Dec 11, 2015 4 min read

Bengals week doesn’t typically have the same ring to it as Ravens week, but it should now for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh doesn’t necessarily have to beat the Bengals this week to keep its playoff hopes alive, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. And the Steelers don’t want the Bengals celebrating winning the AFC North title – which they could do with a victory – this week.

It is likely to happen anyway, but the Steelers don’t want to see the Bengals doing it against them.

Cincinnati also has an opportunity to sweep the Steelers, something it has done only twice in the past 20 years – in 2009 and 1998.

Neither of those Pittsburgh teams qualified for the playoffs, so getting swept by the Bengals would be a bad precedent.

The Bengals secured the opportunity for the sweep with a 16-10 win in Pittsburgh in a game in which neither Ben Roethlisberger or Andy Dalton played particularly well.

Roethlisberger threw three costly interceptions in his first game back after missing a month with a knee injury, while Dalton threw a pair of picks.

But Roethlisberger’s interceptions led to 10 Cincinnati points in the fourth quarter to help lift the Bengals to the victory.

The Steelers also lost Le’Veon Bell in that game to a season-ending knee injury in that game on a tackle by Vontaze Burfict.

Some of the Steelers had an issue, not with Burfict’s tackle, but his reaction to the injury. They said he ran back to his huddle celebrating the hit.

I don’t have any reason to doubt them, but Burfict has denied the celebration, so who knows?

Personally, I didn’t have a problem with the tackle. You have to get the guy on the ground. And injuries happen in the NFL. It’s a violent game.

There also has been some chirping back and forth between the Cincinnati wide receivers and Steelers safety Mike Mitchell, who did celebrate after a big hit on Bengals receiver Marvin Jones that left Jones on the field for several moments.

That should be interesting to watch, as well.

The Steelers have been on an offensive roll since losing to the Bengals, averaging nearly 36 points per game while putting up more than 450 yards of total offense in each of their games since. The latter matches an NFL record.

Can they keep it up against the Bengals?

It won’t be easy. Cincinnati did a nice job in the last meeting of taking away the deep passing game by doubling the Steelers’ outside receivers. Roethlisberger was 0-8 on passes that traveled 20 or more yards downfield with two of his interceptions coming on those attempts.

The Bengals likely will attempt to mimic that performance in this one, making it important for Roethlisberger to take what is given to him.

In the last meeting, that meant plenty of passes over the middle and Heath Miller caught 10 passes for 105 yards.

Miller missed last week’s game with a rib injury but is probable to play in this one. In fact, the Steelers have no injuries on their 53-man roster that will limit anyone this week.

The Bengals can’t say the same. Cornerback Adam Jones – Cincinnati’s best cover corner – is doubtful with a foot injury, while corner Leon Hall (back) and safety George Iloka (groin) are both questionable.

Iloka was limited in practice on Friday after not participating all week, so he’s likely a little more questionable than Hall.

Pittsburgh is a 3-point underdog in this game but is 13-3 all-time at Paul Brown Stadium.

I like the Steelers to win this one outright, 37-31.