Steelers vs. Bengals: Complete Week 14 Preview for Pittsburgh
The losses to underdog opponents keep piling up, but somehow the Pittsburgh Steelers are still in good enough shape to win the AFC North without any help.
If the Steelers (7-5) win their four remaining games, they will win the division and have a home playoff game, no questions asked.
The first of those games is Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m. ET, CBS) at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Dolphins, Bills and Chiefs also are 7-5. That's a total of six 7-5 teams in the AFC, and the Dolphins are the only one that currently occupies one of the six playoff positions. They would be the No. 6 seed if the playoffs started this week. The Chargers (8-4) would be the No. 5 seed.
The rest of the conference's 7-5 teams, including the Steelers, are on the far right under the "In the Hunt" heading when the AFC playoff picture is shown on TV.
The Steelers don't have to navigate that bottleneck if they win their remaining games and take the division.
If they lose Sunday, however, let the scoreboard watching begin.
Week 13 Recap
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The Steelers once again lost to a team with a sub-.500 record, falling to the New Orleans Saints 35-32 at Heinz Field in Week 13.
It was the Steelers' third loss this season to a team with a losing record. Their opponents in those games (the Buccaneers, Jets and Saints) have a combined record of 9-27.
The final score on Sunday was deceptive. The Saints led 35-16 with less than three minutes remaining before the Steelers put up two cosmetic touchdowns.
The Steelers were coming off their bye but were dominated by a team that was operating on a short week after a Monday night loss at home to Baltimore. It was the Steelers' first loss after their bye week since 2007, and it's the first time they've lost two home games to NFC teams in the same season since 1991, head coach Chuck Noll's final season.
Ben Roethlisberger made history the last time the Steelers played at Heinz Field, throwing six touchdown passes for the second game in a row. But Drew Brees stole the spotlight Sunday, throwing five touchdown passes to five different receivers.
The Steelers could have altered the tone of the game with two touchdowns in the first quarter, but they had to settle for field goals and a 6-0 lead. They haven't led 7-0 in a game this season.
The Saints promptly wiped out the Steelers' 6-0 advantage when they got their running game going in the second quarter. Mark Ingram ran for 64 of his 122 yards in the quarter to set up touchdown passes to tight end Benjamin Watson and fullback Erik Lorig for a 14-6 halftime lead.
Roethlisberger threw his second interception early in the third quarter, and two plays later, Brees threw a touchdown pass to Nick Toon to make it 21-6.
The Steelers answered with an 83-yard drive capped by Le'Veon Bell's one-yard touchdown run to pull to within 21-13. But on the Saints' ensuing drive, Brees threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills, and the Saints led 28-13 before the third quarter was over.
Marques Colston caught the Saints' final touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Antonio Brown caught both of Roethlisberger's late TD passes.
The 2014 Steelers find themselves in a similar situation to the 2005 Steelers. In 2005, the Steelers dropped to 7-5 after a home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. But they won their last four games, made the playoffs and won four more games to win Super Bowl XL.
The Steelers can claim the AFC North if they win their last four games. But this isn't the 2005 Steelers. That team allowed only 3.4 yards per carry on defense, best in the NFL.
This year, the Steelers are allowing 4.4 yards per carry. Only six teams have allowed more.
In 2005, Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor were rising stars and hadn't even reached the prime of their careers. James Harrison and Brett Keisel were contributors but weren't yet starters.
Now, the 33-year-old Polamalu and the 34-year-old Taylor are breaking down and have just returned to the lineup after their latest injuries. Harrison already has retired once, and Keisel didn't even re-sign with the team until the end of the offseason; however, the 36-year-olds have performed better than most of the young players who represent the future of the Steelers defense. And Keisel is out for the season after a triceps injury on Sunday.
The 2005 Steelers won their last four regular-season games, won three road playoff games and became the first No. 6 seed to win the Super Bowl.
As unlikely as that run was, just winning the last four regular-season games would be even less likely for the 2014 Steelers.
