Cincinnati vs. Steelers: The matchups

Two teams, arguably better than their respective records, square off for a chance to play at least one extra game. Who's got the edge? Here is a look at this week's matchups.

Cincinnati Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: Cincinnati offense 18th (347.6) v. Steelers defense 1st (273.3 )

Average net rushing yards per game: Cincinnati offense 11th (120.3) v. Steelers defense 4th (92.7)

Average net passing yards per game: Cincinnati offense 14th (227.4) v. Steelers defense 1st (180.6)

Average points per game: Cincinnati offense 12th (25.4) v. Steelers defense 8th (20.8)

Steelers Offense v. Cincinnati Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 19th (345.1) v. Cincinnati defense 6th (320.4)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 26th (96.5) v. Cincinnati defense 9th (101.0)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 10th (248.6) v. Cincinnati defense 12th (219.4)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 20th (21.6) v. Cincinnati defense 10th (20.9)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: Cincinnati 4th (11.5) v. Steelers 26th (7.5)

Average yards allowed per punt return: Cincinnati 9th (8.3) v. Steelers 27th (11.6)

Average yards per kick return: Cincinnati 10th (22.4) v. Steelers 9th (25.6)

Average yards allowed per kick return: Cincinnati 20th (24.6) v. Steelers 16th (24.0)

Net yardage punting average: Cincinnati 7th (41.2) v. Steelers 29th (37.1)

Opponent net yardage punting average: Cincinnati 1st (36.7) v. Steelers 17th (39.5)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: Cincinnati 14th (+2) v. Steelers 29th (-14)

Time of possession: Cincinnati 10th (31:01) v. Steelers 2nd (32:16)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): Cincinnati 12th (55.6%) v. Steelers 13th(54.5%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): Cincinnati 11th (51.4%) v. Steelers 13th (52.5%)

Sacks allowed: Cincinnati 25th (38) v. Steelers 16th (31)

Some Individual Numbers
AFC Passer rating: Andy Dalton, 5th (89.4, 295 Comp., 62.5 Comp. Pct., 26 TDs, 14 INTs) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 3rd (98.1, 255 Comp., 64.1 Comp. Pct., 22 TDs, 6 INTs)

Leading rushers: BenJarvus Green-Ellis 5th (1,080 yards, 263 attempts, 4.1 per carry, 6 TDs) v. Jonathan Dwyer, 14th (532 yards, 131 attempts, 4.1 per carry, 2 TDs)

Leading receivers: A.J. Green, 4th (85 receptions, 1,208 yards, 14.2 per reception, 5 touchdowns) v. Heath Miller, 10th (68 receptions, 771 yards, 11.3 yards per reception, 8 touchdowns)

Sacks:  Geno Atkins, 4th (10.5) v. Jason Worilds, 26th (5.0)

Ron Winter and his crew officially suck

Ron Winter may be my least favorite NFL official; and now the league wants us all to know just how bad he and his crew are.

As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the league responded to an official complaint from the Steelers by letting Mike Tomlin know that in the recent game versus Cincinnati Casey Hampton didn't really commit a personal foul against Carson Palmer, and Ike Taylor didn't really interfere with Terrel Owens.

Thanks for confirming what everyone already knew.

Bengals Decimated Heading into Game

Wednesday's NFL's injury report contained plenty of bad news for the Bengals and their fans:

"OUT WR Antonio Chatman (neck), DE Eric Henderson (neck), LB Abdul Hodge (elbow), T Levi Jones (back), G Scott Kooistra (knee), S Chinedum Ndukwe (foot), DE Antwan Odom (shoulder), QB Carson Palmer (right elbow), G Andrew Whitworth (ankle)"

Antonio Chatman is third on the team in receptions, is their primary punt return person, and has averaged 29.3 yards per kick off return.

Levi Jones is the starting offensive left tackle.

Andrew Whitworth is the starting offensive left guard.

Chiinedum Ndukwe is the starting strong safety.

Antwan Odom leads the Cincinnati defense in sacks.

And now comes word that Chad Johnson has been deactivated for tonight's game.

The Bengals have been playing better of late, but asking any team to overcome all of this seems a bit much. But they have always been a dangerous opponent, especially in regards to special teams ~ something the Steelers (and all their fans) would do well to keep in mind.

Steelers @ Cincinnati: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

Standing firm in our belief that late is better than never (having a real job can disrupt one's blogging routine enormously), we offer our assessment of the Steelers' victory last Sunday.

The Good

1. There can be no doubt about what the best thing about last Sunday's game was ~ Mewelde Moore. We mentioned after the Jacksonville game that if he could keep up his good play he might be a free agent signing on par with James Farrior and Jeff Hartings. Two consecutive good games does not a career make, but 120 yards on 20 carries, and two touchdowns does a great deal to elevate opinions about your skills.


