Bengals @ Steelers Game Thread

[ArmyBengal]

Why is it people are all of a sudden questioning Huber's ability to drop one in close to the goal line ??

He's one of the best in the league when it comes to that and I think that would have been the better call.

Overall, while I didn't have huge issues with the call, it kind of flies in the face of Marvin Lewis logic that loves nothing more than to play the odds in field position. Maybe it was just him wanting to light a fire and show just how important this game was. Do something out of the norm and put it on the back of your basass defense.

The 56 yarder at the end of the game, giving field position to the Steeler and an opportunity to win the game ??

F*CKING STUPIDEST SH*T EVER !!!

You simply can't put the ball in Ben's hands and give him good field position at the end of a game.

That the season was on the line is even more baffling. It working out is beside the point.

Thank Suisam for sucking.

[walzav29]

Huber is the man. I remember Marvin used to be too conservative. I was shocked he went for that field goal, but I like that Marvin has evolved. He has alot more balls now. Fake punts, going for it. Even the field goal. He is showing he believes in his guys. Holy crap. That game was stressful. That without a doubt was the best I've seen their defense play. John Thorton said 2009's defense was better. I disagree. That defense didn't have Geno Atkins. He already is in the discussion of greatest Bengal defensive player. What a win. We can talk playoffs know Army! So geeked.

[ArmyBengal]

We can talk playoffs now Army! So geeked.

I'm so geeked as well. This team did what they needed to do.

They had no other options than winning the majority of their remaining games and they did that.

I didn't think they would be able to pull it off and like I said, i've never been happier to be so wrong.

I watched the whole game yesterday and was yelling and screaming with the good and bad throughout the whole game.

GEEKED INDEED. GEEKED INDEED !!!

[Stripes]

I didn't like the 4th and 22 call, primarily because Huber had been doing so well with both directional and hang-time punting (as Army just mentioned). It seemed like an unnecessary risk in a game that was being entirely commanded by field position. That said, they did come within about a centimeter of converting it, so they had a decent play handy for that situation seemingly.

The 56 yard field goal attempt was much worse, and I was convinced we had lost the game when they trotted Brown out there to give it a try. When Tomlin tried the 53 yarder, that did not absolve Marvin of blame. It simply confirmed that during that specific exchange -- both of them were bats**t crazy.

Ironically, neither missed field goal in the 4th quarter led to the other team scoring the game-winning points. The Bengals failed to advance the ball significantly after the Suisham miss and ended up winning anyways because of Ben's pick. That's a rather fitting end to a game like that one.

[ArmyBengal]

I'm working today (YES DOUBLE TIME) and there's no one here. Easy money.

For those that are here, it's all about the Bengals. Good times on a Christmas Eve.

Couple of side notes for the game:

Whalen just keeps making big catches when given the chance.

I don't care about the one play yesterday, please fire Tate.

Jason Allen makes an appearance and wipes out a great return by Jones. F*CK YOU ALLEN !!

14 yards rushing ?? 14 ?? Seriously, that is pathetic.

2.5 more sacks for Atkins and people still don't know his name ?? Travesty.

Back to back playoff appearances with a very young team ?? MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

[membengal]

The 14 yards rushing was pathetic, but also by Pittsburgh design. Their run blitzes were epic and non-stop, all game.

Gruden finally did the right thing in abandoning the run and going almost exclusively to the pass. When he did that, they moved the ball late. 9 of 13 from Dalton in the 4th for 103 yards alone.

[Stripes]

Agreed, mem. I didn't succumb to my instincts and complain that they abandoned the run in this one. It really did seem like they had no choice. Credit to Pittsburgh for dictating defensively what we had to do offensively.

More credit to the offense for responding accordingly late in the game and overcoming the absence of the run.

[ArmyBengal]

9 of 13 from Dalton in the 4th for 103 yards alone.

This 1 stat alone is all the reason to be happy with what Dalton did yesterday.

No TD's ?? 2 INT's ?? The above says it all and one big play to seal the deal.

Love his no quit attitude and the ability for the young guys to have short term memory.

Green overcame the fumble as well. Love these guys !!!

[walzav29]

Green was screwing up bigtime. It was great to see them battle through and pull it off at the end. This is so great because my concern was they wouldn't make the playoffs this year and the cycle would continue. This young team has great character and instead of finding ways to lose (mised extra point or missed field goal 2006) they found a way to win. Once again. Thanks should go to Palmer for quitting. That basically started the overhaul of this team, and it is just looking great. Not just the future but right now.

