Steelers’ Post-Bye Streak Adds to Bengals’ Rest Challenge

The Cincinnati Bengals face more than a short turnaround when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 15. Cincinnati is coming off an international game in Madrid, while Pittsburgh had a bye week before the matchup.

Teams returning from a bye have won all five previous games in which their opponent was coming off an international game. Pittsburgh also brings a nine-game winning streak in its first game after a bye, dating to 2017. It is the NFL’s third-longest such streak since bye weeks began in 1990, behind Philadelphia’s record 13 and Buffalo’s active 12.

The Steelers’ run includes four road victories, and they were underdogs in four of their last five wins. Their most recent post-bye loss came in 2016, when Baltimore beat them 21-14. Overall, Pittsburgh is 25-12 after a bye, a .676 winning percentage tied for fifth in the league.

Cincinnati’s record in those games is among the league’s worst: the Bengals are 12-26, a .346 winning percentage that ranks last. They have, however, won four of their last six post-bye games, including a victory over Baltimore in Week 7. Under coach Zac Taylor, Cincinnati is 4-4 in the week after its bye.

The Bengals have faced an opponent coming off a bye three times under Taylor, winning once and losing twice. Pittsburgh last played Cincinnati immediately after a bye in 2008, winning 38-10 in Cincinnati. The Steelers also faced the Bengals five times after a bye from 1990 to 1998, with Cincinnati winning three.