Bell, Steelers face Bengals today
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Bengals 27, Steelers 9
Oct. 19, 1995 at Three Rivers Stadium
The Steelers have beaten the Bengals in their last four October home meetings since losing this one in 1995 to fall to 3-4, the low point of that season. Jeff Blake threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers, but Darnay Scott, Tony McGee and Carl Pickens all beat the same guy 鈥� Alvoid Mays, who was filling in for Rod Woodson for a sixth consecutive game. This would be the last NFL start for Mays, because Bill Cowher moved Carnell Lake from strong safety to cornerback the next week and the Steelers went on to lose only a meaningless regular-season finale at Green Bay and the Super Bowl to Dallas.
TALE OF THE TAPE
鈥淵ou know the saying about having no quarterbacks if you鈥檙e using two. Well, the same goes for tackles if you鈥檙e rotating three, which is what the Bengals do. The match-up in particular I鈥檓 looking forward to is Cedric Ogbuehi against James Harrison. Obguehi is made to order for a bull-rusher. He plays high, he turns his body parallel to the sideline, he drops his hands down, and I鈥檝e seen him get bull-rushed by lesser rushers than James. That鈥檚 the classic match-up if James gets a chance to get a push on him, and even with the dancing bear, Andre Smith, their swing tackle. That would be another good match-up because, again, James could throw weight, no dip, just rip because Andre tends to get a little head-heavy. T.J. Watt will certainly do fine with either guy, but I really think there鈥檚 an opportunity to have another key match-up on third-down end in a possible sack, strip, lost ball, holding call, whatever, with Ogbuehi and Harrison.鈥� 鈥� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers run the ball and stay healthy?
The Steelers are at their best when their running game鈥檚 cranked up, as Le鈥橵eon Bell proved against the Bengals in 2014 when he rushed for 185 yards and added another 50 receiving. But in the next game he was belted in the knee by safety Reggie Nelson and missed the following week鈥檚 playoff loss. In 2015, Bell was belted in the knee by Vontaze Burfict and lost for the rest of the season. The Bengals are the second-ranked run defense by average per carry (2.8), but Bell has been hot of late, rushing for 370 yards (4.5 avg.) in the last three games. He said that all of the Bengals have targeted him over the years, and said, 鈥淚鈥檓 going to protect myself, play hard and try to get the W.鈥�
THREE QUESTIONS: With WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER
Q: Did you get your license yet?
JS: 鈥淣o not yet. Still working on that. It鈥檚 getting colder every morning. I drive my bike down the hill, so I gotta do it soon. I鈥檓 gonna go to REI and get a hoodie, some gloves. I think I鈥檒l be good, but other than that, yeah, I gotta work on my license.鈥�
Q: How much do you have left to do?
JS: 鈥淚鈥檝e got to study. I鈥檓 on page 12 out of 105. It takes a while. There鈥檚 a lot of signals, many signs.鈥�
Q: Which hill are you pedaling down?
JS: 鈥淵ou know that little trail right here? The Heritage Trail? I take that down going full speed, but it gets cooooold. Ears get cooooold. I usually come in around 7:30-8.鈥�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers today at 4:25 at Heinz Field:
ON OFFENSE:
The Bengals are the No. 2 defense in the NFL, but two possible points of attack are second-year cornerback William Jackson, who鈥檚 in for injured Pacman Jones, and defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who, while leading the Bengals with four sacks, doesn鈥檛 have the lateral quickness he had before tearing his ACL in 2013. The Steelers like to run wide on the Bengals, and Atkins is part of the reason. 鈥淪till very strong. Still plays with great leverage,鈥� said Wolfley. 鈥淏ut when he鈥檚 at that point in a play where you become a little reckless, he doesn鈥檛 throw his body around as much as he used to. He gathers himself into a posture of strength and balance and protects himself, almost like he鈥檚 watching out for that knee.鈥�
ON DEFENSE:
Joe Mixon came into the league with raves 鈥� but only for his play. Off the field, a domestic violence issue caused him to fall to the middle of the second round and the Bengals, as they do, brought him on board. Mixon鈥檚 only averaging 2.8 yards per carry, and as a team the Bengals are 30th in the league at 3.2 per carry. Without Stephon Tuitt 鈥� out with a back injury 鈥� the Steelers have allowed opposing rushers 4.7 yards per carry, but 4.8 with him, so the loss could be minimal against Mixon. In the passing game, Andy Dalton will lean on A.J. Green with Tyler Boyd and TE Tyler Eifert out. Green鈥檚 personal nemesis since his college days has been Steelers cornerback Joe Haden.
