Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh weighed in on Sunday night’s crucial AFC North showdown between the Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We’ve got to get off the bus and stop the run,” Houshmandzadeh said on the Speakeasy podcast. “If we stop the run, game’s over. Game is over. They don’t believe in DK [Metcalf]… Our right tackle, Amarius Mims, he good as gold. Ain’t no pressure coming from that side. I don’t give a f*** who’s rushing that side.”

Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims is having a first-team All-Pro type of season. T.J. Watt is off to a strong start too with 7.5 sacks, however.

Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon strip-sacked Burrow late in the game to seal a 30-27 win. Sebastian Joseph-Day came up with the recovery.

The Bengals felt like they let one slip away, as they had two critical special teams errors in addition to the Burrow fumble.

Ke’Shawn Williams, who used to be with the Steelers, made a massive mistake against his former team, and it cost him his job.

The Bengals released Williams on Tuesday, Sept. 29, after a crucial muffed punt. Williams’ mishap in the fourth quarter allowed Pittsburgh to tie the game at 27-27 before kicking another field goal to win, 30-27.

Bengals defensive end Cedric Johnson also had a roughing the punter penalty on Cam Johnston that extended a Steelers drive in the third quarter. The Steelers ended up scoring a touchdown on the possession.

“Joe [Burrow] held on to the ball, tried to scramble to the left …

“We were in field goal range. He ain’t going to make that same mistake…,” Houshmandzadeh said. “If we are slowing down Jaylen Warren and he’s not getting 4 to 7 yards a pop, game’s over. If it’s a shootout, they can’t keep up… They’re not stopping us… They already beat us. They’re not sweeping us.”

The Steelers-Bengals game on Sunday Night Football in Week 10 will mark the first non-September primetime AFC North matchup between two teams with .750+ win percentages since 1975, according to Pro Grid Sports. The last time it happened was in 1975, between the Steelers and the Houston Oilers in the old AFC Central.

While the Steelers had a bye in Week 9, the Bengals beat the Atlanta Falcons, 34-17, on Sunday in Madrid. Cincinnati’s offense has been red-hot lately. Burrow, who has a 23-6 touchdown-interception ratio this season, has thrown three or more touchdowns in each of the last four games.

The Bengals’ win over the Falcons moves them to 6-2 overall and in a first-place tie with the Steelers, who hold the tiebreaker thanks to their head-to-head win over the Bengals in Week 3.

The Steelers will be playing for first place for the second game in a row. Before their Week 9 bye, the 5-2 Steelers played the 5-2 Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium in Week 8, with the Steelers’ 27-6 win putting them alone at the top of the division.

The Steelers and Bengals have split their last two season series, with the Steelers earning the last sweep in the rivalry in 2023. The Steelers last won in Cincinnati in 2024.