The Bengals host their annual White Bengal game on Thursday Night Football against the Steelers in Week 7.

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Scouting Report

By: Michael Hull

Steelers Offense

The Steelers' win on Sunday moved them to 4-1, their best start since 2020, when they started 11-0 and lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the Browns.

QB Aaron Rodgers completed 21-of-30 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns Sunday against Cleveland, marking his 111th career game with at least two passing touchdowns and no interceptions. Rodgers also moved into third all-time for the most passing touchdowns by a player at least 40 years of age, trailing only Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

On the year, Rodgers has completed 68.8% of his passes for 1,021 yards, 10 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Under Rodgers, Pittsburgh ranks 14th with 23.8 points per game and has averaged the ninth-fewest passing yard per game (193.8) and the fourth-fewest total yards per game (277.8). Per NFL Next Gen Stats, 29.3% of Pittsburgh's passes this season have been behind the line of scrimmage, the highest rate in the league. Rodgers has gotten the ball out quickly, as 54.3% of his throws have come in under 2.5 seconds, the second-highest rate in the NFL.

The Steelers have also averaged the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game (84.0). The team drafted Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he's played a total of 26 snaps this season. Jaylen Warren leads the backfield in attempts with 54 in four games played after missing Week 4 against the Vikings in London. Kenneth Gainwell has been the team's most efficient back, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He's also the only Steeler to record a rushing touchdown, finding the end zone three times on the ground.

Pittsburgh brought in former Seahawks WR DK Metcalf this offseason, who has predictably been their go-to option in the pass game. Metcalf has caught 19 passes for 356 yards, ranking 17th in the NFL among receivers, and four touchdowns, tied for fifth among wideouts. Metcalf's 82.2 PFF Offensive grade ranks seventh among receivers with at least 10 targets this season. The Rodgers-Metcalf connection has been one of the best in football this season: The duo has produced the second-highest passer rating among QB-receiver connections in the NFL, trailing only Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka (min. 25 targets), according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Pittsburgh receivers have combined for 32 receptions this season, 19 fewer than any other team. Gainwell is second on the team in targets (21), followed closely by TE Jonnu Smith (20). Per NFL Next Gen Stats, 71.8% of Pittsburgh's pass yards have come after the catch, the highest rate in the NFL.

Steelers Defense

As usual, the Steelers' defense has been the driving force behind their success. The unit has posted the fifth-highest PFF Defensive grade (72.9) in the NFL so far this season. The Steelers have allowed the 14th-fewest points per game (21.4), but they haven't allowed more than 21 points in a game since Week 1.

Pittsburgh's pass rush ranks fourth in the NFL with an 85.0 pass-rush grade. Edge rusher Nick Herbig leads the team with 20 pressures in four games played, while T.J. Watt has generated 19. Both Herbig and Watt rank in the top 25 in PFF pass-rush grade of all defenders with at least 25 pass-rush snaps. Pittsburgh has 20 total sacks this season, tied for the second-most in the NFL, and is coming off a six-sack performance in Week 6.

Pittsburgh ranks 14th in PFF run defense grade (70.1) and has allowed 110.6 yards per game on the ground.

On the back end, the Steelers have allowed the sixth-most passing yards per game (245.0). They have posted the 11th-highest PFF coverage grade (59.7) in the league. CB Joey Porter Jr. missed three games with injury but returned last week against the Browns, allowing three receptions for 26 yards on six targets. CB Jalen Ramsey, who the team traded for from Miami before the season, has posted a 69.6 coverage grade, ranking 29th among cornerbacks with at least 20 coverage snaps. Ramsey's allowed 16 receptions on 22 targets for 183 yards and one touchdown and has an interception.

What to Watch For

By: Diego Branda

Veteran QB Matchup

Thursday night's game will be the third in NFL history that features two starting quarterbacks above the age of 40, as Joe Flacco (40 years old) leads the Bengals while Aaron Rodgers (41) will be under center for the Steelers.

