SB Nation - Jeff Reed

Who is your least favorite Steeler?

Bernie19Kosar — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:24:00 -0000

It's Steeler week. I hate the Steelers.

I hate that their city is so unimaginative they have to use black and urine as the colors of all of their sports teams.

I hate the fact that their mostly front running fans believe that they have more championships than the Cleveland Browns.

But I want to know, who is your most hated Steeler of all-time?

Here is a quick run down of my favorites, in no particular order:

1. Terry Bradshaw

Best picture of Mr. Bradshaw I could find.

You may now know him as the fun loving moron on FOX's pregame. Or, you have probably been beaten over the head by the fact that he won four Super Bowls. For his career, he went 22-17 against the Browns while posting a 75.6 QB rating in those games. I hate Bradshaw because I think he was behind the wheel of a team that possessed a great running game and a great defense. It allowed an average QB (212 TDs to 210 INT's career) to be hailed as a great and almighty savior. Ask a Steeler fan to name the greatest QB of all-time and I am willing to bet a horrible tasting Iron City Beer that they will try and work Bradshaws name into the conversation. Save your self the trouble and close your hand in a drawer.

2. Jerome Bettis

Anyone seen these two guys in the same room at the same time?

Hey, did you guys know that Jerome Bettis is from Detroit? If you don't, then you didn't want a single minute of any 2006 NFL Playoff coverage. Plus, I think that chunky campbells soup tastes like crap (Well, during Steeler weeks I do, other weeks, I totally get down on the chicken noodle. But not Steeler week bitches! I fast like Olajuwon!) I hate the fact that Bettis can screw up a coin flip. I REALLY HATE the fact that Bettis has more rushing yards than Jim Brown (even though it took him 74 more games. Yeah, 74. That would be if Jim Brown played almost 5 and half more 14 game seasons. Yet, if you look at the NFL leaderboard, this fat ass is ahead of Jim Brown.) For Bettis' career he went 13-9 against the Browns and had an average of 74 YPG against us.

3. Hines Ward

I wish this was DBN's logo.

We all knew this douchebag was on this list. We have gone over the reasons on why Hines Ward is a coward and dirty player ad nauseum. If you need more info on this boob search the archives. On to the stats, Ward went 20-17 against us while averaging 67 YPG. He only has 8 TDs in those 37 games which actually suprised me. The only thing I like about Ward is that he hates the next player on our list.

4. Ben Roethlisberger

I am 99% sure that this is not photoshopped.

The newest, greatest Steeler QB (He wins games!). Once again, we have touched on ~~Crash Test Roethlisberger~~ Big Ben. It drives me nuts that every single time this guy has a hang nail it is DEFCON1 in the Roethlisberger household. Was he not hugged enough as a kid? I'm glad to hear that the Steeler locker room is tired of his act, because I as a Browns fan have had my fill of Big Ben's injury fiasco's. Did I mention that he likes to bang ugly chicks? For God sakes man you're a NFL quarterback that is paid over 100 million! Even that fat dude that convinced chicks he was Big Ben was able to hook up with a model! Oh yeah, stats. He has a 14-8 ratio on TD/INTs and averages 223 YPG. Meh.

5. Jeff Reed

I don't know if he is the most hated Steeler, but I know he thinks the show Jersey Shore is cool.

This dude is the best. First of all he is a kicker. Second of all, the dude has the worst case of beer muscles that I have seen in quite sometime. First of all he tackles like this (fast forward to :23 seconds in) and this (2:35 in). Did I mention that this tool has been arrested for assulting police officers, and vandalizing a bathroom in a gas station because they were out of paper towels? All this anger from a kicker who tackles like a woman. I think that Phil Dawson would destroy him in fisticuffs. Did I mention that he is a kicker? He is 23 for 27 on kicks against us.

6. Rod Woodson

Man, I hope my HOF bust has a pornstache.

He played for the Steelers and Ravens, so that kind of makes him a jackass. He then he said something so gross that I had to make sure I got his quote correct, word for word. In his Hall of Fame speech he said the following:

And I hope again, the voters get this right, by putting Art Modell in the Hall of Fame. He belongs there. You can boo him because you disagree with him moving them. But you can't disagree with what he did as an owner.

Burn in Hell Woodson.

Also receiving votes: James Harrison, Franco Harris (It was incomplete!), Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene, Levon Kirkland, Amos Zeroue (I hate his cookies), Tommy Maddox, Kordell Stewert, Stallworth and Swann (overrated), Joey Porter (I'm glad someone shot him i the ass) and Troy Polamalu.

Did I mention that I hate the Steelers?

Poll

Who is your most hated Steeler?

Terry Bradshaw

58 votes

Jerome Bettis

28 votes

Hines Ward

435 votes

Ben Roethlisberger

167 votes

Jeff Reed

58 votes

Rod Woodson

29 votes

Other (Give us a name in the comments)

85 votes

860 votes | Poll has closed

Bernard Scott's Beastly Return

IFChris — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:17 -0000

There's a little bit of contention going around CJ, thanks in large part to the Larry Johnson signing and the residual fallout. With that in mind, I thought it might be prudent to lighten the mood around here by posting the video of Bernard Scott's awesome kick off return against the Pittsburgh Steelers. As we all know, it was the game's only touchdown, and because it was so essential to the Bengals victory, it needs to be celebrated -- especially in light of the newest acquisition.

The best part of Scott's return, besides him crossing the goal line, has to be Steelers kicker Jeff Reed's "attempt" to "tackle" Scott. Granted, kickers aren't usually known as the best tackler, but that was just poor. It would've been better if Reed simply escorted Scott to the end zone, for all the good his bullfighter approach to tackling did.

One last thing, make sure to look for Quan Cosby knocking the stuffing out of Stefan Logan right before Scott goes into score. It's around the 18 or 19 second mark.

Father Son Duos Highlight Chiefs and Steelers Connections

Chris Thorman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:48:42 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

"I love Oklahoma Joe's BBQ!" (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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It's that time of the week, wake up, wake up....

Yes, that time of the week for checking out the connections to the opposing team. This week, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chiefs have a solid Pittsburgh pedigree.

Haley, Perles and Colquitt all have dad's that played/coached for the Steelers at some points.

And this week, we have an opposing player who was actually born in KC.

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley attended Upper St. Clair HS in Pittsburgh. His father, Dick Haley, served as Steelers Director of Player Personnel (’71- 90) and played DB (’61-64). He was a RB at the University of Pittsburgh.
KC def. quality control coach Pat Perles attended Upper St. Clair HS. His father, George Perles, coached with Pittsburgh (’72-81).
Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt's father, Crag Colquitt, played seven seasons with Pittsburgh (’78-84), winning Super Bowl XIII and XIV rings.
Chiefs LB Mike Vrabel spent four seasons with Pittsburgh (’97-00).
Pittsburgh off. coord. Bruce Arians coached RBs for KC (’89-92).
Steelers LB Keyaron Fox played four seasons with KC (2004-07).
Kansas City COO Mark Donovan, OL coach Bill Muir and CB Maurice Leggett were all born in Pittsburgh, PA.
Chiefs asst. OL coach Joe D’Alessandris is a native of Aliquippa, PA and coached at the University of Pittsburgh (’96).
Kansas City LB Tamba Hali played collegiately at Penn State.
KC asst. coach Nick Sirianni coached at Indiana (PA) from 2006-08.
Chiefs C/G Andy Alleman played collegiately at Pittsburgh.
PIT OL coach Larry Zierlein coached at Ft. Hayes State (’70-71).
Steelers C Justin Hartwig played at Kansas, while DE Ziggy Hood played at Missouri.
Pittsburgh K Jeff Reed was born in Kansas City, MO.