[HoosierCat]

Speaking of wide receivers, how about Marvin Jones? 7 grabs for 65 yards, including a big 23 yard catch. He would have had a TD too if not for a great play by Pitt's D. Jones picked a good time to start getting it together. If the Bengals can ever get him, Sanu and Green out there at the same time, they will run the scoreboard out of digits.

[skyline]

Only semi-related, but do you guys remember when everyone was freaking out and blasting the Bengals for losing Frostee and Fanane(sp?).

HA!

[HoosierCat]

Only semi-related, but do you guys remember when everyone was freaking out and blasting the Bengals for losing Frostee and Fanane(sp?).

HA!

Ya I do. And I still will if you really want to go there. But it will likely end with Army banning us both.

[cincy9275]

this game was a street fight and we were still standing when all was said and done. hats off to this team they earned it! WHO DEY!!!!!

[skyline]

Only semi-related, but do you guys remember when everyone was freaking out and blasting the Bengals for losing Frostee and Fanane(sp?).

HA!

Ya I do. And I still will if you really want to go there. But it will likely end with Army banning us both.

Don't you sink down to TJs level, Hoosier! GRRRRrrrrrrr. Grumble Grumble. I know some people in the organization, and let me tell you...MARVIN'S ANTI-FIELD GOAL NINJA ASSASSINATION AGENDA is REAL!

Anywho, it looks like they're replaying the Bengals/Steelers game on NFL Network on Wednesday night. Sounds like a good evening of fun to me!

[cincy9275]

Only semi-related, but do you guys remember when everyone was freaking out and blasting the Bengals for losing Frostee and Fanane(sp?).

HA!

what's even better is the stoolers had to blitz to get the same pressure our d-line did on its own.

then how about zimmer using a corner to cover miller most of the game f**king brilliant!

[HoosierCat]

[skyline]

Only semi-related, but do you guys remember when everyone was freaking out and blasting the Bengals for losing Frostee and Fanane(sp?).

HA!

what's even better is the stoolers had to blitz to get the same pressure our d-line did on its own.

then how about zimmer using a corner to cover miller most of the game f**king brilliant!

I also don't want Rey to go unnoticed. Say what you will, but he's settled down.

My jaw dropped when I saw him line up outside to cover Chris Rainey in the endzone. And he DID IT. And did it well.

[ArmyBengal]

Ya I do. And I still will if you really want to go there. But it will likely end with Army banning us both.

Nope, I don't remember my stance on that subject, but I think I was on the side of thinking it didn't matter much.

It did, and if my memory serves me correctly, I would have been wrong as well.

Luckily we have this guy named Atkins. Nobody knows him, but he's pretty good.

I also don't want Rey to go unnoticed. Say what you will, but he's settled down.

My jaw dropped when I saw him line up outside to cover Chris Rainey in the endzone. And he DID IT. And did it well.

I was thinking the same thing about him covering Rainey. It's not like Rainey is slow either.

[HoosierCat]

Good read on the game in CHFF's weekly captain comeback column:

/>http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/captain-comeback-week-16-steelers-meltdown-complete/20357/

[COB]

Anywho, it looks like they're replaying the Bengals/Steelers game on NFL Network on Wednesday night. Sounds like a good evening of fun to me!

Got it dvr'd, and guess what's going to be playing tonight at my house during the family get together? My brother in law and nephew are both mid level bengal fans, so we'll have a great time. Bengals are in the playoffs!! (Also, the birth of Christ, blah blah blah..)

[TJJackson]

Don't you sink down to TJs level, Hoosier! GRRRRrrrrrrr. Grumble Grumble.

Hey now

[cincyhokie]

Big Jen now saying he came back too soon.

/>http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/62395/roethlisberger-admits-he-rushed-back

[membengal]

Big Jen now saying he came back too soon.

/>http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/62395/roethlisberger-admits-he-rushed-back

What with almost dying and what not. What an a**h***.

[redsbengalsbucks]

So similar to the whiner Favre, always an injury or excuse for losing a game or making a bad play.

[Earendil]

Apparently the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist didn't take this game well. Someone needs to send him some Preparation H.

