Evaluators choose the biggest games of the 2018 season of the 6th week



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Mike Sando, ESPN's senior editor, asks insiders in the league to choose the winners of certain games each week. Three reviewers joined the panel for Week 6. This week's Games: Steelers-Bengals, Chargers-Browns, Bears-Dolphins, Panthers-Redskins and Chiefs-Patriots.


Sunday: 1 pm ET, CBS | Point of propagation: CIN by 2.5 | Insiders choose: CIN (2/3)

The Steelers are 22-8 against the Bengals during the Marvin Lewis era in Cincinnati. They have won the last five games of the series without allocating more than 20 points to these games. Pittsburgh held the Bengals to 21 points or less in 17 consecutive games between the teams. The Steelers are 13-4 in these games.

Does this change this time?

"I do not believe in high school in Pittsburgh and I think [Andy] Dalton played well, "said an insider picking the Bengals. The ball carrier [Joe Mixon] makes a big difference because he's a real guy. It's a team that no one really talks about that could shock people. I know everyone has seen this before, but they could do something. "

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The Bengals scored at least 27 points in four of their first five games. This was only done once again during Lewis's tenure – in 2015, when the team was on the spot until the injuries annihilated the performance of key players, resulting in a further fall in playoffs .

"Maybe I'm not giving Cincy enough credit, but by watching a few games, I think their line-off may be dominated by Pittsburgh," said the Steelers' choice insider. "Looking at Pittsburgh, their defense plays badly, it's not always pretty, and their high school is sometimes exposed, but their seventh players play so hard with Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, and those guys." Add Bud Dupree and then TJ Watt is coming to the brink with all his blitz, just waiting for everything to come together. "

One problem, all agreed, was the inconsistent play of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With Ryan Shazier absent from defense and Le & # 39; Veon Bell missing the offensive, the Steelers need their quarterback to take over. The perception is that Roethlisberger has not been able to do it. However, his total of 64.2 QBR across five games is similar to his 65.9 QBR through the first five games of all seasons since 2006.

Last season, Roethlisberger actually had more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (six) so far in the season, with a 53.9 QBR. This Steelers team ranks 16th in offensive efficiency and third in defensive efficiency in five games. The current team ranks higher in attack (eighth) and lower in defense (16th).

The absence of Shazier is great. The Steelers allowed 295 yards per game, 17.8 points per game and a total of 41.3 QBRs for the match in the 13th week of 2017, in which Shazier was injured. They are allowing 376 yards per game, 27.3 points per game and 63.7 QBRs to their opponents since then, including the playoffs.

"Pittsburgh looked good against Atlanta, but Atlanta is just not a good team at the moment," said the other insider picking the Bengals. "People do not really realize how much Shazier covered things for this defense with his reach and athleticism.Do not have Shazier and The Vein Bell limit what they can do, and then Joe Mixon's the other side plays this role … for Cincy – The "Veon Bell of a Poor."

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