The Steelers beat the Bengals, 23-20, in the regular season open at Cincinnati despite Mixon getting 82 rushing yards and allowing 133 yards on the ground overall as quarterback Joe Burrow had 47 yards on six scrambles.
The key was that it took Mixon 27 carries to get to 82 rushing yards, meaning he averaged 3.0 yards per attempt. The Steelers also sacked Burrow seven times and forced five turnovers in that game.
They can’t expect to force that many turnovers ago, so slowing Mixon is a must, especially since the Bengals will be playing with star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Mixon is averaging 3.9 yards per carry this season, but the 82 yards he had in Week 1 against the Steelers is his second-highest output of the season. The highest output, however, came in Week 9 before the Bengals’ bye last week, when Mixon had 153 yards and four touchdowns on 22 rushing attempts in a rout of the Panthers.
Mixon also caught four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown in that game and has been a bigger part of Cincinnati’s passing game this season.
And even without Chase, the Bengals still have dangerous receivers in Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to go along with talented tight end Hayden Hurst.
“If they get the running game going, they can hit Tyler, they can hit Tee, Hurst down the field,” Austin acknowledged.
But the Steelers now also have T.J. Watt back in the fold.
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