/>http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/gene-collier/collier-steelers-bengals-shows-folly-of-larger-playoff-field-667636/

Before Sunday's events at Heinz Field get flushed thoroughly, forcefully from memory, we should point out the one way in which this Steelers-Bengals spectacle was perfectly useful.

Remember that nonsense from earlier this month about expanding the NFL playoffs?

Please, give it your best Jim Mora:

"EXPANDED PLAYOFFS?! EXPANDED PLAYOFFS?!"

It's practically criminal that either of these teams as constituted would turn up in the postseason at all, but at least the Steelers had the good manners to recognize their persistent incompetence and bow out. Can't say the same for the Bengals, who'll be eliminated at their earliest convenience, confirming all suspicion that they are just another AFC North pretender.

There's been no coherent argument yet for contracting the playoffs, but Bengals 13, Steelers 10 could withstand any forensic analysis of what the league likes to call indisputable visual evidence that there are too many teams in the playoffs already.

You didn't have to ask either Mike Tomlin or Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis if they agreed with that premise, as both head coaches did everything they could in the fourth quarter to avoid the postseason, each apparently from repeated attacks of conscience.

For his part, Lewis not only went for a first down on fourth-and-22, but sent kicker Josh Brown onto the field to try a 56-yard field goal that, had it failed, would have set the Steelers up at their 46-yard line with 3:18 left in a 10-10 game.

Guess what? It failed.

Asked what he told the fellas afterward, Lewis was as honest as could be.

"I told them, 'thanks for bailing me out,' plain, flat, and simple," Lewis said. "I made decisions to try to win the game today. It kind of backfired on me a little bit."

Fortunately for Lewis, Tomlin seemed just as eager to bail him out as the boys in Tiger stripes. Not two minutes later, Tomlin let Sean Suisham try a 53-yarder into the notoriously capricious open end rather than pin the Bengals deep, then Lewis countered by throwing long on a third-and-1 from the Steelers 48, the incompletion and resultant punt giving the Steelers the ball at their 11 with 44 seconds on the clock.

From there it was just a matter of getting set for overtime, but Tomlin was having none of that. Ben Roethlisberger threw three times in the next 30 seconds, the third toss turning into his second interception (the first was returned for Cincinnati's only touchdown).

"You don't win by being safe," said Ryan Clark, which sounded like an odd thing for a safety to say. "We went for it. But Reggie Nelson made a play."

Nelson caught Roethlisbeger's overthrown pass to Mike Wallace along the sideline, Andy Dalton whipped his next throw 21 yards to A.J. Green, and Brown, from the reasonable distance of 43 yards, put the Steelers out of the misery that was 2012 with a winning field goal.

"It's disheartening," Tomlin said, "because we had chances as a football team."

Chances it usually doesn't get, as it happens, because a defense that hasn't come up with three turnovers in a game since November 2011 suddenly took the ball away three times in the second half.

Three precious takeaways that led to absolutely nothing.

Roethlisberger completed only 14 passes, the fewest in a full game since October 2011, and the running game failed to produce a 100-yard rusher for the seventh week in a row. On third down Sunday, the offense went 2 for 14, making it 29 for the last 94. As a direct result, you look up on Christmas Eve and the Steelers haven't had a Heinz Field victory since Nov. 12.

Regardless of the precise nature of the relationship between Roethlisberger and first-year offensive coordinator Todd Haley, the Steelers have proven twice as likely to score 19 or fewer points than to score 25 or more. They've scored 30 exactly once, as compared to, by random example, the Seattle Seahawks, who've scored 50 exactly twice -- in December.

In December.

So I wouldn't be overtaxed getting used to the idea that the Steelers are not a playoff team; it's harder to get your head around the fact that the Bengals are a playoff team for a second year in a row, the first time that's happened since 1982.

In the two meetings this year, quarterback Andy Dalton's passer ratings against the Steelers were 56.4 and 58.8. On the ground, they unleashed BenJarvus Green-Ellis on the Steelers yesterday, and he managed 14 yards on 15 carries.

This is a playoff team?

So let's agree, at least on this.

Twelve teams in the playoffs is OK, 10 would be better, 14 would be worse, 16 would be a joke. That was a real proposal, 16 playoff teams. Haven't we suffered enough?

So Merry Christmas anyway, or as we like to say in these parts, let the BBVA Compass Bowl hype begin.

Sure, a good defense had absolutely nothing to do with it. The Steelers were gracious enough to "bow out" of the playoff race. They didn't want to go anyway... :sure:/>