The Cincinnati Bengals are set to host what quarterback Joe Burrow called their biggest game in a long time at Paycor Stadium on Sunday night.
Cincinnati will welcome AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers to town for a massive divisional showdown. Both teams sit at 6-2 overall and will be playing for the outright division lead.
The Bengals are coming off a dominant 34-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid, Spain, while the Steelers had a bye last week.
Historically, that doesn’t bode well for a team like Cincinnati, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter explained Sunday morning.
Schefter Raises Concerns for Bengals
Sharing a post on social media ahead of “Sunday NFL Countdown,” Schefter revealed a concerning statistic.
This will mark the sixth time a team coming off an international game faces a team coming off a bye. The team coming off the bye has won all five previous matchups.
“When Cincinnati hosts Pittsburgh tonight, it will be the sixth time a team coming off an international game like the Bengals plays a team coming off a bye like the Steelers,” Schefter revealed. “In this scenario, the team coming off the bye has won each of the previous five games. This same arrangement will happen next week, when a Lions team playing in Germany today hosts a Buccaneers team coming off its bye.”
When Cincinnati hosts Pittsburgh tonight, it will be the sixth time a team coming off an international game like the Bengals plays a team coming off a bye like the Steelers. In this scenario, the team coming off the bye has won each of the previous five games.
This same arrangement will happen next week, when a Lions team playing in Germany today hosts a Buccaneers team coming off its bye.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 15, 2026
Looking at the Bengals
Yet, despite this stat, Burrow thrives in primetime games throughout his career, so ruling him and the Bengals out might not be the best idea.
In 15 career primetime games, Burrow has never had the opportunity to face a division opponent at home in Cincinnati. Still, he has racked up 4,331 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and just five interceptions in those games. He is averaging 288.7 passing yards per game.
Entering Sunday night, Burrow also leads the NFL with a 74.0% completion percentage and 23 touchdown passes.
Adam Schefter Raises Concerns for Bengals Before Massive Steelers Game