Bengals vs. Steelers: What's the Game Plan for Pittsburgh?

It might not look like it on paper through seven weeks, but the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers are two evenly matched teams heading into Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET showdown at Heinz Field.

With star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning to the Steelers lineup following a few weeks on the shelf due to a knee injury, the 12th-year signal-caller will give the Pittsburgh offense a much-needed shot in the arm going up against the high-flying Bengals offense led by Andy Dalton.

Sunday’s game will mark the first time in the 2015 season that the Steelers offense will have Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant healthy and on the field at the same time.

That should mean points will be aplenty against a Cincinnati defense that has yet to be tested through the air and on the ground by an offense as potent as the Steelers unit.

Although it won’t be fair to expect Roethlisberger's best in his first game back, he is Ben Roethlisberger, so what can be expected against an AFC North rival? The best he’s got.

While the Steelers offense should have success against a Bengals defense that is slightly overrated at this point in the year, the same can’t be said for a Steelers defense that is equally overrated due to matchups against some offensive teams that simply aren’t that good—or weren’t that good when they played the Steelers.

All of that can be thrown out of the window for an AFC North showdown between these two teams.

Offensive Game Plan

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With the return of Roethlisberger headlining this game, the focal point of this showdown should be Bell and what he brings to the Steelers offense, especially against the Bengals. 

In two meeting last year, Bell had 335 total yards and three touchdowns on 46 touches against Cincinnati, including his 235-yard, three-touchdown performance on the road on Dec. 7 last season.

Now that the Steelers offense is relatively healthy, namely at key areas, the Steelers could be primed for an offensive explosion in this one.

It all starts with Bell and the running game.

Last season, the Steelers ran the Georgia Counter to perfection against the Bengals on the road, leading to the 185 rushing yards and two scores from Bell in the 42-21 blowout win.

The dual-threat running back added 50 yards receiving and a touchdown through the air on six catches, so the Steelers would be wise to lean on him again in this one, considering the Bengals have yet to find an answer for him.

By leaning on the ground game with Bell, the Steelers can allow Roethlisberger to ease back into the lineup without asking him to air it out 35-plus times in this one.

Relying on the running game should be an easy choice for the Steelers against the Bengals. Cincinnati currently has the 16th-best run defense in the NFL and, outside of the Seattle Seahawks—who rushed for 200 yards (6.7 yards per carry) against Cincy—has yet to show it can stop a top-notch rushing attack.

With an inexperienced left tackle protecting Roethlisberger’s blind side, it would be smart for Todd Haley to “Ring the Bell” as much as possible in this one.

When asked to throw, expect a lot of extended handoffs from Roethlisberger to Brown, Bryant and Bell, allowing the trio of dynamic Pittsburgh weapons to get the ball in space and make plays after the catch.

If this one turns into a shootout, the Steelers should feel much more confident and comfortable with Roethlisberger under center, knowing that if the situation arises, he can lead them back from a deficit.

But by pounding the rock and controlling the tempo of the game, the Steelers can determine the outcome of this one all by Ringing the Bell.

Defensive Game Plan

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This is where it gets dicey for Pittsburgh.

Through seven weeks, the Bengals are the third-best offense in football, averaging more than 410 yards per game.

In the passing game, Dalton and the Bengals are fifth-best in the NFL, throwing for more than 288 yards per game, while the Steelers allow the sixth-most passing yards per game in the NFL at 276.9.

Dalton is on another level this season thanks to the growth of his weapons around him, namely A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, a healthy Marvin Jones and the emergence of tight end Tyler Eifert as one of the top three tight ends in all of football.

Speaking of Eifert, he should remind a lot of people of New England’s Rob Gronkowski—a physical mismatch who can simply take over games when he needs to.

The Steelers had a difficult time with trying to slow down Gronkowski in Week 1, so it’s hard to see Pittsburgh magically figuring out a way to slow down Eifert in this one.

While Eifert is definitely a major concern, you can’t forget about Green, who will be covered by some combination of Antwon Blake and Ross Cockrell throughout this one.

Good luck with that horrendous mismatch snap after snap.

There are simply too many weapons Pittsburgh has to try to slow down, so the Steelers have to try to put as much pressure on Dalton as they possibly can.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the Bengals have done a terrific job of protecting Dalton in their first six games, allowing the second-fewest sacks in the NFL with just six.

Andrew Whitworth, a healthy Andre Smith and the outstanding play by the interior line has kept Dalton upright all season long, allowing him to flourish under offensive coordinator Hue Jackson.

As Dalton has succeeded through the air, running back Giovani Bernard has enjoyed a bounce-back year for Cincinnati. However, he could be in for a tough day on the ground against a Steelers defense that has done a respectable job of shutting down its opponents' running games. 

Stephon Tuitt will miss his second straight game with a knee injury, so it’s up to Cam Thomas to fill his shoes. That’s not promising.

Pittsburgh has to hope it can get some pressure on Dalton, force him into some bad decisions and capitalize on those said bad decisions.

If not, it will be a long day for a banged-up Steelers defense.

Key Matchups 

Steelers Offensive Tackles vs. Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson

The Steelers are dangerously thin at offensive tackle, so that plays right into the hands of Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson, who have been major strengths of the Bengals defense through seven weeks of the 2015 regular season.

Dunlap has 6.5 sacks on the season, while Johnson has bounced back in a big way following his one-year stint in Tampa Bay.

For the Steelers offense to have its best shot at a successful day against a strong Bengals defense, Pittsburgh's tackles—Marcus Gilbert and Alejandro Villanueva—must put up strong showings against two good edge-rushers.

Antwon Blake and Ross Cockrell vs. A.J. Green

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Talk about downright scary.

Green is one of the best receivers in football year after year. The same can't be said for Blake and Cockrell at cornerback.

The Bengals' game plan through the air will likely be simple: Get Green the ball. He'll have favorable matchups regardless of where he lines up on Sunday.

Where art thou, Ike Taylor?

Matchup X-factor

Cody Wallace

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If the Steelers are going to beat the Bengals and keep Cincinnati’s offense off of the field, they’ll need to establish a strong rushing attack.

That all starts with Cody Wallace in this one.

Wallace isn't a great pass-blocker for Pittsburgh, but he's a ferocious run-blocker.

Cincinnati is strong up the middle, but teams can run on it, as the team allows 109.2 yards per game (16th in the NFL).

If Wallace can get a push in the middle of the line against Geno Atkins, Domata Peko and middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, the Steelers' running game could flourish on Sunday night and take some pressure off Roethlisberger.

Really, it all starts with Wallace. He needs to set the tone in the running game early on.

Prediction

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The Bengals have never played at as high a level as they have this year. This is a different team that looks capable of making a deep run come January.

Dalton is in early MVP consideration, while Bernard has overtaken Jeremy Hill in the backfield, which has done nothing but add another explosive dimension to the Bengals offense.

That doesn't even consider Eifert, who appears to be on par with Gronkowski at tight end.

Cincinnati's offense is scary, but so is Pittsburgh's. With Roethlisberger likely returning to the starting lineup, expect plenty of fireworks on national television.

If you're a fan of defensive battles, don't watch.

Bengals 31, Steelers 30