NFL Preview – Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
By Shawn Clarke, Sports Network
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been waiting quite some time for a rematch with the AFC North-rival Cincinnati Bengals, and will get their chance for redemption this Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field.
Pittsburgh just recorded its fifth straight victory since a 1-2 start by handing the Denver Broncos a 28-10 drubbing Monday night at Invesco Field. The Steelers started out slowly, owning a 7-3 lead at halftime, before two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger fired three touchdown passes in the second half to ignite Pittsburgh’s offense.
Roethlisberger and the Steelers are starting to make fellow AFC contenders look over their shoulders as they continue to push towards another playoff run. The defending Super Bowl champions are tied with Cincinnati atop the AFC North with an identical 6-2 record and have since moved on from early losses to Chicago and Sunday’s opponent, which registered a hard-fought 23-20 triumph over Pittsburgh at Paul Brown Stadium back in Week 3.
The Steelers are coming off back-to-back wins over then-unbeaten Minnesota and Denver, and can attribute the credit to the return of a suffocating defense and precise passing from “Big Ben”.
Now Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his team will put their 4-0 season record at home on the line with a chance for sole possession for first place in the division. Tomlin, who described this upcoming matchup as “classic”, can not afford to have his club fall two games behind the Bengals in the division race. If the Steelers can get past Cincinnati with a victory, the rest of the 2009 schedule appears to be pretty favorable for the Black and Gold.
Cincinnati has rarely been able to call itself a contender over the past decade or so, but will get a shot at proving to the league it’s for real in a rough environment on the road. The Bengals have ripped off two straight wins over formidable opponents in Chicago and Baltimore and are off to their best start since the 2005 squad opened the season 7-2 and finished with 11 victories before losing to Pittsburgh in an AFC Wild Card showdown.
Cincinnati handled the division-rival Ravens for the second time this season last week, using a stingy defense and another solid performance from early MVP candidate Cedric Benson to deliver a 17-7 win. The reborn running back is second in the NFL in rushing at 104.6 yards per game, with Tennessee’s Chris Johnson first with a 119.9 yards per game clip.
The win over Baltimore kept Cincinnati in first place with a 4-0 division mark and spirits high in the Queen City. Many pundits thought the Bengals’ 4-1 start was a fluke, but the emergence of Benson and the improved play by the defense have solidified any doubts. Cincinnati’s offense was horrible a year ago with Carson Palmer nursing an elbow injury, but now the quarterback seems like his old self, when he threw for 32 touchdown passes during the 2005 campaign.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis probably has his fingers crossed hoping that this is the year his team can surprise the NFL world. They have so far, but the true test starts Sunday in the Steel City.
SERIES HISTORY
The Steelers lead the all-time regular season series with the Bengals, 47-31, but had a five-game win streak in the series snapped with a 23-20 road loss in Week 3. The defeat was the first as a pro for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in his home state of Ohio. Pittsburgh swept home-and-homes against Cincinnati in 2007 and 2008, and the Bengals are 0-2 in the Steel City since last winning there in 2006.
In addition to their regular season advantage, the Steelers also scored a 31-17 road win over the Bengals in the 2005 playoffs.
Lewis is 4-10 all-time against the Steelers, for whom he served as a linebackers coach from 2002 through 2005, while Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin is 4-1 against both Lewis and Cincinnati as a head coach.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Bengals were able to shut down Parker and Pittsburgh’s running package the last time out, but this Sunday they have Mendenhall to deal with. That won’t be a problem for a Bengals squad entering Heinz Field with a major chip on its shoulders. Cincinnati can put a huge stamp on the AFC North with another victory over the Steelers after sweeping the season series from the division- rival Ravens last week. Ochocinco may have had his plans to send a care package to the Steel City stopped by Lewis, but there’s no doubt Cincy’s top deep threat will be ready to mix it up with Pittsburgh’s heralded defense. If Ochocinco has the gumption to talk trash to Ravens future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, Sunday’s contest should be a walk in the park for No. 85. Benson, meanwhile, has spearheaded the Bengals’ resurgence and is in another zone right now. Roethlisberger may have the Steelers in position to take the lead sometime in the second half, but the gutsy quarterback will falter in front of the friendly faithful.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Bengals 19, Steelers 17
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