And with that, I am seriously considering going to bed now. I woke up at 2 AM this morning and for the life of me could not go back to sleep. That has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.

Cincinnati Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers with unsung heroes and a beautiful red zone defense

Kirkendall — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:51 -0000

by Gene J. Puskar - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals' Bobbie Williams (63) leaves Heinz Field after a 18-12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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It was a bar in Dayton that an odd fellow, let's call him William, struck up a conversation with me that began with typical fantasy football musings. He drafted Adrian Peterson. His reaction was like anyone else's when drafting a great fantasy football player -- telling EVERYONE. Confident of his chances, not requiring the debate of the rest of his fantasy football draft, the conversation took an expected turn. Everyone that knows me personally, knows that I could chit-chat Bengals all day long. But it's not just about Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco. Those are the superstars that everyone else knows. What's more to say about them? Carson just wins. Chad just finds dollar bills laying around, hoping that the ref can find the owner who lost the money. We'll talk how hard Abdul Hodge will smack you in the face on kickoffs. We'll reminisce how the monstrous Ahmad Brooks had every tool to become a super-stud linebacker. We'll agree that Rashad Jeanty is perhaps the most unknown contributor on this defense, since 2006.

It was never about who was right. That's never the way conversations go. It's just about talking about the thing that we both love. William was old enough to remember both Super Bowls as if watching it live. I was too young for Super Bowl XVI. Not Super Bowl XXIII. I've told the story of breaking my mother's lamp when John Taylor scored the winning touchdown more times than I can remember.

But William's mind was sore. Last season left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. That angry feeling we had before Marvin Lewis' era had resurfaced. Our last conversations didn't detail the exponential growth we saw from the defense last year. It wasn't about Carson Palmer returning. It wasn't about Cedric Benson, who had the best three-game stretch of any running back in the final three games. It wasn't about the veteran free agents, nor the NFL draft in which many observers praised the Bengals selections.

He was mad. And he should be mad. This team was terrible in 2008. Few things could be said about them that actually made us feel good. And that anger carried over to 2009.

William suggested firing Marvin Lewis. I gave the people's eyebrow for good measure, showing my uncertainty while questioning the validity of the source. How could you? Why would you? Who would you replace him with? It really took me aback. His argument is that great coaches could deal with the amount of injuries this team suffered, and still go undefeated... if they were great. Alright. Who would you replace him with? Bill Cowher, he instantly says. Yep. Bill Cowher. He's proven to put great teams together with a core philosophy that lasted most of his tenure, he argues. Yea, but. Well, he's a former Steelers coach. He lowers his head. He knows the point I just made. He knows that level of crazy-talk, while fun at times, has no place here. Are you drinking again, William, I asked. No, he laughed. It wasn't Bill Cowher he was suggesting; but Cowher being a model of stability that this team needed. Understandable.

At this point, I've recovered enough to make sure my adult beverage had a one-way ticket in, assuring that the mist that exhaled from my nose during that conversation had no escape. My composure, solid. I told him, have patience. They did a lot during the offseason, and excuse or not, Palmer's injury last year was a big contributor for their struggles. Even so, they were a solid football team in the second half of the season. They sported a winning recorded in the final eight games in 2008, I argued. That momentum would continue. How can you be so sure, he asked. Well, I can't be. But there are positive things. There is momentum. We won't repeat 2008. I promise.

William thoroughly enjoyed Cincy Jungle. We talked about the Bengals a lot. But we also talked just about football. The Buckeyes. The Bearcats. High School. We even shared our own football war stories.

About two months ago, William died of cancer. I'm going to miss talking to him about football. About the Bengals. But what really makes me sad, is that we won't be able to tell him that the Cincinnati Bengals swept the Steelers and Ravens, have a two-game lead in the AFC North with a 7-2 record. It would have been sweet to watch the pessimistic Bengals fan morph back into an bouncing anxious Bengals fan honestly optimistic that they could win any game on the schedule.

Hey William. We just swept the Steelers. You'd be proud.

The award for Offensive and Special Teams player of the game specifically designed to award Bernard Scott. We wrote briefly about Bernard Scott's ventures yesterday. He not only returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, but several runs late in the game moved the ball forward and helped Cincinnati kill 4:20 off the clock, setting up Shayne Graham's third field goal of the game. Scott also recorded a 21-yard reception.

Think that's it? Scott recorded 206 yards on kickoff returns, giving him 260 yards total on offense and special teams. Bernard Scott isn't the powerful between the tackles runner that Benson is right now, but Scott's speed and acceleration is impressive. With 3:05 left in the game at the Pittsburgh 35-yard line, Cincinnati lined up on second-and-five, Scott accelerated around the right edge, picked up five yards and the first down. This forced the Steelers to use two timeouts, and took another minute off the clock.

Carson Palmer didn't struggle. He did what the Steelers allowed. It was true. Most of Palmer's passes were off target, mostly high. There were some plays that Palmer felt rushed and threw the football early. In the second quarter alone, Palmer completed only two of seven passes for 30 yards. But Palmer's struggles didn't last. In the second half, Palmer's efficiency returned. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 98 yards passing. In the fourth quarter alone, Palmer completed six of seven passes for 54 yards -- including a big third-down 17-yard pass to Brian Leonard. This guy puts it together when it matters the most.

More importantly, Palmer didn't take more than what the Steelers gave him. He didn't commit a turnover. He threw passes that weren't risky. If he was getting sacked, he allowed it, not trying to do the impossible and threw the football up. No, he didn't win this football game. That's not how we beat the Steelers and I doubt that will be true next year, or the year after that. Nor did he lose the game. To me, Palmer didn't struggle. He did only what he could.

Including the big 17-yard pass to Brian Leonard that converted a third-and-five, Palmer completed a deep 16-yard pass to Laveranues Coles down the left sidelines that pushed the Bengals to Pittsburgh's 24-yard line. Palmer completed back-to-back passes for eight yards after a Brian Leonard one-yard run, setting up an easy 32-yard field goal for Shayne Graham to give Cincinnati a 15-12 lead with 7:29 left in the game. Cincinnati largely went into kill-the-clock mode with six minutes left in the game. Scott shined here. Palmer attempted only one pass -- an eight-yard pass to Laveranues Coles with 3:53 left in the game that gave the Bengals their third first down. Thanks to Bernard Scott and a scramble by Palmer where he totally forgot how to slide gracefully, Shayne Graham converted a 43-yard field goal to give the Bengals an 18-12 lead.

