The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for their second matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2025. Pittsburgh dropped the first game by a score of 33-31, in what was a pathetic showing from the defense. The offense put a ton of points on the board for the Steelers, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers also threw two interceptions that led to 10 points for the Bengals and a halftime lead. It was a bad game for Pittsburgh and the team should have been able to find a way to get the job done, but the defense could not find a way to stop Cincinnati on the ground or through the air.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, OH.
There is no overstating how important these in-division games are, especially with the Baltimore Ravens just one game behind Pittsburgh in the standings now. The Steelers need to find a way to win at home on Sunday against the Bengals, which is going to start with finding a way to slow down Cincinnati's offense. The secondary in Pittsburgh needs to play better than it did in the first matchup, and there should be significant adjustments to the group.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. spoke to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Thursday, and he shared that there is still no clarity on a defensive plan.
"We really don’t know how it’s going to end up," Porter said. "We just know we’re going to be prepared and ready."
Porter and the rest of the secondary certainly have a plan for playing against the Bengals this time around, but he is not going to give any hints about what that plan might be. The Steelers have new faces on the backend that weren't even on the roster the first time the team played Cincinnati, and Jalen Ramsey is also playing more safety now.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey makes a tackle on Colts tight end Tyler Warren during Pittsburgh's 27-20 win in Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season.
The Steelers have changed a lot of things about their defense, and those things have been working in recent weeks. Kyle Dugger was acquired just before the trade deadline and he has fit into the starting lineup really well. Fans are also waiting to see if Asante Samuel Jr. will be elevated off of the practice squad for the game on Sunday. He is a promising young cornerback who was just recently medically cleared to play football again, and he could be a high-impact player immediately.
Personnel changes are one thing, but the Steelers are also going to have to enter this matchup with some significant schematic changes as well. The first time around, quarterback Joe Flacco was able to get to his first read on nearly every dropback. That allowed him to find easy completions while also negating Pittsburgh's pass rush. That can't happen this time around. The defense needs to be able to make Flacco feel uncomfortable, which is the only chance the Steelers have at getting back in the win column.
Steelers Need A Big Game From Joey Porter Jr.
Porter is typically on the receiving end of some unfair criticism. He is a physical cornerback, so he gets flagged a decent amount, but he has only been flagged four times during the 2025 season. He has played well outside of that and he has been the best cornerback on the roster by far. He needs to show up in a big way on Sunday, whether that means covering Tee Higgins or Ja'Marr Chase.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, ОН.
It is arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league, and it isn't going to be easy to slow them down. However, a good game from Porter and the Steelers' new safety duo could make the Bengals' offense a little less potent.
What do you think about the comments from Porter on the defensive plan? Let us know in the comments below!
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