Steelers' Mike McCarthy says his team has improved since first Bengals meeting

Mike McCarthy says the Pittsburgh Steelers heading to Cincinnati on Sunday night are not the team that edged the Bengals in Week 3. Speaking after the bye week, the head coach said his team is playing better up front on both sides of the ball. He said the offense is spreading the ball around better, and the defense has taken a clear step forward. That's according to SB Nation, which reported his comments ahead of a game with first place in the AFC North at stake.

"I think we're playing differently than we were the first time around," McCarthy said, per SB Nation.

The pass rush backs him up. Pittsburgh sacked Joe Burrow only once in the 30-27 win at Acrisure Stadium. Since then the Steelers have climbed into a tie for third in the league with 26 sacks, including eight in their last game, a 27-6 win over Cleveland. McCarthy credited Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt for how they communicate with coaches and younger players about rush plans. He said that work helps the front get home a beat sooner. He also said it was fair to say the staff has a better handle on the secondary now than it did in September, when Joey Porter Jr. was still on the roster but not playing.

The rematch looks different in other ways. It moves from a 1 p.m. home kickoff to prime time in Cincinnati. Pittsburgh will be without wide receiver Roman Wilson and may still be missing Michael Pittman Jr. McCarthy watched the Bengals beat Atlanta 34-17 in Madrid in Week 9 and said Burrow is "on top of his game." Burrow has 23 touchdown passes, the most in the NFL, and ranks second with 2,386 passing yards. Tee Higgins (758 yards, six touchdowns) and Ja'Marr Chase (647 yards, seven touchdowns) are both among the league's top 15 in receiving yards.

What it means for Sunday night

Pittsburgh is 6-2 and has won four straight since a 27-24 loss at Cleveland, outscoring opponents 103-57 over that run. For the season, the Steelers have scored 180 points and allowed 144. The defense has given up 10 points or fewer in two of its last three games. The trouble spot is the road: Pittsburgh is 1-2 away from home, with the lone road win coming at Tampa Bay.

The venues on this site's board for the game don't treat the first meeting as the bigger factor. Cincinnati is favored by 3.5 points. On the moneyline, Novig has the Bengals at -182 and the Steelers at +174. The best Cincinnati price among the 10 venues is DraftKings at -180, so the gap at the top of the market is small. Sportsbook hold on the moneyline runs from 3.2% to 5.1%, which shows how much the venues' margins differ. On the spread, Novig lists Pittsburgh +3.5 at -108 and Cincinnati -3.5 at -102. The total sits at 48.5. That would be a high number for a Steelers team that has topped 30 points just twice, but Cincinnati's offense has been putting up points.

The matchup McCarthy pointed to will likely decide it. If Pittsburgh's rotation can hurry Burrow before his quick throws come out, the Steelers have a chance to take control of the division. If Burrow stays on schedule the way he did in September, Pittsburgh's improved offense will need to keep up with him.