Teryl Austin Preaches No Overlook of Opponents as Steelers Prepare for Bengals
The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense was nothing short of elite on Sunday. The unit held the Cleveland Browns' offense to just nine total points and Cleveland was unable to find the end zone at any point in the matchup. Jalen Ramsey played at an extremely high level throughout all four quarters of the game and the veteran was ultimately rewarded by recording two sacks for the first time in his career.
The Steelers' defense has improved immensely since their Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets. The defense will need to continue playing at a high level on Thursday night as Pittsburgh finds themselves facing Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals in a heated AFC North matchup. Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin recently took a moment to share his thoughts on the game, as Austin sent a clear message to his team prior to facing the veteran quarterback. Austin doesn't want the Steelers to overlook Flacco and he believes nobody should be taken for granted.
"We don't take anybody for granted," Austin stated. "If you're out there playing, it's because you deserve to play. We don't short anybody."
Flacco is an 18-year veteran who shined during his time with the Baltimore Ravens. The experienced signal-caller has bounced around the league in recent years, but Flacco could still prove to be a serviceable quarterback on Thursday. The Steelers' defense could be in excellent position for another big game against the Bengals and Flacco may struggle in just his second start with the team.
TJ Watt and Cam Heyward will need to consistently apply pressure on Flacco throughout the matchup. Watt was credited with five tackles and half of a sack in Sunday's win against the Browns, but the veteran could find himself having an even better game against the Bengals on Thursday. Heyward recorded two tackles against the Browns on Sunday and the veteran could play a crucial role on the defensive line against Cincinnati.
Steelers' Jalen Ramsey Could Also Play A Crucial Role On Thursday Night
Ramsey had one of the best games of his career against the Browns on Sunday. The talented veteran will certainly have his hands full once again on Thursday as Ramsey will be tasked with covering superstar wide receiver Ja'Maar Chase. Chase is widely regarded as the best wide receiver in football and Ramsey will have to be at his best against the generational playmaker.
Ramsey's role on Thursday could have a direct effect on the outcome of the game. Chase is an elite route runner with excellent speed, and Ramsey will need to contain him to the best of his ability. Both Ramsey and Chase are two of the best at their position and the veteran cornerback will need to play at an extremely high level for the second week in a row.
Flacco has struggled in 2025 but the veteran quarterback could still shine with Chase as his top weapon. The Steelers' defense will look to apply constant pressure on Flacco and contain Chase as much as possible, as the unit as a whole has played much better over the course of the last few weeks. Pittsburgh will be on the road in Cincinnati on Thursday night as the Steelers will look to widen their lead in the AFC North.
Xavier Worthy Hints at Explosive Chiefs Offense Ahead of Raiders Clash
After the news of Rashee Rice’s activation to the 53-man roster, it’s official, Week 7 will mark the first regular season NFL game where the Kansas City Chiefs have all three of their top wide receivers on the field together since Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown joined KC.
Clearly, Worthy is excited about that because he dropped an X message for the rest of the league on October 14.
“1+4=5 🥷,” Worthy posted on Tuesday of Week 7. Seemingly referencing the jersey numbers of himself (#1), Rice (#4), and Brown (#5), along with a ninja emoji to represent stealth.
Perhaps, this Chiefs WR corps feels like they’re being slept on heading into Week 7, but that’s a foolish notion if opposing defenses actually are.
Now healthy, Brown has averaged 50.3 yards per game with quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2025, his best YPG average since 2022. Remember, Brown missed most of the 2024 campaign with a shoulder injury.
It was Worthy’s turn to pick up a shoulder injury this season, but the former first-round pick has started the past three games and done well. His top performance was a 5-for-83 outing against the Baltimore Ravens.
Rice has not taken the field — outside of OTAs, training camp and the preseason — since September of 2024. The combined year-plus hiatus stemmed from the perfect storm of knee surgery and a six-game suspension.
It’s easy to forget that Rice was averaging 96.0 yards per game over the first three weeks of 2024, and that was without Brown suiting up beside him. He was injured in Week 4 before registering a catch.
In Week 7 versus the division rival Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs will line up Rice, Worthy, Brown and superstar tight end Travis Kelce, not to mention several other lesser playmakers. It’s going to be fun to see how Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid utilize everyone all at once.
Chiefs Have New Mantra on Offense, & Rashee Rice & Xavier Worthy Are Both on Board
Brown talked about the Chiefs’ new mantra after the Week 6 victory over the Detroit Lions: “Everybody’s gotta eat.”
It’s no coincidence that Rice cryptically posted the same catch phrase on social media on October 8.
The Chiefs have adopted this mentality, and it shows how unselfish this group is. Whether it’s Kelce, Rice, Worthy, Brown, Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster, or the running back crew, it’s becoming more and more difficult for opposing defenses to guard everyone.
Based on that, in theory, everybody will “eat” at some point, and Mahomes should benefit most of all.
The two-time NFL MVP is great at spreading the football around, and he should be able to do that now more than ever. It all begins in Week 7.
Jason Brownlee Clears Waivers After Being Cut, Free to Re-Sign With Chiefs Practice Squad If He Chooses
In other news, recent Chiefs wide receiver cut Jason Brownlee cleared waivers on October 14, per KSHB 41 beat reporter Nick Jacobs. He was waived the day before, on October 13, as Rice took his place on the active roster.
Brownlee is now free to sign anywhere he wants. He could rejoin the Chiefs’ practice squad in short order, or if he feels there is a better opportunity elsewhere, he could elect to skip town for another offer.
Jacobs did not announce that Brownlee is re-signing in KC, so there’s a chance Brownlee is weighing his options.
On October 14, after clearing waivers, the 26-year-old wideout expressed the following message on X: “My story gone end legendary ‼️💫 #🧱x🧱.”