News and Notes
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Steelers Activate Jones, Place Allen on IR
The Steelers activated Jarvis Jones from the injured reserve-designated to return list Saturday, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and placed cornerback Cortez Allen on injured reserve, ending his season.
The Steelers had little choice but to find a roster spot for Jones because James Harrison is listed as doubtful for today's game. Jason Worilds and Arthur Moats are the only other outside linebackers on the roster.
Jones injured his wrist at Carolina in Week 3 and needed surgery. He began practicing last week.
The 17th overall pick in the 2013 draft has played just two-and-a-half games in 2014, so it's hard to tell how much he's progressed from his rookie season. But in those two-and-a-half games he had two sacks, doubling his rookie-year output.
The Steelers are 26th in the NFL with 21 sacks, so they need all the pass-rushing help they can get.
Allen, meanwhile, has flopped after signing a five-year, $26 million contract before the season. Drafted in the fourth round in 2011, Allen allowed five touchdown passes this season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Nine players have allowed more than that, but they've all played at least 600 snaps. Allen played 463 defensive snaps before being benched in Week 8 against Indianapolis. He hasn't played on defense since.
Roethlisberger Denies Report He Has Broken Bone
Bleacher Report's Will Carroll reported Wednesday that Ben Roethlisberger has a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist after he and Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton whacked arms during the first quarter of Sunday's game.
Roethlisberger practiced Thursday and Friday after not practicing Wednesday, and he denied the report.
"There is no broken bone," Roethlisberger told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Roethlisberger's absence from practice Wednesday officially was listed as non-injury related, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com, and the Steelers would face discipline from the league if they didn't disclose an injury.
Roethlisberger handed off to Le'Veon Bell five times in a row after hitting his hand and was off on many of his throws the rest of the afternoon. He completed 32 of 58 passes with two interceptions.
According to Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider, Roethlisberger's hand won't be a problem going forward.
"Ben said there was minor swelling in his wrist but he's fine now. Also said the earlier smack off DeCastros helmet wasn't a factor.
— James C Wexell (@jimwexell) December 3, 2014"
Carroll stands by his report, in which he added that the injury shouldn't prevent Roethlisberger from playing.
Tuitt to Make First Start
With Brett Keisel out for the season, rookie Stephon Tuitt will make his first career start at defensive end, according to Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider.
"Not sure if Tomlin announced this yesterday, but today Stephon Tuitt confirmed he's going to start at defensive end for the Steelers.
— James C Wexell (@jimwexell) December 3, 2014"
The Steelers drafted the 6'5", 303-pound Tuitt in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. The Notre Dame alumnus has appeared in all 10 games.
The Steelers placed Keisel, who started four games this season, on injured reserve and signed defensive end Clifton Geathers, according to the Bouchette.
Geathers, 26, was taken by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2010 draft and has played for six teams. The 6'8", 325-pounder was released by Redskins on Nov. 1 after making six tackles this season, according to John Keim ESPN.com.
Roethlisberger Worried Workload Will Take Toll on Bell
Ben Roethlisberger expressed concern on his radio show this week about the Steelers possibly wearing out running back Le'Veon Bell.
"I hope we don't, you know, run him into the ground, if you will," Roethlisberger said during his weekly show on 93.7 The Fan (via Bouchette).
Bell leads the AFC with 1,046 rushing yards and is second in the NFL only to the Cowboys' DeMarco Murray, who has run for 1,427 yards.
Bell also has caught 65 passes, a franchise record for running backs.
Now that LeGarrette Blount is gone, the Steelers have no experienced halfbacks to relieve Bell, who ran 21 times Sunday for 95 yards and has carried the ball 216 times this season. Rookie Dri Archer was the only other running back to carry the ball Sunday. He ran it once for no gain.
The only other backs the Steelers have are fullback Will Johnson and rookie Josh Harris, who was called up from the practice squad after Blount was released.
The Steelers have a history of losing running backs in December, then making early playoff exits.
Willie Parker led the NFL with 1,316 rushing yards before breaking his leg at St. Louis in Week 16 of the 2007 season. The Steelers lost 31-29 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC Wild Card Game at Pittsburgh.