No. This wasn't the Palmer we saw against the Bears. Or early against the Ravens. But this isn't the same Bengals either. If Palmer only throws for 178 yards passing, doesn't record a touchdown and the Bengals win, you'll take that.

The Bengals won because they have a defense that wins games. With all of the talk about an inconsistent offense with star-power players, the truth of the matter is the Bengals defense is the biggest reason the Bengals have swept the Steelers and Ravens, own the tie-breaker against both teams and sit in first place at 7-2. It's the defense. Sure the offense has helped. But nothing with the consistency and confidence this defense has right now.

With 1:49 left in the game, the Bengals have an 18-12 lead. Pittsburgh has one timeout left and plenty of time to pick up 67 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Ever since we lost to the Denver Broncos, that little place in the back of my mind that anything could happen, gets really big. Most defenses in this situation tend to go into prevent, with one goal in mind of not allowing the game-winning touchdown. Not Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. He blitzed. He had his guys in coverage smothering route runners. Roethlisberger didn't have time for deep routes to develop, though he tried to wait. Brandon Johnson pressured Roethlisberger on first down, forcing the incomplete. Chris Crocker and Johnathan Joseph shutdown their guys on respective plays. On fourth down, Roethlisberger was assaulted by Frostee Rucker and Michael Johnson, who forced the quarterback to make a desperate throw that landed several yards away in the middle of nowhere.

Bengals football. Three knees. Bengals win!

Even though this sealed the win, I don't believe this is where the Bengals won the football game. Aside from the final score, here's the most important stat of the game. Four times the Steelers entered the red zone. Four times, the Steelers settled for field goals.

Pittsburgh looked to score a touchdown on their opening possession. They recorded three first downs, including a third-and-13 conversion on a 15-yard scramble by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Bengals this year have struggled defensively when the game starts. And trust me, struggle is a relative term. They're simply not forcing three-and-outs on the opening possession of the game. A little greedy? So. On the first drive, the Steelers recorded three plays of 11 yards or more, reaching Cincinnati's 15-yard line. After that, the bend-but-dont-break defense, stood their ground.

On first down, Johnathan Joseph broke from his cornerback spot to close a rushing lane on the right edge, preventing what could have been a touchdown run for Mendenhall. Instead, two-yard gain. On second-and-eight at the Bengals 13-yard line, Roethlisberger spread out the offense in shotgun, he rolled out left and threw a shovel passed to Heath Miller for another three-yard gain. Third-and-five with 4:50 left in the first quarter, Chinedum Ndukwe sprinted to the line of scrimmage as Roethlisberger received the snap. Ndukwe found a wide open lane on the right, threw his arms up and knocked down the pass. Steelers drive stalls and Pittsburgh takes a 3-0 lead on a Jeff Reed 28-yard field goal.

Pittsburgh would go on to punt on the following two possessions -- including a three-and-out. With eight minutes left in the first half, the Steelers began their second red zone assault. After a 10-yard run by Mendenhall, Roethlisberger throws two incomplete passes. On third-and-10 at the Bengals 36-yard line, Roethlisberger, under pressure rolls left and finds a crossing Santonio Holmes for a 21-yard gain. He follows that up with another 10-yard gain. Three of the Steelers first five plays on this drive picked up 10 yards or more. They were picking up chunks again.

But not for long. With their backs to the endzone, the defense foams at the mouth. First-and-ten at the Bengals five-yard line. Mendenhall gets the carry, shifts to the right, where Chris Crocker shot through the line of scrimmage, taking out Mendenhall for a three-yard loss. On second-and-eight, Morgan Trent ran step-for-step with Santonio Holmes on an out-route towards the back left pylon, easily knocking the pass down. After a timeout that must have conjured up some crazy magical touchdown play, Jonathan Fanene sacks Roethlisberger, forcing Jeff Reed to convert a 33-yard field goal. That's two red zones appearances by Pittsburgh. That's two forced field goals.

Cincinnati's offense went three-and-out.

Pittsburgh gets the ball back with 2:52 left in the first half. The Steelers move until Heath Miller was called for offensive holding. After an incomplete pass to Mike Wallace, the Steelers line up second-and-twenty at the Steelers 24-yard line. Roethlisberger watches Wallace run a deep seam route and lightly presses the "B" button, floating a rainbow pass. A millisecond before the pass arrives, Ndukwe hooked Wallace's left arm, forcing another incomplete. Flag. Defensive pass interference and a 46-yard penalty. Ndukwe knew it. He didn't bother complaining.

After an 11-yard pass to Moore, the Steelers enter the red zone. The Bengals defense foams at the mouth. With :59 seconds remaining, the Steelers line up first-and-goal at the Bengals eight-yard line. After Geathers recorded the team's fourth sack in the half, Roethlisberger was forced to pick up 17 yards for the touchdown. On the first pass, Roethlisberger overthrew everyone in the end zone. On the second pass to Santonio Holmes at the back right pylon, Johnathan Joseph grazed the floating football with a fingernail, causing football enough redirection that Holmes couldn't adjust. Jeff Reed converts the 35-yard field goal.

Bengals force a third field goal on Pittsburgh's third red zone appearance.

Pittsburgh would be shutout of the red zone until there was 2:51 left in the third quarter. After five plays in which the Steelers started at midfield, Pittsburgh lines up at the Bengals 13-yard line. The score is tied at 12. This is big. After Hines Ward's eight-yard reception, the Steelers run three times, including a quarterback sneak, to pick up the first down at the Bengals 11-yard line.

On the ensuing play, the Steelers are flagged for offensive holding. After that, it was the same script that had been played all day. Five-yard dump pass to Mendenhall. Incomplete pass batted down by Jonathan Fanene, who came unblocked and would have sacked the quarterback, at the line of scrimmage. On third-and-15 at the Bengals 16-yard line, Roethlisberger, overthrows the football to Mike Wallace, running towards the left sidelines in the endzone.

Bengals force a fourth field goal on Pittsburgh's fourth, and final, red zone appearance.

Say hello to Morgan Trent. The story of a great day for the team's third best cornerback. When we talked about Morgan Trent after the NFL draft, I wasn't encouraged. It wasn't so much what I've seen -- I really don't remember him playing at Michigan much. It was Wolverine fans who weren't giving us glowing reviews. Then again, what did you expect from a guy who was drafted in the sixth round, for a position that we believed was set, save for building solid depth.

To describe Trent this year would be to say that he's as solid as they come. And against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he made plays. While the Steelers were driving on their first possession of the game, Pittsburgh lined up second-and-eight at the Bengals eight-yard line, threatening to score. Morgan Trent, lined up over Santonio Holmes, sat in the wide receivers hip, following his break towards the back left pylon. Just as it seemed that Holmes created enough space for the touchdown reception, Trent accelerated just in time to knock down the its-not-a-touchdown pass. Jonathan Fanene ended Pittsburgh's threat a play later with a quarterback sack.