2. The offensive line did a good job on Sunday ~ Mr. Mewelde's rushing totals are evidence of that, as is the fact that Ben Roethlisberger went an entire game without being sacked (the first time that has happened since December 2, 2007 when the Steelers faced . . . Cincinnati). However our enthusiasm for the performance is tempered somewhat by the fact that Cincinnati's defense has held an opponent to fewer than 100 yards rushing once this season (the Jets gained 86 yards) and has sacked opposition quarterbacks five times. But there's no sense in being negative ~ the Steelers offensive line went against an inferior opponent and managed to perform well enough to win


3. A little shout-out for Darnell Stapleton! We love the smart, physical brand of football he is playing. Time will tell whether or not he can continue to perform at this level (next Sunday versus the Giants defensive front should tell us plenty), but it has been a promising start.

The Bad

1. What happened to the Steelers offense in the second and third quarters? The Steelers offense netted ninety-five yards of total offense on twenty-two plays (an average of 4.32 yards per play) in the middle two stanzas of the game, compared to 300 yards on 37 plays (8.11 yards per play) in quarters one and four. It was during that same stretch ~ i.e. the middle two quarters ~ that the Bengals had their best stretch of play, and made what should have been (and eventually became) a blowout a tightly contested match. More disturbing was that the Pittsburgh offense seemed, during that stretch, to be completely befuddled by Cincinnati's defense ~ a notion seemingly too ridiculous to be believed, but the numbers never lie, right? It can certainly be argued that the Steelers' offense wore down the defense of the Bengals, however more consistent play throughout each game is the hallmark of elite teams.

The Ugly

1. Bryant McFadden out with a broken forearm.
   
   Troy Polamalu with a concussion.
   
   The injury bug continues to bite the Steelers, virtually unabated. With games against the NFC East over the next two weeks the backups are certain to be tested dearly.

Steelers @ Cincinnati:The Weekly Matchups

The Steelers roll into the Queen City off their bye week, and are going against an opponent that (statistically) is inferior. Should be a walk in the park, shouldn't it?

Forgive us if we are less than certain.

The Bengals have improved their play over the last two weeks, giving Dallas all they could handle (in Dallas) before losing 31-22 and eking out a loss last week versus the Jets. Additionally, this is exactly the type of game in which the Steelers have, historically, struggled.

Here's a look at this week's numbers:

Cincinnati Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: Cincinnati offense 31st (227.8) v. Steelers defense 2nd (231.6 )

Average net rushing yards per game: Cincinnati offense 31st (72.2) v. Steelers defense 2nd (66.8)

Average net passing yards per game: Cincinnati offense 26th (155.7) v. Steelers defense 4th (164.8)

Average points per game: Cincinnati offense 29th (14.67) v. Steelers defense 3rd (15.8)

Steelers Offense v. Cincinnati Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 26th (283.6) v. Cincinnati defense 17th (324.2)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 20th (106.2) v. Cincinnati defense 28th (156.8)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 23rd (177.4) v. Cincinnati defense 5th (167.3)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 21st (20.6) v. Cincinnati defense 21st (24.0)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: Cincinnati 17th (10.1) v. Steelers 32nd (3.8)

Average yards allowed per punt return: Cincinnati 21st (10.6) v. Steelers 2nd (4.5)

Average yards per kick return: Cincinnati 5th (26.6) v. Steelers 31st (18.5)

Average yards allowed per kick return: Cincinnati 23rd (24.2) v. Steelers 5th (20.1)

Net yardage punting average: Cincinnati 30th (34.2) v. Steelers 9th (40.0)

Opponent net yardage punting average: Cincinnati 21st (38.5) v. Steelers 32nd (43.9)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: Cincinnati 23rd (-2) v. Steelers 8th (+3)

Time of possession: Cincinnati 31st (26:41) v. Steelers 19th (30:10)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): Cincinnati 17th (50.0%) v. Steelers 5th (66.7%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): Cincinnati 18th (52.4%) v. Steelers 10th (41.7%)

Sacks allowed: Cincinnati 28th (19) v. Steelers 28th (19)

Some Individual Numbers
AFC Passer rating: Ryan Fitzpatrick, 15th (57.7) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 4th (95.7)

Leading rushers: Chris Perry, 13th (253 yards) v. Willie Parker, 12th (263 yards)

Note: The Steelers leading rusher, Willie Parker, is out. Their second leading rusher, Rashard Mendenhall, is out. Their third leading rusher is Mewelde Moore who has 118 yards.

Leading receivers: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, 2nd (38 catches, 400 yards, 10.5 per catch, 3 touchdowns) v. Hines Ward, 12th (24 catches, 316 yards, 13.2 yards per catch, 4 touchdowns)

Coaching Moves Afoot

ESPN is reporting that the Cincinnati Bengals have hired former Cowboys' and Falcons' defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has been hired for the same position with the Bengals. After thirteen years in Dallas Mr. Zimmer moved on to Atlanta, only to have his stay there short-circuited by Bobby Petrino's abrupt departure mid-season. Now Mr. Zimmer joins Marvin Lewis -- a coach who certainly must be considered "on the hot seat" in 2008.