In 2011, Rashard Mendenhall scored nine touchdowns and ran for 928 yards. He had a shot at 1,000 but tore his ACL in the season finale at Cleveland. The Steelers bowed out of the playoffs the following week at Denver.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn't share Roethlisberger's concern about overworking Bell, and neither does Bell.
"He’s a highly conditioned guy. He’s a mentally tough guy. He’s a competitor. Personally, I think he’s built for it and he’s excited about having an opportunity to do it for us," Tomlin said at his weekly press conference.
Bell, meanwhile, told Mike Prisuta of Steelers.com, "If anything, they can give me more. I’m able to handle whatever they can give me."
Bell Could Face Suspension Next Season
Le'Veon Bell, who was charged with marijuana possession and driving under the influence of marijuana in August, was formally arraigned Wednesday and could have his charges dismissed after participating in a program for first-time offenders, according to Lexi Belculfine of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Bell still could be suspended for one or more games next season, however.
Loss Wouldn't Knock Steelers out of AFC North Race
The Steelers have a 32 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to MakeNFLPlayoffs.com.
Their chances would be 100 percent if they win the AFC North.
They still can win the division if they lose Sunday at Cincinnati. But they would have to win their three remaining games and a lot of other things would have to fall into place. Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review summarizes it here:
"Steelers can still win the division if they lose this week. Ravens go 2-2, Bengals go 0-3 , Browns go 2-2.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) December 2, 2014"
The Bengals going 0-3 isn't as far-fetched as it seems, and the Steelers would have a little bit of control over that since they host the Bengals in Week 17.
| REMAINING SCHEDULE FOR AFC NORTH TEAMS | ||||
| Bengals | Steelers | Ravens | Browns | |
| Week 14 | PIT (7-5) | At CIN (8-3-1) | At MIA (7-5) | IND (8-4) |
| Week 15 | At CLE (7-5) | At ATL (5-7) | JAX (2-10) | CIN (8-3-1) |
| Week 16 | DEN (9-3) | KC (7-5) | At HOU (6-6) | At CAR (3-8-1) |
| Week 17 | At PIT (7-5) | CIN (8-3-1) | CLE (7-5) | At BAL (7-5) |
The Ravens and Bengals wouldn't both have to go 2-2 in their final four games for the Steelers to win the division with a 10-6 record. At least one of them would have to go 2-2, because the Steelers can't win a three-way tiebreaker with the Browns and Ravens. But the Steelers can still win the division if one of them goes 3-1.
If the Bengals finish 9-6-1, the Steelers finish 10-6, the Browns finish 10-6 and the Ravens finish no better than 9-7 but beat the Browns at home in Week 17, the Steelers would win the tiebreaker over the Browns because of a better conference record.
If that scenario takes place but the Browns beat the Ravens, the Browns would win the division because they'd have a better division record than the Steelers.
If the Bengals finish 9-6-1, the Steelers finish 10-6, the Ravens finish 10-6 and the Browns finish no better than 9-7 but beat the Ravens in Week 17, the Steelers would win the division because they'd have a better division record than the Ravens.
If the Ravens' one loss doesn't come against the Browns in that situation, then it would have to come against Jacksonville or Houston for the Steelers to win the tiebreaker based on a better conference record than the Ravens.
In that case, playing some of their worst games against non-conference opponents will come in handy for the Steelers.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status (through Fri) |
| Marcus Gilbert | OT | Out (ankle) |
| James Harrison | LB | Doubtful (knee) |
| Brice McCain | CB | Probable (hamstring) |
| Steve McLendon | NT | Questionable (shoulder) |
| Troy Polamalu | S | Probable (illness) |
| Ryan Shazier | LB | Probable (ankle) |
| Ike Taylor | CB | Probable (shoulder) |
Rookie inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, along with Jarvis Jones, will provide the Steelers defense with a youth infusion. Shazier practiced last week after missing two games but wasn't activated for the game against the Saints. He's missed seven games this season.