On the Steelers opening drive in the second half, Ben Roethlisberger targets Hines Ward on third-and-two at their own 40-yard line. Roethlisberger, in shotgun, throws over the middle. Morgan Trent, trailing Ward on a crossing pattern, flipped his hand up at the inaccurate pass and knocked the football back towards the line of scrimmage where Frostee Rucker intercepted the pass and returned it to the 14-yard line. The Bengals would tie the game soon after.

With 7:15 left in the game, Bengals leading 15-12, Pittsburgh lines up first-and-10 at their own 27-yard line. Roethlisberger throws a deep pass over the middle. Morgan Trent outran Holmes on the deep pass and "got in the way", slowing Holmes progress. On the following play, Roethlisberger throws a quick pass to Holmes on the right. After the reception, he only picks up seven yards, thanks to Trent's great open field tackle. The significance is that the Steelers had three yards to go for the first down and Roethlisberger threw an incomplete pass on third down, forcing the Steelers to punt.

If you weren't encouraged by Morgan Trent's play before Sunday's win, you should be now.

They always say it's difficult to sack Ben Roethlisberger. The situation is second-and-eight at the Cincinnati 25-yard line with 7:42 left in the first quarter. Ben Roethlisberger lines up in double-tight end formation with a single-back. He fakes the handoff to Rashard Mendenhall, who targets the gap between center and left guard. Bengals defensive end Jonathan Fanene, lining up at right defensive end, remains at the line of scrimmage playing the run. Once he figures it's a pass, he breaks outside, actually losing his balance. Tight end Matt Spaeth uses Fanene's momentum and pushes him into the ground. Fanene, roughly a yard from Roethlisberger, lunged and twisted the quarterback's left leg to record the game's first sack.

Bernard Scott had just given the Bengals a 6-3 lead on a 96-yard touchdown return on kickoff. On the ensuing drive, with 3:36 left in the first quarter, the Pittsburgh Steelers lined up second-and-seven at their own 35 yard-line. Roethlisberger motioned Mendenhall out, leaving an empty backfield. After a three-step drop, Roethlisberger pump faked right, looked left, when Dhani Jones delayed a blitz. The Bengals had covered all of the Steelers offensive linemen, allowing Jones to come unblocked, sacking Roethlisberger for a seven-yard loss. On the following play, Santonio Holmes caught a 14-yard pass for the first down. Marvin Lewis said, "bull crap." He threw the challenge. The officials determined the spot was two yards too generous, forcing the Steelers into fourth-and-two. Pittsburgh punts.

Pittsburgh lines up third-and-goal at the Cincinnati eight-yard line with 4:54 left in the first half, threatening again. The Steelers had just called a timeout and were working up some crazy play that guaranteed a touchdown -- that's what teams do during offensive timeouts I think. Roethlisberger sets up in shotgun. Fanene lined up at the right defensive tackle spot. At first, Fanene was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. The Bengals secondary forced Roethlisberger to hold onto the football. After a few seconds, Fanene found a way around the guard, sacking Roethlisberger for a seven-yard loss.

Under a minute left in the first half, the Steelers were driving to the Bengals eight-yard line. Roethlisberger lines up in shotgun and empty backfield. He looks left, pump fakes, braces for Robert Geathers, who nailed the quarterback without even being touched by any blockers. Roethlisberger threw two incomplete passes after that and the Steelers are forced to kick a field goal.

Rushing defense comes up big again. Cincinnati came into Sunday's game with the league's second ranked defense, allowing an average of 83.9 yards per game. Cincinnati limited Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker to 80 yards rushing on 18 attempts.

Rushing offense was effective in spots, but they were always persistent. Not a bad annoying either. The Bengals rushing offense was stuffed and stifled throughout much of the game. They made some plays, but as a unit, they only recorded 61 yards rushing. The thing is, they didn't stop running the football, rushing 29 times. That's commitment to the run.

Driving nowhere. The Bengals defense forced the Steelers offense into four three-and-outs. More importantly, the Bengals defense in the second half forced an interception, three punts, a turnover on downs and a field goal.

Third down domination. The Bengals defense has only allowed four conversions in the past 25 third down situations (16%).

Points allowed domination . The Bengals came into Sunday only allowed 16.9 points per game, ranked fifth in the NFL. They've not allowed a point in the third quarter for three straight games. During that same three-game stretch, Cincinnati has only allowed 12 points in the first half and 17 points in the second half.

What we know. The Bengals win over the Steelers is huge. You know that. Everyone knows that. It's a mark in the division and an introduction to the league that this team is legit. Now, the Bengals enter a stretch of potential trap games. Knowing the maturity of this team, I like our chances. Still, as William would quickly remind all of us, we've seen them fall in games they should have won too many times before. Aye.

Second Half Thread: Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) 6 - Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) 9

jsl413 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:37:07 -0000

More photos » by Gene Puskar - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer looks to pass in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Santonio Holmes dropped a touchdown pass and Jeff Reed kicked a field goal with 16 seconds left in the first half to put the Steelers ahead 9-6 going into halftime. The Bengals took the ball first and self-destructed with an illegal substitution play, and Shayne Graham missed a 51-yard field goal attempt off the upright.

Bernard Scott returned a kickoff for a touchdown, but Kevin Huber mishandled the ensuing snap on the PAT, so the Bengals were left with 6 points and a 3 point half-time deficit, which could have been a 1-point lead.

Negatives so far, just to get it out of the way - injuries and penalties. The Steelers lost Troy Polamalu, but Cedric Benson looked awful after leaving the game early with a leg injury. He is severely hobbled, and I don't think we can expect much from him in the second half. The Bengals have been penalized on almost every special teams play, suffered the aforementioned bad illegal substitution penalty, and Ndukwe committed an absolutely atrocious, unnecessary pass interference penalty late in the first half to give up the Jeff Reed field goal that made it 9-6.

Positives - the defense is playing excellent football (even if they've been on the field for a long time, the Bengals are losing posession by about 5 minutes). They've sacked Roethlisberger 4 times, and hit him 4 more. CBS says that he's been "hurried" on 6 other plays. That's gotta be most of the pass plays the Steelers have run. There's been excellent pressure and excellent coverage from the defense and that's kept the game in reach. The Steelers have simply not been able to execute in the red zone. The defense has also recorded 5 other tackles for a loss.

The offense, meanwhile, has been inconsistent at best. Carson doesn't seem to be very accurate, especially downfield, and the early open receivers were only finding space when they were tapping toes on the sideline. The running game is working okay, but they're really not consistently going to the run, especially without Benson.

The important thing at this point is that the Bengals are right in this game in a great position to win. Despite being down on the scoreboard, they're playing great defense and we all know the offense has the capability, especially without Troy P. in the game, to make points happen. It's a defensive struggle (94 Bengal yards, 139 Pittsburgh yards), and I honestly like our chances down the wire. Let's make it happen, Bengals.