Both quarterbacks have a chance to climb the NFL's all-time passing yardage leaderboard this week. Rodgers' 63,973 career yards are 115 shy of former Steeler Ben Roethlisberger for fifth in league history, while Flacco's tally of 46,731 is just 190 short of current Giants backup Russell Wilson for 15th.

Thanks in large part to his 11-year tenure with Baltimore, no active quarterback has faced the Steelers more than Joe Flacco. In 22 regular-season games played against Pittsburgh, Flacco holds an even 11-11 record and has completed 61 percent of his passing attempts for 5,028 yards and 27 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.

Last season, Flacco faced the Steelers in Week 4 while playing for Indianapolis and completed 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards and two scores to help lead the Colts to a 27-24 victory.

Through his first six starts for Pittsburgh, Rodgers has thrown for 1,021 yards and 10 touchdowns with just three picks, good for a 105.4 passer rating.

Turner Continues Breakout Season

DJ Turner II has established himself as a premier shutdown cornerback for the Bengals in his third pro season. His 11 passes defensed on the year lead the NFL and already are a career high, surpassing his previous high of eight in 2024.

In Week 6 at Green Bay, Turner recorded five PDs, the most in a game by a Bengals player since former cornerback Johnathan Joseph also had five on Nov. 8, 2009 against Baltimore.

Turner's second PD last Sunday was a deflected pass that led to Geno Stone’s interception on the game's opening drive.

"I thought DJ showed up big time," said head coach Zac Taylor after the Packers game. "I thought he made a lot of plays on the ball. He operates with a lot of confidence. He practices hard — it's important to him. I've seen a lot of leadership qualities from him, and so I was excited. I'm not surprised that he did a great job getting his hands on balls and he was there in some key moments."

Ja'Marr Eyes Down 6K Yards

After notching his 50th career touchdown catch last week at Lambeau Field, Ja’Marr Chase zeroes in on his next milestone: 6,000 receiving yards. He enters Thursday night with 5,893 yards in his career, needing 107 to hit the 6K mark.

Should Chase reach the milestone in what will be his 68th career regular-season game, he would become the fifth-fastest player in NFL history to so do. The only players to record 6,000 receiving yards in fewer games were Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (62 games), Minnesota's Justin Jefferson (62), former Atlanta All-Pro Julio Jones (64) and former New York Giant Odell Beckham Jr. (67).

Chase's 468 receiving yards through six games this season rank fifth in the NFL. He posted over 100 yards in both of the Bengals' previous home contests, with a season-best 165 in Week 2 against Jacksonville and 110 in Week 5 versus Detroit.

2K on the Horizon for Perine

Samaje Perine has contributed 68 rushing yards this season in his second career stint with the Bengals, and he heads into Thursday at 1,990 yards over nine pro seasons.

Perine, who has shown his versatility as an all-around back throughout his career, also has 185 catches for 1,537 yards. Should he log 10 yards on the ground against the Steelers, he would be the 14th active NFL player with at least 2,000 career rushing yards and 1,500 receiving yards.

Sixth Installment of the White Bengal

Thursday night will feature the sixth time Cincinnati sports the fan-favorite White Bengal look, which consists of the team's white jersey, white pants, white socks and alternate white helmet. The Bengals are 4-1 in their previous five White Bengal games.

Three of those games were played at Paycor Stadium, including the debut of the White Bengal in Week 4 of the 2022 season against Miami on Thursday Night Football. Cincinnati defeated the Dolphins 27-15 that night in front of a record attendance of 67,260.

The Bengals' other wins when donning the white helmets came in Week 11 of 2022 at Pittsburgh, Week 3 of 2023 against the L.A. Rams (Monday Night Football), and Week 13 of 2023 at Jacksonville (MNF).

This week, the Bengals again are accentuating the White Bengal environment by painting the end zones and midfield logo white, while also wrapping the walls that surround the sidelines in white décor. Fans at Paycor are encouraged to wear white apparel to create a stadium-wide "White Out" atmosphere.

Check out the Bengals 2025 Schedule.