Greatest Moments in Bitter Steelers-Bengals Rivalry

For more than forty years, the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers have fought it out on the gridiron, developing one of the most heated and bitter rivalries in NFL history.

As the rivals prepare to face each other for the 84th time this Sunday, here's a look at some of the greatest and most memorable moments in Cincinnati-Pittsburgh history.

The Inaugural Matchup (1970)

The long-lived rivalry got its start in 1970 when Cincinnati, an AFL franchise that had just recently joined the NFL following the NFL-AFL merger, traveled to Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium to face the Steelers and 22-year-old quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

While the game lacked significant drama, as Pittsburgh sent the Bengals home with a 21-10 loss, it marked the birth of one of the league's most storied and bitter rivalries.

Steelers Sack Their Way to Shutout (1992)

In one of the most one-sided contests in the rivalry's history, the 1992 Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Bengals 30-0 in the teams' second meeting of the season, sacking then-rookie quarterback David Klingler 10 times and setting a single-game team record in the category.

The Steelers' victory, which marked their third straight over Cincinnati, crushed the Bengals, as Pittsburgh would go on to win the rivals' next five matchups.

O'Donnell Turns the Tables (1998)

Quarterback Neil O'Donnell was already unwelcome in Pittsburgh after his three-interception performance against the Dallas Cowboys cost the Steelers Superbowl XXX, but his reputation in the Steel City took an even more drastic hit when he signed with Cincinnati in 1998.

In the teams' first matchup of the season, O'Donnell and the Bengals found themselves trailing 20-18 with just minutes remaining.

Deep in Cincinnati territory, and facing a 4th-and-long situation, O'Donnell connected with Cincy wideout Carl Pickens on a last-ditch Hail Mary, taking the Bengals into Pittsburgh territory.

Just a few plays later, O'Donnell found Pickens again, this time for a game-winning touchdown, and Cincinnati celebrated a stunning 25-20 victory.

While O'Donnell's stay in Cincinnati proved short-lived, he certainly left his mark on Bengals history.

The Curious Case of 1999

While it wasn't a single moment in history per se, the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh rivalry took an interesting turn in 1999.

The Bengals, who finished the regular season with a record of just 4-10, swept the season series with Pittsburgh, winning both of the rivals' showdowns, including the two franchises' last meeting at storied Riverfront Stadium.

Their other two victories, interestingly enough, came against another Cincinnati rival in the Cleveland Browns.

Kitna's Comeback (2003)

While Cincinnati was off to a surprising 6-5 start in 2003, Pittsburgh was in the middle of a significantly less successful campaign.

The 4-7 Steelers were all but out of the playoff hunt, but they knew that a victory over the Bengals could save them some face at the very least.

Cincy quarterback Jon Kitna led the Bengals to a 17-13 fourth-quarter lead, but Pittsburgh's Tommy Maddox orchestrated a scoring drive, giving the Steelers a slight lead with just 1:05 remaining in regulation.

Then, in one of Kitna's most memorable NFL moments, the Bengals quarterback put together an epic four-play drive, culminating in an 18-yard Matt Schobel touchdown and a Cincinnati victory.

The Overtime Showdown of 1982

The Pittsburgh-Cincinnati showdown of 1982 was unique in that it marked the teams' only matchup of the entire season due to an NFL labor strike, but it was also quite a game on a sheer football level.

After a 10-point Cincinnati surge in the fourth, Terry Bradshaw's two-yard overtime touchdown pass to John Stallworth secured the Pittsburgh victory, leaving Cincinnati to dwell on the loss for an entire year.

The Shoe Shine (2005)

2005 marked the Bengals' most successful season in recent history, as Cincinnati swept the AFC North en route to their first playoff appearance since 1991.

In their second matchup with Pittsburgh, a 38-31 Cincinnati victory, Bengals wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh notoriously used a Steelers' "Terrible Towel" to clean his shoes, much to the dismay of Pittsburgh fans everywhere.

"Housh" and the Bengals would later have their date with Karma, however, as the two franchises would meet just weeks later in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

An Unhappy Homecoming: Big Ben Loses in Ohio (2009)

A graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had long been acclaimed for the fact that he had never lost to an Ohio franchise in his home state.

That all changed in 2009, when the Bengals finally topped the Ohio native, defeating the Steelers 23-20 in impressive comeback fashion.

Roethlisberger has exacted his revenge as of late however, earning the Steelers hard-fought victories in each of his last two visits to the Queen City.

Holmes' Heartbreaker (2006)

Santonio Holmes was an Ohio State Buckeye, but Ohio football fans may never cheer for the flashy wideout ever again.

After the Kansas City Chiefs had eliminated Jacksonville from playoff contention in 2006, the stage was set for yet another Cincinnati playoff appearance.

The only obstacle? A Week 16 New Year's Eve matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 7-8 Steelers had no shot at making the playoffs, but as former Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker told ESPN, "If we don't go, they don't go."

The game was one of the NFL season's most entertaining and dramatic contests, as the two rivals were tied 17-17 at the end of regulation.

Then, as Bengals fans nationwide watched in horror, Ben Roethlisberger connected with Holmes for a 67-yard touchdown with 1:33 remaining in overtime.

Cincinnati's postseason hopes had been shredded.

The Wild Card Game (The Assassination)

Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have faced each other 83 times over their 41-year rivalry, but only once have the AFC foes met in the postseason.

That game, which took place in the Wild Card round of the 2005 playoffs, was hard-fought on both ends but will always be remembered more for a hit by Pittsburgh defensive tackle Kimo Von Oelhoffen that destroyed the knee ligaments of Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer.

Despite Palmer's injury, which took place on the Bengals' second offensive play, Cincinnati jumped out to 17-7 lead.

The Bengals soon fell apart, however, giving up 24 unanswered points and eventually losing 17-31.

Cincinnati labeled Von Oelhoffen a criminal, Palmer underwent months of rehabilitation and the Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl, much to the disgust of Bengals fans everywhere.