The Vikings Red Zone Review, Sponsored by Comcast

Gonzo — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:04:59 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

Don't worry, man. . .no way we get that unlucky every week. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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Yes, the latest most important regular season game in the history of any football season ever kicks off in a little more than five hours, but we still need to take one final look back at Minnesota's first loss of 2009, as painful as it might be to do so. As always, this look at the Vikings' red zone prowess is brought to you by the folks at Comcast, the providers of the NFL's Red Zone channel. The Red Zone channel is, bar none, the best way cable TV offers you to keep track of all the biggest plays and all the huge scores at one time. Red zone success is a big indicator of team success, and nobody is more successful in bringing you the biggest and most important plays of the day than the Comcast Red Zone channel.

Well, last week the Steelers provided the Vikings with their biggest challenge of the season to date, and the Vikings responded by. . .putting up their worst red zone performance of the year. This is what we in the business call "bad timing."

Vikings Red Zone trips - 5
Vikings Red Zone scores - 2 (1 TD, 1 FG)
Red Zone touchdown percentage - 20%

Definitely not the numbers one wants to see against a team the caliber of the defending world champions.

The game got off to a bit of a slow start for the Vikings, as they pretty much failed to move the football at all on their first three drives, and Chris Kluwe kept giving the Steelers good field position by shanking punts of 35 and 19 yards. After said 19-yarder, the Steelers drove all the way down to the Minnesota 4-yard line, and appeared to have a touchdown on a pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes, but an offensive pass interference penalty on Heath Miller wiped it out. A couple of plays later, the Steelers were forced to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Jeff Reed to make the score 3-0, Pittsburgh.

Into the second quarter, the two teams exchanged punts again, and with 10:34 left in the half, the Vikings took over from their own 24. Brett Favre converted a huge first down early in the drive, as he hit Percy Harvin on the left sideline for 28 yards on third and six to move the ball into Steeler territory. Favre connected on passes to Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian (twice) and Visanthe Shiancoe, and Adrian Peterson picked up another big third down to put the ball at the Pittsburgh 3. The drive concluded with the best running back in football slamming his way into the end zone from two yards out, and the Vikings took a 7-3 lead. Peterson had four carries for 16 yards on the drive, and Favre connected on five of seven passes for 60 yards.

Neither team would make a red zone appearance for the remainder of the first half, although the Steelers did pick up a touchdown pass on a 40-yard connection from Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace ~~of 60 Minutes fame~~ to make the score 10-7 in favor of Pittsburgh going into the locker room.

After the Vikings allowed the Steelers another field goal to start the first half, a 27-yarder by Jeff Reed, the Vikings set about putting together the drive that, in my opinion, decided the football game. Starting from their own 35 after a nice kick return by Percy Harvin, the Vikings made their way to the Pittsburgh 35-yard line, where they faced 4th and 1. Favre took the snap, faded to his left, and fired a bullet to Sidney Rice. Rice made the catch and turned the play into a 34-yard catch and run that set the Vikings up inside the Steelers' 1-yard line. Unfortunately, after an unsuccessful run by Peterson and two incomplete passes, Brad Childress elected to settle for an 18-yard Ryan Longwell field goal rather than attempting to slam it into the end zone on 4th and about six inches. The field goal made the score 13-10 in favor of Pittsburgh. Peterson had just two carries for two yards on the drive, and the remaining 72 yards were picked up by Brett Favre, as he completed seven of ten passes on the drive.

After the teams exchanged three and outs, the Vikings allowed the Steelers to drive into the red zone again on a big pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes that allowed Pittsburgh to set up and the Vikings' 9-yard line. However, on first and goal, Steelers' running back Rashard Mendenhall inexplicably decided that he was going to dive all the way into the end zone from the five yard line, and managed to get the ball knocked out by big Pat Williams in the process. The Vikings recovered the ensuing fumble, and methodically put together a very impressive drive.

Starting from the Pittsburgh 3-yard line, the Vikings passed their way down the field. Favre was hitting everything in sight, completing passes to Rice and Shiancoe, and even getting Greg Lewis involved in the act. Highlighting the drive was an absolutely ridiculous 26-yard reception by Rice that converted a big 3rd and 18 for the Beloved Purple. After Purple Jesus moved the Vikings into the Pittsburgh red zone with a 19-yard run and an 11-yard catch, the Vikings appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown on a 10-yarder from Favre to Rice, but a horrendous tripping penalty on Jeff Dugan negated the play and pushed the Vikings back. (For the record. . .was it a BS call? You're damn right it was a BS call.) On third and 8, Favre dropped back to pass, and as he was getting ready to fire, he got the ball knocked out of his hands by Pittsburgh defensive lineman Brent Kiesel. The fumble was recovered by Lamar Woodley at the 23, and he rumbled all the way to the other end for a 77-yard fumble return. Rather than going up 17-13, the Vikings now found themselves down 20-10.and seemingly out of it. This was the first drive the Vikings experienced all season where they reached the red zone and failed to score points, and it couldn't have come at a worse time.

However, the dark cloud was lifted temporarily as Harvin made his presence felt again, taking the ensuing Jeff Reed kickoff and blasting 88 yards for a touchdown. Harvin managed to run through Reed's ridiculous "tackle" attempt and turn on the jets to put the Vikings right back into the game at 20-17.

The Vikings' defense did what they needed to do and forced the Steelers to punt, starting their next drive at their own 26. Once again, Favre moved the Vikings along, but the drive was highlighted by Peterson pushing up on the "truck stick" against Steelers' CB William Gay on a 29-yard catch and run that moved the Vikings to the Steeler 26. On second and 3 from the Pittsburgh 19, Favre flipped a screen pass to Chester Taylor, who appeared to be well-covered. Still, the pass bounced off of Taylor's hands and into the waiting arms of LB Keyaron Fox, who proceeded to go 82 yards for the score that put the dagger into Minnesota's hopes. The final score was 27-17. The Vikings technically made it into the end zone on their final desperation drive, but although it counts in the NFL's official stats, it really doesn't mean much.

So now, for the season, the Vikings have scored points on 23 of their 26 red zone trips, having notched 13 touchdowns and 10 Ryan Longwell field goals. The Minnesota red zone defense continues to be outstanding, as Viking opponents have reached the red zone 17 times in seven games, and have only come away with six touchdowns and five field goals. On six trips into the red zone, opposing teams have come away with no points against Minnesota's defense.

Hopefully the Vikings' offense can get their red zone prowess back this afternoon at the House that Brett Favre (Re)Built.

Steelers Defense Delivers Knockout Punch In 4th Quarter, Knock Vikings From The Ranks Of The Undefeated

Blitzburgh — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:36:08 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

about 1 month ago: A Pittsburgh Steelers fan cheers from the upper deck of Heinz Field during the first quarter of an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Wow, the Pittsburgh Steelers find a way to win for the fourth consecutive week. The defense hadn't really won a ballgame for the Steelers this year, and on Sunday they again had their struggles defending the pass. But for the first time all season really, Dick LeBeau's defense came up with multiple game-changing plays that dictated the outcome. Here's some preliminary thoughts about the 27-17 victory.