Nose tackle Steve McLendon has missed the last two games and hasn't started since Week 9 against Baltimore. The Steelers sorely need his help stopping the run after giving up 143 yards on the ground against the Saints. He's the Steelers' best run-stopper on the defensive line, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
On the other side of the ball, Mike Adams will replace Marcus Gilbert at right tackle and make his third start of the season.
Steelers.com was used for injury report information.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Antonio Brown vs. Terence Newman
Antonio Brown leads the NFL with 96 receptions and 1,258 receiving yards. He's second only to Broncos tight end Julius Thomas with 11 touchdown catches. That's the same number of touchdown passes the Bengals have allowed all season. They're the best in the NFL in that category. The Buffalo Bills are second with 14.
The 26-year-old Brown has caught at least seven passes for 70 yards in seven straight games. The Broncos' Demaryius Thomas holds the NFL record with those numbers in eight straight games, a streak that was snapped last week.
Terence Newman has been the main target over the past two weeks when Bengals opponents have thrown to their top receiver.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the 36-year-old cornerback allowed no receptions on six passes thrown into his coverage against the Texans' Andre Johnson in the Bengals' 22-13 win at Houston in Week 12. Last week, Mike Evans caught two of five passes with Newman covering him in the Bengals' 14-13 win at Tampa Bay.
PFF ranks Newman as the Bengals' top coverage cornerback, and Leon Hall also grades positively. Hall and Adam Jones also are likely to cover Brown at some point during the game.
A.J. Green vs. William Gay
Duels between A.J. Green and Ike Taylor have become as much a part of the Steelers-Bengals rivalry as tribal council in Survivor.
That might change Sunday. Taylor told Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider that it might be William Gay who covers Green.
The 34-year-old Taylor returned last Sunday after missing eight games with a broken forearm. He allowed a 69-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills and gave up completions all three times he was targeted.
Gay didn't do much better. Drew Brees completed six of the seven passes he threw Gay's way, including a 44-yarder to Stills. For the season, however, Gay is 19th in the NFL with a 54.7 completion rate into his coverage.
Green has been the Bengals' leading receiver in each of the last three seasons. He caught 97 passes in 2012 and 98 in 2013.
He's third on the team with 45 catches this season but has missed three games with a toe injury. The Bengals went 1-1-1 without him. They've gone 4-1 since he returned. The one loss came at home against Cleveland, 24-3. Since then, the Bengals have gone 3-0 on a three-game road trip, and Green caught 22 passes in those games.
Carlos Dunlap vs. Marcus Gilbert or Mike Adams
For the first time this season, the Steelers are facing a team with fewer sacks than they have. The Steelers are 26th in the league with 21 sacks, but the Bengals are 30th with 15.
Carlos Dunlap has six of those sacks. That's more than any Steeler. A left defensive end in the Bengals' 4-3 defense, the 6'6", 280-pounder also has forced two fumbles and broken up three passes. He's had a sack-and-a-half in the last two games.
In most cases, Dunlap will face off against the Steelers' right tackle. If Marcus Gilbert isn't ready to go, Mike Adams will again get the start. Adams filled in nicely for Gilbert during the Steelers' three-game winning streak earlier in the season, but he had a rough time Sunday against the Saints.
He was responsible for seven quarterback hurries, according to PFF, but the most damaging play came when Cameron Jordan pushed him back, tipped a pass and intercepted it. The Saints quickly scored a touchdown and stretched their lead to 21-6.
David DeCastro vs. Geno Atkins
The Steelers' playoff hopes died two days before Christmas in 2012 when the Bengals beat the Steelers 13-10 at Pittsburgh.
In that game, Bengals Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins dominated rookie right guard David DeCastro. He sacked Ben Roethlisberger twice and forced a fumble.
Atkins beat DeCastro for a sack in Week 2 last season, a 20-10 Bengals victory at Cincinnati. But Roethlisberger held the ball for nine seconds before Atkins got to him.
DeCastro didn't have to deal with Atkins when the Steelers beat the Bengals 30-20 at Pittsburgh in Week 15. Atkins tore his ACL in Week 9.
