The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a Thursday Night Football loss in Week 12 to the Cleveland Browns, but they are also coming out of their mini-bye as their AFC North slate of games continues with the Cincinnati Bengals. The next road game will be a challenge with the Bengals offense red-hot, and also coming off their own bye.

This isn’t a gimme game, despite the Bengals’ 4-7 record entering the game. No, the Steelers are prepared for the high-flying offense, and to keep pace with the Bengals on the offensive side of the football.

Tuesday Mike Tomlin met with media to outline what the Steelers will need to do to claim victory, as well as who will be participating in the game Sunday at 1pm EST at Paycor Stadium.

The Steelers had an extra day of work Tuesday, and will have a regular work week starting Wednesday, the first reported day of practice this week. As for injuries, Tomlin spoke about the following individuals who could be returning to action in Week 13.

The biggest name fans were concerned about was the ankle injury to outside linebacker Alex Highsmith (ankle). While Highsmith didn’t participate in the extra practice Tuesday, Tomlin said they are leaning in on a return for the pass rusher. As always, his quality of participation will be the team’s guide to his potential availability.

The 21-day window continues to tick down for cornerback Cory Trice (hamstring), and Tomlin said Trice is continually working his way back. In other words, there is a real chance the Steelers could activate Trice to the 53-man roster in this week.

Another player who could see his return to practice, and his 21-day window opened, is Montravius Adams (knee). Tomlin said Adams could come off Injured Reserve (IR) and return to the team after sitting for four games with his specific knee injury.

Outside of injuries, Tomlin spoke about the team’s need to make plays in weighty moments, something they failed to do on Thursday in Cleveland. Tomlin cited the offense not being able to execute the 4-minute offense and ice away the game, and also the poor punt by Corliss Waitman following the three-and-out.

In regards to the Bengals, Tomlin spoke about Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase being one of the most lethal tandems in the league, and the challenge it will present to the Steelers defense. As for the Cincinnati defense. Tomlin talked at length about Sam Hubbard and a secondary who might be underrated across the league. Of course, Tomlin gave his props to former Steelers defensive back Mike Hilton who continues to make plays for the Bengals in 2024.

During the question and answer portion of the podcast, Tomlin was asked about the lack of sack production for the defense, which he cites player absence as a reason why, but he did say the lack of pass rush is relative to the defense winning in particular moments. If the Steelers blitz, the back end better hold up to avoid a big play. When asked about T.J. Watt moving to the other side of the defensive line, Tomlin said as they get more people back they’ll have more flexibility.

As for the Steelers short-yardage woes, Tomlin spoke about the replay assist variable in-game which has confounded the team and their quick decision making as a potential reason for the issues in short-yardage. Tomlin admitted the need to be better in that area, and that includes the coaching staff adjusting on the fly.

A lot of time was spent talking about the Justin Fields package of plays in the offense, and Tomlin said he is more than willing to use the package in a variety of ways, but isn’t about to announce those in a public setting. He said the usage, and how much it is used, will depend on the opponent, so what you saw in Week 12 wouldn’t necessarily be indicative of what they’ll do in Week 13.

To hear more about the Steelers preparation and comments by Tomlin, check out the Tomlin Press Conference Recap podcast by Dave Schofield wherever you get your podcasts. And be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they press on throughout their AFC North schedule in Cincinnati.