* There are still some troubling issues with the Steelers defense, but the good news is that they're starting to make some of the big plays that they weren't making to start the year. Through the first five games of the season, the Steelers had forced just 4 turnovers. The past two weeks, Pittsburgh's defense has 6 takeaways. The two turnovers Dick LeBeau's defense created today were not just run of the mill takeaways either - both were returned for touchdowns. And both came in the 4th quarter with the Vikings on the march. LaMarr Woodley got things started by taking a Brett Favre fumble 77 yards for a score. Keyaron Fox then intercepted a muffed catch by Chester Taylor and took it the other way for a game-clinching 82 yard score. Credit to the D for stepping up and making a play when their backs were against the wall, but color me still concerned about how much this defense continues to bend in the passing game. It didn't break today but it most likely will unless they can make things much, much tougher for those opposing quarterbacks who are disciplined, experienced and accurate enough to dink and dunk their way down the field.

* This defense is going to continue to need big plays like that if they hope to repeat as AFC North champions. The defense is still struggling against the pass otherwise. Brett Favre threw for 334 yards and the Vikings converted a very healthy 9-of-18 on 3rd down. Minnesota had three drives of 13 plays or more which helped them win the time of possession battle by almost 14 minutes.

* Wacky stat of the game #1 - Total plays: Minnesota 78, Pittsburgh 49.

* Wacky stat of the game #2 - Minnesota 1-5 TD efficiency in the red zone; Pittsburgh 0-3.

* Wacky stat of the game #3 - Minnesota 16 first downs through the air; Pittsburgh 14 total first downs.

* William Gay had 8 tackles on Sunday, increasing his season total to 30. Only James Farrior, Ryan Clark and James Harrison have more tackles. In case you were wondering, I don't necessarily think this is a good thing. I tip my hat to Gay for playing hard and for making some nice plays in each of the Steelers first seven games, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's the weak link not only in the team's secondary, but the entire defense as well. Teams are going right at Gay most weeks, hence the high tackle totals. And they're definitely making him pay when he gives his man too big a cushion. I don't have the exact total on me, but there were at least four or five plays where Favre quickly slung the ball out to the wide receiver that Gay was defending. Again, I'm not disgusted with the way he's playing or anything. It's just he's not nearly as physical as the player he is replacing, Bryant McFadden. I said I was worried about his play before the start of the season more than anything else with this team. That sentiment has not changed for me one bit.

* I still miss Anthony Madison on special teams. The Steelers surrendered yet another kickoff return on Sunday. There were plenty of people responsible for Percy Harvin breaking off the 88 yard kickoff return, but perhaps none more than Jeff Reed. Reed not only didn't force Harvin back to the middle of the field - which is definitely rule #1 - but he also just gave his best matador impersonation by meekly flailing at Harvin as he ran by him. Bad, bad stuff from Reed.

* To his credit, Reed had a nice day kicking the ball. Both of his field goal attempts were relative 'chip shots' (39 and 27 yards), but his kicks looked crisper and an improvement over how he had been kicking the ball earlier in the year, even on his made attempts.

* A tough day for the Steelers offense. Pittsburgh mustered just 259 total yards, by far their lowest output of the season. However, the Steelers did average 5.3 yards per play, not a shabby number. The problem was settling for two field goals in the red zone and a Rashard Mendenhall fumble inside the 5 yard line. That's a lot of points left on the board. Credit the Vikings defense though - they took Hines Ward out of the game for the most part, bottled up the run for much of the afternoon, and did a superior job of not letting Big Ben break free from would-be sacks.

* Anybody else notice how many deflections the Vikings had at the line of scrimmage? I'm not sure of the number but it seemed like there were at least three or four balls batted down by Vikings defensive linemen. That rarely happens with the 6'5" Ben Roethlisberger. A job well done by them.

* I'd like to break down the play with pictures in the near future since we have a couple of weeks before the next game, but Big Ben's touchdown strike to Mike Wallace at the end of the 1st half was gorgeous. The pass was thrown with plenty of zip, but it also had just the right trajectory to fall over the Vikings first line of defense in the secondary and down in to Wallace's breadbasket before the last line of defense could get to #17. A truly perfect throw by Big Ben.

* Not to sound overly negative, but I haven't been that impressed by Daniel Sepulveda. He's been fine and a decided upgrade over what the team was getting from the punting game last year in his absence. But he's no Mike Scifres or Shane Lechler. I've still yet to see him really boom or place a punt that made me say 'wow'.

* Bet you didn't know that it was the first time in NFL history that there were 3 touchdown returns of at least 75 yards during the 4th quarter of a game. It was awesome watching the Steelers defense block for both Woodley and Fox on their respective runbacks. Percy Harvin on the other hand didn't need much help on his touchdown.

* I have been extremely impressed by the way Santonio Holmes has been playing during the Steelers four game winning streak. Santonio only had 2 receptions for 59 yards, but he continues to impress me in the running game and blocking down field for his fellow WRs after the catch. Hines has clearly rubbed off on him, and I'd imagine that both he and Hines are having the same effect on rookie Mike Wallace. It was unfortunate that Holmes didn't get his TD reception in the 1st quarter when Heath Miller was called for pass interference.

* Speaking of Mike Wallace - the rookie out of Ole Miss continues to earn the confidence and trust of his teammates and coaches. Wallace had 3 catches for 79 yards and a TD. Kevin Colbert and his army of scouts definitely found a keeper in #17. He's going to be a treat to watch over the years.

* My phrase for Mewelde Moore after we signed during the 2008 free agency period - 'one mans trash is another man's treasure'. Who would you rather have if you were Minnesota? A 30 year old Chester Taylor taking up nearly $4 million in cap room or a 27 year old Mewelde Moore who takes up less less than half the cap space that Taylor does. Moore is reliable and even keeled with his performance. Taylor is more up and down. It wasn't the easiest catch in the world, but on the play where Keyaron Fox returned the interception for a touchdown, the ball hit Taylor's hands. He's got to make that play. Anyway, I'm just glad we have Moore on our side.

* Congratulations to David Johnson. The 7th round tight end out of Arkansas State caught his first career pass late in the 1st quarter. Good stuff David!

* I'll wrap this up for now, but a job well done by the Steelers defense against Adrian Peterson. AP had just 69 yards on 18 carries and was largely unable to do much against the stout Steelers rush defense. Peterson still had some nice runs and of course that beastly play in the passing game against William Gay, but you have to be impressed with the Steelers ability to contain him without Aaron Smith for the entire game and Lawrence Timmons for part of it. Kudos to guys like Nick Eason, Travis Kirschke, Ziggy Hood and Keyaron Fox for filling in admirably.

* Now it's Pittsburgh's turn for their BYE Week before heading to Denver to take on the Denver Broncos. I think it's a great time for the BYE. The team has lots to feel good about but plenty to work on. A little rest to heal up some aching bodies and then it's time for the second half of the season and hopefully another run at securing an AFC North crown and potentially even a 1st round BYE in this year's playoffs.