PREDICTION
Should the Bengals avoid the pass rush with their weak tackles, and run the ball better than they have at any point in the season, they have a bigger problem in close than do the Steelers. The Bengals are last in red-zone offense, converting only 40 percent of their chances into touchdowns. So I look for the Steelers to find ways to finish with a hot Bell and receivers coming off a great week of practice. 鈥� Steelers, 23-17.
BY THE NUMBERS
2: Receptions needed by Bell to pass Plaxico Burress (264) for ninth-most in team history.
32:12: Average time of possession by the Steelers, third-best in the NFL.
34: Consecutive games with sacks by the Bengals to lead the NFL.
48: Receptions by Antonio Brown to lead the NFL.
1,314: Yards allowed by Bengals, fewest allowed in team鈥檚 first five games since 1976.
DOWNLOADS
n The Steelers have the mindset to ignore the notoriously dirty Burfict. Maurkice Pouncey typified the attitude when asked about one of the Bengals linebacker鈥檚 signature moves: stomping on ankle insteps. 鈥淚 just play football,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淗e does some little antics to try to get you going, but, I mean, who cares? You know how many times I get stepped on? Look at this right here. That happened today.鈥�
n The Steelers are 3-1 with both Tuitt and Heyward playing together on the defensive line the last two years. Earlier in the week, when he thought he was going to play, Tuitt was excited. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only both of us, but we鈥檝e got (Javon) Hargrave,鈥� Tuitt said. 鈥淗argrave is really good at getting to the quarterback from that zero technique. You鈥檝e also got Tyson Alualu, who does a really good job. But when me and Cam are in the game, it鈥檚 really hard for an offense to double-team just one of us because one of us can be real disruptive.鈥�
n The Bengals have won their last two games after an 0-3 start and are coming off a bye week. But under Marvin Lewis the Bengals are only 5-8-1 out of a bye. That didn鈥檛 comfort Ben Roethlisberger. 鈥淵ou expect something new,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a new blitz, or a new look, new plays on offense, whatever it is. They have had a week headstart on us, so it鈥檚 just another eight ball that we are behind.鈥�
n Haden has covered Green since the two played at Florida and Georgia, respectively, in college. Haden鈥檚 physical play has been an admitted disruption to Green. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a lot of battles,鈥� Haden said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to say I shut him down. He鈥檚 definitely gotten the better of me a couple times. It鈥檚 just a battle I always look forward to. Same thing with Antonio, twice a year I used to follow him and twice a year I follow A.J. I just look forward to playing the best of the best. I just play my best against these dudes.鈥�
n Todd Haley hadn鈥檛 heard about the alleged Martavis Bryant trade request before it was reported Sunday night. Nor was Haley all that impressed with a couple of Bryant catches this week that left many Steelers awestuck. 鈥淚 remember the diving catch,鈥� Haley said with a shrug. 鈥淗e usually makes about one of those a day. But we need it to show up on Sunday.鈥�
PARTING SHOT
鈥淚t鈥檚 the nature of the business nowadays, like ESPN used to be about sports. Now it鈥檚 just drama. It鈥檚 a lot of talk that鈥檚 not about football. It鈥檚 the way it is nowadays. I don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 society or what it is.鈥� 鈥� David DeCastro.