The Steelers are 0-2 in games in which DeCastro squares off against Atkins, but DeCastro was making just his second career start when the Bengals beat the Steelers in 2012.
This year, PFF ranks him No. 22 in pass protection among NFL guards.
Steelers X-Factor to Watch: Stephon Tuitt
Steelers rookie defensive end Stephon Tuitt played 29 snaps Sunday, the most he's played in a game this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
He's going to play more than that on Sunday. The second-round draft pick will make his first NFL start, and he's being thrown into the fire as the Steelers face yet another team that ranks in the top 10 in rushing offense.
The Bengals are ninth in the NFL with 124.5 rushing yards per game. That's only 1.8 yards less than the Saints, who pounded the Steelers for 143 yards Sunday.
Rookie Jeremy Hill, a 6'1", 238-pound bruiser, leads the Bengals with 683 rushing yards. He's run for six touchdowns and is averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Of those 683 yards, 488 have come in the last five games. Giovani Bernard missed the first three of those games with an injury and has been eased back into the rotation since returning two weeks ago.
The 5'9", 208-pound Bernard is the other half of the Bengals' thunder-and-lightning running back combination. He's run for 540 yards with five touchdowns this season and has caught 25 passes. He caught 56 in his rookie season last year. The Bengals drafted him 11 spots before Le'Veon Bell last season.
Going strictly by the numbers, the Steelers don't appear to be that much worse off trying to stop the run with Tuitt replacing Keisel. Tuitt's grade against the run is only slightly worse than Keisel's, according to PFF. But Keisel, Tuitt and Cam Thomas are the Steelers' three worst run defenders, according to the ratings, and Thomas ranks as the second-worst run-stopping 3-4 defensive end in the NFL.
If Steve McLendon doesn't return Sunday, Thomas and rookie Daniel McCullers would rotate at nose tackle. That would mean there would be times when the Steelers have two rookies on the defensive line.
The Steelers have allowed 132 or more rushing yards six times this season and 63 or less in the other six. This game figures to fall into the former category.
Tuitt's contribution might have to come more by disrupting the offense. In three years at Notre Dame, the 6'5", 303-pound Tuitt made 25 tackles for loss and had 21.5 sacks.
Prediction
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History is on the Steelers' side.
Ben Roethlisberger is 9-2 at Cincinnati in his career, including playoffs. The Steelers were without Troy Polamalu in his prime when they lost at Cincinnati in 2009, and they were without Heath Miller and Le'Veon Bell when they lost there last year. The Steelers haven't lost two years in a row at Cincinnati since 1990.
Certain trends this season also favor the Steelers. They haven't lost two games in a row, and Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has thrown only 13 touchdown passes with 13 interceptions.
Roethlisberger threw more touchdown passes during the Steelers' three-game winning streak earlier in the season than Dalton has all year. He threw 14 TD passes, including six each against the Colts and Ravens, with no interceptions.
However, it seems all it took was a first-quarter punch in the mouth from the 2-10 Jets for the Steelers to lose the swagger they developed during that three-game homestand. In the three games since their winning streak, the Steelers have lost to the Jets, beaten the 2-10 Titans by just three points and lost at home to the 5-7 Saints even though they had seven more days of rest than the Saints.
The Bengals, meanwhile, seem to be past their midseason swoon. They started 3-0, then went 2-3-1 in the five games after their bye. Since then, however, they've won three straight road games and remain in first place in the AFC North.
As bad as the Steelers looked at home Sunday, they've been even worse on the road this season.
Roethlisberger has twice as many touchdown passes as Dalton, but only six of the 26 have come on the road. The Carolina Panthers (3-8-1) are the best team the Steelers have beaten on the road this season.
The Bengals are much better than that. They could only tie the Panthers 37-37 at home in Week 6. But they didn't have A.J. Green. The Steelers' shoddy secondary will have to deal with him Sunday.
Prediction: Bengals 21, Steelers 16
NFL.com was used for statistics unless otherwise noted.
Follow @Steel_Tweets.
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