Idiot Kicker

GrantC — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:41:37 -0000

Jeff Reed, the Steelers kicker apparently came to the rescue of his teammates recently outside a Pittsburgh bar and is now catching some heat. It turns out back-up TE Matt Spaeth was hammered and taking a whiz in the street (classy!) just across from Heinz Field when police strolled up. Spaeth was cited for being a drunk fool and then Reed stumbled out of the bar and, per the police report, took a "fighting stance". The mental image here is hilarious, as we can just picture Reed (while still wearing his jersey & pants we imagine) literally putting up his dukes and crouching down in some type of quasi boxing-wrestler attack mode.

So, we've got some questions for Mr Reed and kickers in general... What did you think you were going to accomplish with the whole fighting the cops thing? Have you ever watched COPS? If so, have you ever seen someone punch out the COPS and then just casually stroll off? And, if not, what the hell is wrong with you - that show is an American tradition?!

And, whats deal with these NFL kickers? Don't these guys know they are one step above male cheerleaders in the eyes of basically all pro athletes and fans? Why do they like to go talking trash and over celebrating and getting into drunken bar fights with the authorities? Shouldn't they count their blessings that they have the least painful/strenuous job in professional sports and enjoy those big fat paychecks, minimal celebrity status and the chance to win a ring?!

Steelers Rookies Seeing Significant Playing Time

Blitzburgh — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:00:39 -0000

I just wanted to throw this discussion starter out there to see what some of you guys thought - are the Steelers making more little mistakes early on in the 2009 season because they are working in a high volume of rookies compared to in years past? It's fairly well documented that rookies don't often see the field much during their first season in Pittsburgh. There have been exceptions, for sure, but for the most part, players are forced to learn the ropes for a year or two behind more seasoned, veteran players before getting their first real crack at making an impact for the Black 'n Gold.

Take last season, for example. The 2008 Rookie of the Year for Pittsburgh was reserve linebacker and special teams contributor, Patrick Bailey, an undrafted free agent rookie out of Duke. Donovan Woods (also undrafted) saw the field sparingly; so did Bruce Davis, the team's 3rd round pick. Other than that though, there was very little playing time for any of Pittsburgh's 1st year players last year.

What about in 2005, the other recent year Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl? The Steelers were introduced the services of Heath Miller that year, and he played quite a bit and fairly well. There was also rookie cornerback Bryant McFadden, who was also forced in to action later in the year due to injuries. Outside of those two, the Steelers other crop of rookies didn't play too much. Trai Essex was used sparingly; same with Chris Kemoeatu and Nate Washington. Undrafted free agent Andre Frazier made a few plays on special teams, and rookie long snapper Greg Warren saw playing time. That's about it though.

This year, the Steelers are incorporating quite a few first year players in to the fold. And they're doing so with mixed results I'd say. 1st round pick Ziggy Hood has played very little, but has appeared in all three games. The team's two 3rd round picks - Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis - have also played early on. Wallace of course has been largely spectacular through three games. He caught 7 passes for 102 yards in Sunday's loss and now has 12 catches on the year, and at least 2 in each of his first three professional games. Despite his outstanding play, he's nevertheless made a few rookie mistakes the past two weeks. The most notable one came last week when he didn't stay in bounds late in the 4th quarter when the Steelers were on the move and trying to set up a potential Jeff Reed game-winning FG. By not staying in bounds, the Steelers left enough time on the clock for Jay Cutler to engineer a game-winning drive of his own following Reed's second costly miss. Wallace looks like he's going to be a player, but he can still help the Steelers chances of winning by eliminating some of the small, mental mistakes that players tend to outgrow as their careers progress.

Then there's Joe Burnett, who muffed his way out of a more prominent role on special teams during the preseason. By doing so, he opened up the door for Stefan Logan to win the return duties. That's all fine and well, and congratulations to Logan for seizing the opportunity and performing fairly well so far, but giving up a roster spot for a return specialist perhaps also has repercussions that aren't necessarily visible or easy to identify just yet.

Then there's Frank Summers, who also was seeing the field frequently before sitting this past Sunday's game out. Summers has shown promise on special teams and he's got every opportunity in the world to learn the nuances of being a professional fullback. But for now, he's missing assignments and not really making his big, bruising frame work for him or the running game.

Again, I'm not really pointing to specific plays or instances where the 2009 Steelers rookie class has cost the team. I'm just making a general point that the team is working in far more young bodies than we are accustomed to. This will pay dividends for the organization down the road, and perhaps even for this team later on in the 2009 season. There will be more growing pains though I'd guess before things really all start to come together for this particular squad. That's part of the process and the reality of life in the National Football League. As fans, we must be both excited about all the fresh talent in the pipeline while also remaining realistic about the growing curve that these young players must face and overcome before consistently contributing to a ballclub with championship aspirations.

Thoughts?

Under further review: When the defense stepped up, the Bengals took advantage

Kirkendall — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:59:40 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

2 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) is lifted in the air by Anthony Collins (73) after Benson scored on a 23-yard run in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Cincinnati. Cincinnati won the game 23-20. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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If you took every thing you knew about the Cincinnati Bengals, while applying every bit of team history that you've observed during the Mike Brown era, then the Bengals win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday would seem almost foreign. For example, the team's first quarter was an alarming effort at self-destruction. Cedric Benson rushed the football four times for no-yards. Carson Palmer attempted three passes -- two to Coles, one to Henry -- falling incomplete. Kyle Cook missed a block on Casey Hampton, who sacked Palmer. Evan Mathis was called for a false start and Anthony Collins lined up off the line of scrimmage, penalizing the Bengals five yards.

Willie Parker rushed for 53 yards on nine carries while Ben Roethlisberger completed seven of nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown -- a 149.5 passer rating. By the time the first quarter ended, the Steelers had a 10-0 lead, time of possession nearing 11 minutes and seven recorded first downs. The Bengals had just over four minutes of possession, no first downs and actually lost 20 yards with only one recorded yard on offense -- which was lost on the next play.

This was the first quarter. This was why I said the Bengals had a big DOA stamped on the mid-field team logo. Even though a ten-point deficit is manageable, the score clearly didn't show the team's immense struggle on both offense and defense. Over 17 minutes had passed before Carson Palmer completed his first pass of the game. Over 17 minutes had passed before the Bengals recorded their first first down of the game. Nearly 19 minutes had passed before Cedric Benson recorded more than one yard rushing on the ground. Even though the Bengals would later punt on their fourth possession, when Phil Simms called the drive successful, based on what happened in the first quarter, he was absolutely right in his assessment.

Afterwards, the Bengals offense and defense steadily improved. After the team's fourth straight punt to start the game, the offense went three-and-out only once, punted twice, missed a field goal and scored on three of the final five possessions; two touchdowns in the final ten minutes of the game. Defensively, the Bengals went into shutdown mode in the second half, forcing a pick-six, a missed field goal and two punts. They allowed a 11-play, 85-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter. However, aside from that, with a bit of luck (dropped passes for example) the Steelers offense was largely ineffective.

When the Bengals were hit with a mountain of adversity, they climbed that mountain and won the game. It was foreign to see this after so many times witnessing the Bengals pack it in, following their collective sigh with there's always next week. This team is far different with their motivations and heart.

