Steelers face key division game in Cincinnati
In recent years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the team that usually sat atop the AFC North while others tried to chase them down. But this year, it’s the Steelers that are trying to desperately make up ground, and it’s the Bengals who are sitting pretty in first place.
The Bengals (4-1) will play host to the Steelers (2-2-1) Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. If the Bengals win, they will take command of the division and go three games up on the Steelers in the win column. If the Steelers win, they will be just a half game out of first place and right back in the thick of the playoff race.
“I think both teams realize this division is a lot tighter than it has been in years,” Steelers guard Ramon Foster said. “The teams that execute and don’t hurt themselves will be the No. 1 seed.”
The Steelers won the AFC North in three of the past four years. The one year they did not the Bengals won the division.
The Steelers will be facing an explosive Bengals offense that is fourth in the NFL in scoring, averaging 30.6 points per game. Quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver A.J. Green have been the offensive catalysts. Green has 26 receptions for 409 yards and has five touchdown catches.
“You have to work your tail off to minimize Green’s impact on the game,” head coach Mike Tomlin said. “They’re doing an awesome job of moving him around and making him a tough guy to stay with.”
Tomlin said this is the most he can remember Green lining up in the slot. The Falcons tried to move their top receiver, Julio Jones, around against the Steelers last week in an effort to get him away from top corner Joe Haden. That included some snaps in the slot.
Expect the Steelers to have Haden follow Green around the field much in the same way this week. Haden has a long history with Green, dating to their days playing against each other in the SEC when Haden was at Florida and Green at Georgia.
The competition continued when Haden played for the Browns and faced Green twice a year within the division. The same is true now that Haden plays for the Steelers. Green once called Haden one of the top five cornerbacks he has ever faced.
The Steelers offense established the run early against the Falcons and will look to do the same against a Bengals defense that has struggled to stop the run. The Dolphins averaged 5.8 yards per carry on Sunday and the Bengals rank 23rd in the league against the run.
The ability to get second-year back James Conner going against the Falcons paid big dividends for the Steelers passing game in the second half. Ben Roethlisberger threw two of his three touchdown passes in the second half, including one on play-action, a 47-yard strike to Antonio Brown.
It was part of a 41-point effort as the Steelers won going away.
“I think we just got to see what we’re capable of doing,” Roethlisberger said. “I think guys did their job. We talk about trying not to do too much, doing more than your job. I tell the guys before the game: If we, collectively, if we all do our jobs, we’re pretty darn good.”
SERIES HISTORY: 96th regular-season meeting. Steelers lead series, 60-35. The Steelers have won the past six games and 9 of 10 in the series. They have won five in a row in Cincinnati. The last time the Steelers lost at Paul Brown Stadium was in 2013. The Steelers and Bengals have met twice in the postseason with the Steelers winning both times in AFC wild-card games.
