Pittsburgh Steelers Vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 10 Storylines For Tonight

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals square off in this week's version of Monday Night Football. The Steelers come into the game at 5-2 while the Bengals are a disappointing 2-5.

This divisional matchup has a lot of intrigue. There are plenty of stars on both sides of the ball as these two teams heading in different directions match up.

Lets take a look at the 10 top storylines.

10. The Pacing of Rashard Mendenhall

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PITTSBURGH - OCTOBER 17: Rashard Mendenhall #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs through Chris Gocong #51 of the Cleveland Browns during the game on October 17, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Rashard Mendenhall has been the primary source of offense for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the team has expressed some concern about him taking on too many carries too early.

Mendenhall is still young and the Steelers do not want him to wear out before the playoffs. Mendenhall as 146 carries and the Steelers have begun to monitor that number more carefully.

It will be interesting to see on Monday night if the Steelers really let Mendenhall loose or if they hold him back in hopes of keeping him fresher down the road.

9. What Is Up With Carson Palmer?

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CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 10: Gerald McCoy #93 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers puts pressure on quarterback Carson Palmer #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Carson Palmer's stats this year have been mediocre at best but they indicate a much higher level of play than we've actually seen on the field.

He has missed open receivers consistently and has failed to lead his team to victory week after week. It seems like Palmer has never been his explosive self since his knee injury suffered against this Steelers team several years ago.

On Monday night Palmer matches up with a dominant Steelers D that should give him a tough test and a chance to begin redeeming himself after a tough start.

8. The T.O. and Ochocinco Show

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CANTON, OH - AUGUST 8: Chad Ochocinco #85 and Terrell Owens #81 of the Cincinnati Bengals look on against the Dallas Cowboys during the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium on August 8, 2010 in Cant

As entertaining and relatively effective as Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco have been, they have not been able to help the Bengals avoid a losing record.

Owens has been especially effective, catching 45 balls for five touchdowns already this year. Despite the big talents of both these men, the eccentric behavior is why you should watch this duo.

A primetime game on ESPN is the perfect storm for this attention-seeking duo. If given the opportunity, expect these two to try to put on a show for the home crowd.

7. Bengals Need To Rediscover Cedric Benson

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Cedric Benson #32 of the Cincinnati Bengals fumbles the ball against Curtis Lofton #50 of the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Cedric Benson had a great 2009 and was really the key to Bengals playoff run. The dominant running game helped hide some other offensive flaws and it looked like Benson had breathed new life into his career.

This year however Benson has taken a step back and the Bengals have fallen with him. He is rushing for less than four yards a carry and it has hurt the offense overall.

On Monday the Bengals face a talented Steelers run D that will test Benson greatly. It will be a good test of whether or not the Bengals can still be effective on the offensive side of the ball.

6. Steelers Dominant Defense

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 31: LaMarr Woodley #56 and Bryant McFadden #20 pursue while Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers tackles Robert Meachem #17 of the New Orleans Saints at Louisiana Superdome on October 31, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The

The Steelers D has been one of the top units in the league and they look to have a big game this week against a team that has struggled this season.

Led by James Harrison and Troy Polamalu, the Steelers have dominated statistically and it has shown on the field. There is a good chance the Steelers D has a big week with lots of turnovers and maybe even a touchdown.

5. Bengals Attempt To Drag Themselves Out of Gutter

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Chirstopher Owens #21 of the Atlanta Falcons nearly picks off this pass intended for Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

At 2-5 and coming off four straight losses, it is safe to say that the Bengals season has not gone as planned.

The highly publicized acquisition of Terrell Owens has not turned this team into a Super Bowl contender and it might end with them coming in last place.

However, this is a veteran-laden team and I do not expect them to go down without a fight. A win Monday against a very good Steelers team could catapult the Bengals onto a run that could put them in contention.

4. Ben Roethlisberger Continues To Round Into Form

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MIAMI - OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Big Ben has been very efficient, but not spectacular, since returning from his highly publicized suspension. He still appears to be getting back in the swing of things, but as we enter this crucial time of the season it is time for him to turn the corner.

After a rough week in New Orleans on Halloween, it is time for Roethlisberger to turn that corner and return to his Pro Bowl form. 

The Steelers will need Roethlisberger to do this so that the offense can regain its signature balance and efficiency. Look for a big game from Ben on Monday night.

3. Marvin Lewis May Be Fighting To Keep His Job

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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals watches on during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Imag

At one point Marvin Lewis was the golden boy who brought the Bengals back to relevance. But looking at his overall body of work it has been a lot of up and down from Lewis' team.

Lewis certainly had a hot seat going into last season before an unlikely run saw them end the season as AFC North champs.

But a slow start this year has turned up the temperature once again on coach Lewis. A team with this array of talent should probably not be 2-5, especially since they have been in contention in a lot of their losses.

I think it's 50-50 right now on whether Lewis is going to be canned, but a win here would certainly help Lewis' case to stay employed.

2. Steelers Have Super Bowl Aspirations

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 31: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on October 31, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Matthew Sharpe/Getty Images)

These Pittsburgh Steelers have serious Super Bowl hopes and they have legitimate reasons to think so.

As discussed in this article the Steelers have a dominant defense and a weapon out of the backfield in Rashard Mendenhall. Once Ben Roethlisberger rounds into form they should have a potent passing game, making them dangerous in all facets of the game.

In addition they have a Super Bowl winning head coach and an experienced roster full of veterans with championship experience.

A true Super Bowl team should be able to come up big for a primetime game like this and send a message to the rest of the league.

1. Bengals-Steelers Has Plenty of Bad Blood

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PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 15: Mewelde Moore #21 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball against Chinedum Ndukwe #41 of the Cincinnati Bengals during their game at Heinz Field on November 15, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Bengals defeated the St

This rivalry already has the cache of a smashmouth AFC North rivalry, but it has certainly lived up to the expectation of the matchup in years.

Both teams clearly do not like each other and they have had incidents over the years. The most notable incident was the Hines Ward hit on Keith Rivers that broke Rivers' jaw.

The Bengals barked about the hit being dirty and it has led to years of great, hard fought games between the two teams. Expect a very physical game on Monday night.

The Bengals will no doubt leave it all on the field, but the Steelers should have a bounce back game after a loss to the Saints and take this one easily.