Daxton Hill each have two and former Steelers slot corner Mike Hilton has one.

THE SPECIAL TEAMS

Evan McPherson remains the Bengals' kicker, and his strong leg shortens the field for the Bengals' offense. However, he's made only six of 10 field goal attempts from beyond 50 yards this season. Charlie Jones and Trenton Irwin have each had a hand in punt return duties this season, though Jones has the upper hand as the primary guy. It's well earned, as he's rattled off an 81-yard return for a touchdown this season.

THE INJURY REPORT

• Joe Burrow, QB (right wrist) -- Hasn't been placed on injured reserve yet, so he's on the Bengals' injury report. He obviously has not practice this week and won't play Sunday.

• Tee Higgins, WR (hamstring) -- Higgins has missed the past two games, and now missed all of this week's practice. He's been ruled out for Sunday. Irwin is the one to step up to play alongside Chase and Boyd, but this is still a significant loss for the Bengals' passing game.

• Cam Taylor-Britt, CB (quad) -- Taylor-Britt suffered the injury last week against the Ravens, and missed practice all week. He's also been ruled out, and that's a big loss for the Bengals' secondary, as he leads the team with four interceptions.

• Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB (knee) -- He was limited on Wednesday and Thursday, but fully practiced on Friday and didn't get any injury designation for Sunday. He's good to go.

• B.J. Hill, DT (knee) -- Same as Davis-Gaither, Hill was limited on both Wednesday and Thursday, but practiced fully on Friday and will play Sunday.

• Sam Hubbard, DE (ankle) -- Same situation as Davis-Gaither and Hill. Hubbard is good to go for Sunday.

• Andrei Iosivas, WR (knee) -- After being limited on Wednesday, the rookie receiver fully practiced on Thursday and Friday, which is the first time he's done so since he injured his knee Nov. 12 against the Texans. He's been cleared to play.

• Chase Brown, RB (hamstring) -- Seeking a return this Sunday after missing the last four games, and he's been a full participant all week in practice. He's only got two carries for six yards and three catches for seven yards this season, but everyone is expecting those numbers to expand when he returns. He's officially questionable for Sunday.

• Trenton Irwin, WR (hip) -- Irwin's on the injury report, but he's full participated in practice all week. He's expected to be the guy to step up should Higgins be ruled out with his hamstring injury.

• D'Ante Smith, OT (knee) -- Smith popped up on Thursday's injury report as a limited participant, then didn't practice on Friday. He's listed as doubtful for Sunday. Smith is the backup to Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle.

• Germaine Pratt, LB (illness) -- Pratt popped up on Friday's report with an illness, and it's enough for him to be listed as questionable for Sunday. We'll be watching for Sunday morning's inactives list to see if the illness is bad enough to keep him from playing.

QUOTABLE

"He gets the moment he's been waiting for his whole career. I'm proud of him for going through that the right way and getting to where he is today, and now we've got the confidence that he can go win games for us." -- Head coach Zac Taylor on Jake Browning

"I think that's why most of the receivers love Jake. We're all surprised he'll throw it deep. He doesn't let us know he's going to throw it. That keeps the receivers alert on any route we have. Jake and I weren't on it in the offseason, but we're going to get the chance for some downfield throws now. It's all about timing and preparation. As long as we get the timing down now, I think we'll find it. Take shots when we get them. It's just how the defense reacts and plays. That's the biggest keys always when it comes to deep shots." -- Ja'Marr Chase on Jake Browning wanting to be aggressive throwing the ball

"I got that chip on my shoulder and a lot of confidence. I've had to earn everything. This has not been, you're the guy and here are the keys. Or, you're the backup and here are the keys. A lot of meetings in the offseason. 'It's this guy's job to lose.' That's the most frustrating thing you can hear. It doesn't matter how well you play. Someone else has to lose it. You're hoping that someone else sucks. Now when you get into an offseason and it's an open competition, I'm happy as hell. For some guys, that would be something they feel like they're entitled to the backup spot." -- Jake Browning on getting his opportunity to start