Did the offense line really play well? You could make the argument that the Bengals offense was as dreadful or successful as the offensive line was. On many of the early tackles by the Pittsburgh Steelers during rushing downs was a result of the line's inability to reach the second level. Pittsburgh's defensive line did a good job holding up the Bengals offensive line from getting in the linebackers way. James Farrior and Lawrence Timmons were on fire early as a result. However, I also noticed that the Bengals offensive line was often a step slow when Steelers linebackers shot through the gaps. Andrew Whitworth, who ended up playing as well as anyone on the team, still struggled with a defender making an inside move.

Aside from the sack allowed to Casey Hampton, Kyle Cook went largely unnoticed. However, after watching the game a second time, he struggled against the massive defensive tackle. So much so that the Bengals decided to only call two rushing plays up the middle, and an additional two off the right guard. Of those four rushing plays, the Bengals gained two yards. Were they trying to protect Cook by not making Hampton a factor in the game? It would be reasonable to think so. However, there really was no reason to run up the gut into the heart of the Steelers defense when the edges were wide open.

The Bengals ran behind Andrew Whitworth six times for 51 yards on Sunday; including a 23-yard touchdown run by Benson. He's not the only reason that Benson averaged 8.5 yards-per-rush when rushing off the left edges. Mathis was solid, as was Dennis Roland, Daniel Coats and J.P. Foschi. Anthony Collins' side saw a good measure of success also, with six runs gaining 23 yards, which included runs of nine and eight yards. As offensive linemen go, the team's left side of the line dominated the Steelers most of the game. Benson found holes, picking up chucks of seven yards three times, an eight-yard as well as the 23-yard touchdown run.

Furthermore, the Bengals were impressively solid defending against the nasty Pittsburgh pass rush. Hampton recorded a sack early in the game and James Harrison recorded a sack in which the Bengals didn't lose a yard when Harrison dropped Palmer at the line of scrimmage. Aside from that, Palmer was only hit two more times and remained on his feet the rest of the game. Some could argue that he panicked when he didn't need to, forcing throws before the receivers went into their breaks. When that happened, the pass visibly sailed over the receivers' heads, typically down the right sidelines. However, it's the survive to fight another day mentality. If you're uncomfortable, throw the pass away preventing a sack or an interception. After watching what happened last year, as well as the interceptions early this season, I think I'll take passes thrown away every time. Once Palmer understands that his line is holding up well, he'll develop more confidence to make plays. For the time being, it didn't hurt the team.

Palmer on third down.
Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	TD	INT
10	3	30%	12	0	0

Palmer on fourth down.
Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	TD	INT
2	2	100%	16	0	0

When momentum was too hard to define. Every football game is based on momentum. It's that invisible ghost that defines the game, which isn't entirely out of the hands of mere mortals. The Steelers had it early. The Bengals took it late. But when did the Bengals truly turn the tide, taking advantage of the momentum with a Paul Brown Stadium crowd that was noticeably loud? We have several instances.

We could go as far back as the 1:15 mark in the second quarter. The Steelers were leading 13-0 when Pittsburgh lined up fourth-and-four at the Bengals 35-yard line. At this point, if the Steelers take a 20 point lead into the lockerroom, the Bengals have a slight to zero chance. Ben Roethlisberger took the snap and felt immediate pressure from the Bengals' star pass rusher, Antwan Odom. Roethlisberger was forced to roll out to his left, where Jonathan Fanene, who had a tremendous game, wrapped the quarterback's legs. Ben doesn't go down easy. And he didn't here. While standing upright, rather than risking a quarterback sack, threw the football away. The Bengals offense took possession with a minute left in the half and managed a field goal. What could have become a 20-point deficit, turned into a 10-point deficit heading into the lockerroom. After stopping the Steelers on fourth down and after scoring a field goal, you have to wonder how much the players used that.

On the Steelers first possession of the second half, after hitting Heath Miller for five yards and after Hines Ward was called for his second offensive pass interference (which I simply noted as thanking the football gods for currying favor with the Bengals), Santonio Holmes sprinted off the line of scrimmage and kept going. Roethlisberger expected Holmes to run a hook-route and threw it as such. Johnathan Joseph watched Roethlisberger all the way. After allowing a second quarter 51-yard pass to Mike Wallace, Joseph tried to redeem himself all game. If it wasn't for his good hits, or sure tackles, it was the interception that Joseph returned to the endzone, giving the Bengals the first touchdown in the game.

After a long kickoff return, the Steelers start their second second-half possession on the Bengals 40-yard line. Momentum was nearly crushed when Roethlisberger hit a wide open Limas Sweed in the endzone. Sweed's natural enemy, the ground, knocked the football out of his hand, preventing the easy touchdown. On the next play, Jeff Reed missed a 52-yard field goal attempt.

Even though Sweed dropped the easy touchdown pass and Reed missed the field goal attempt, the Bengals didn't take advantage, going three-and-out; actually run-run-pass-punt. The Steelers went 75 yards on 11 plays on the ensuing drive, finishing the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Roethlisberger. Rey Maualuga was carted off and whatever momentum the Bengals built, was dying (if not dead).

Then the Bengals performed their best fourth quarter performance since Carson Palmer engineered a 24-point fourth quarter, throwing three interceptions against the Baltimore Ravens in 2004.

Times each wide receiver was targeted

Receiver	Target	Catches	Yards	TD
Chad Ochocinco	11	5	54	0
Andre Caldwell	9	6	52	1
Laveranues Coles	7	5	34	0
Chris Henry	3	1	19	0
Brian Leonard	2	1	11	0
Cedric Benson	2	1	5	0
Daniel Coats	1	1	8	0
	35	20	183	1

Breaking down the quarters. The game was never out of reach in terms of the score. In terms of the performance, it was dreadful early. When it mattered most, Carson Palmer and Cedric Benson came through in the fourth quarter. Both scored touchdowns and recorded their strongest quarter. Furthermore, the defense rose as well, limiting Willie Parker and Ben Roethlisberger to their worst quarters in the game.

Carson Palmer

	Att	Comp	Yard	TD	INT	Rating
1st	3	0	0	0	0	39.6
2nd	13	7	81	0	0	72.9
3rd	4	3	6	0	0	77.1
4th	17	10	96	1	0	94.2
	37	20	183	1	0	76.7

Cedric Benson

	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD
1st	4	0	0	0
2nd	4	18	4.5	0
3rd	4	16	4.0	0
4th	4	42	10.5	1
	16	76	4.8	1

Ben Roethlisberger

	Att	Comp	Yard	TD	INT	Rating
1st	9	7	99	1	0	149.5
2nd	10	6	81	0	0	85.5
3rd	9	7	81	0	1	64.5
4th	3	2	15	0	0	78.5
	31	22	276	1	1	95.6

Willie Parker

	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD
1st	9	53	5.9	0
2nd	5	19	3.8	0
3rd	6	14	2.3	0
4th	5	7	1.4	0
	25	93	3.7	0