For the Bengals, the big moment is finally here. Going through ups and downs in the season, Joe Burrow & Co. won 4 games in a row from week 14. The week 18 matchup against the Steelers is a must-win. If they don’t win, they will be out of the playoff contention. With their future hanging by a thread, they were expecting to go all in with full force. But looks like RB Chase Brown’s update might halt their progress.

During the high-adrenaline overtime victory against the Broncos in the week 17 game, the RB exited the game in the 4th quarter with an ankle sprain. Unfortunately, he hasn’t healed. It’s a shocker. He tried to run and do circuits in the warm-ups but wasn’t able to do that. So, the team has listed him out of the season finale.

With 229 rushes in 990 yards and 7 touchdowns in 16 games this year, Brown played a key role in the O-line. He was a help to the receivers too. In the process, the RB got 54 catches in 360 yards and 4 touchdowns. They will surely miss him.

For Joe Burrow, that isn’t the only worry. WRs Charlie Jones and Jermaine Burton are also listed as inactive. In the defense, DEs Isaiah Thomas and Sam Hubbard wouldn’t play. TE Tanner Mclachlan and OT Andrew Stueber are also not available.

In such a crucial game, the injuries could played the spoilsport for the Bengals. If they lose, they will not be playing in the postseason for the second year in a row. To go on, they have to tackle the nature as well.

After Chase Brown’s exit, the Bengals fight another worry against the Steelers

“It’s good to have a quarterback that can come out in the snow and sling it,” said WR Tee Higgins in January 2023 when the Bengals defeated the Bills. Joe Burrow kept his cool, making accurate passes. The same is expected from him in the week 18 game on Saturday evening. With the kickoff scheduled at 8 pm EST, NFLweather.com listed the weather to be around 20 °F. In reality, it would feel around 8 °F.

The snow fell in the Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. And it is expected during the SNF game too. With an 80% cloud cover and 22 mph powerful gusts, both teams will have to fight this issue as well to win. Moreover, precipitation is expected to go down as the game progresses. But the low visibility of 10 meters can reduce the passing.

Having lost the last 3 games, Russell Wilson would also like to end the season on a winning note. But he doesn’t have an excellent reputation in the snow. Can he turn around the season for the Steelers? Fans are pumped. They want the Bengals to win and the Dolphins and Broncos to lose. It’s an exciting weekend.