Nice career move.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Atlanta and Baltimore are in a tug-of-war over this year's golden child assistant coach, Jason Garrett. And to add just a little more intrigue an ESPN report indicates that Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones isn't resigned to losing Mr. Garrett to either of those opportunities.

From our perspective, Mr. Garrett may well end up being a terrific head coach in the National Football League but don't forget this year's top candidate can sometimes be next year's forgotten man -- just ask Russ Grimm. The Steelers created something of a modern precedent for elevating a coordinator to a head coaching position after a single season; but for all of the talk about Mr. Garrett's pedigree just remember this: the Dallas offense gained 79 more total yards in 2007 than it did in 2006, and scored thirty more points. So, while he may become a great head coach some day, we're not sure that he's worth fighting over like the last Wii on Christmas Eve.

Steelers Clinch! -- Update

Update: December 24, 2007, 12:35 AM

An article in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette offers clarification on the Steelers' playoff situation:

"If San Diego (9-5) beats Denver tonight, the Chargers will become the No. 3 seed in the AFC and the Steelers No. 4. San Diego would own the tiebreaker against the Steelers based on a better conference record.

A San Diego victory would send Jacksonville to Heinz Field for the first-round playoff game as the No. 5 seed."

The Steelers' loss to the Jets may haunt them for quite some time.

Original Posting
Just finished listening to the Bengals' play-by-play announcers -- there's bad football, and then there's Bengals bad -- as the Bengals hang on to defeat Cleveland.

The difference in this game occurred at the end of the first half when, with 0:47 left on the clock and no time outs, Derek Anderson threw an interception (i.e. rather than taking a knee) to Leon Hall. The Bengals managed to put the ball in the end zone, going into the half with a 19-0 lead.

The second half was all Cleveland, but they ran out of time.

The Steelers' game against Baltimore may still have meaning however. The Steelers have a 7-4 record in the AFC whereas San Diego currently has a 7-3 record, with a game against Denver Monday night. So, it would appear that in order for the Steelers to be the #3 seed (thereby facing Cleveland/Tennessee) rather than the #4 seed (thereby facing Jacksonville) they need to win next week and get some help from Denver and/or Oakland (i.e. San Diego's opponent next week).

Cincinnati v. Steelers: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

For the first time since 2004 the Steelers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Pittsburgh. Like all games there were things for Steelers fans to feel good about, and other things to make them cringe.

The Good
Saying that the Steelers' defense played "well" Sunday night is an understatement, in the extreme. The defense held the Bengals' offense to a season low point total (10), nearly 70 yards below their season average in rushing (23 yards v. 90.6 yards), and almost 100 yards below their season average in passing yards (175 yards v. 270.5). But as good as all of that is it is especially impressive when considering the tough spot that the defense found itself throughout the evening.

On three different occasions the Bengals began drives inside the Steelers' 30 yard line, and on two other occasions they began drives at their own 47 yard line. The sum total of those five drives was that the Bengals ended up with two field goal attempts, missing one. Statistically the Steelers are the #1 defense in the NFL, and Sunday evening they played like the #1 defense in the NFL.

An honorable mention has to go to the beleaguered offensive line -- no sacks (okay, one . . . for a safety . . . was negated because of a questionable defensive holding call) and decent (if not spectacular) rushing yardage -- 101 total for the Steelers -- allow the linemen to feel pretty good about things heading into their toughest game of the season.

One other honorable mention has to go to the Heinz Field grounds crew. Skewered by nearly everyone -- and rightfully so -- following the Monday night debacle versus Miami, according to Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer the field was in excellent condition before the rain began to fall. He did mention that conditions worsened as the rain continued to come down, but that the field was not any worse than it had been during prior visits to Pittsburgh.

The Bad
The poor quality of special teams play has been bemoaned frequently by everyone who watches Steelers football; but rather than kick/punt coverage, the problem against the Bengals was the kick/punt return teams.

The Bengals punted the ball three times and Alan Rossum was able to rack up five return yards. Total. Two kicks were returned for a total of 26 yards. Thirty-one total return yards on five opportunities? And the problem wasn't really Mr. Rossum -- he ran hard, for as long as he could, but there simply were not any seams for him to break through. Special teams coach Bob Ligashesky, and Assistant coach Amos Jones had to be pleased with the kick coverage teams (those units produced a turnover, and limited the Bengals to a combined average of 13.37 yards per return), but there is clearly more work to be done.

The Ugly
Willie Parker.

Fumbles.

Enough Said.

The Final Analysis
The game versus Cincinnati was the first of four games that the Steelers will play in less than three weeks, and it was important to get off to a good start -- which they did. However, the two most difficult games of the season lie ahead (versus New England 12/9, and Jacksonville 12/16) and their is still room, and a need, for much improvement especially along the offensive front and on special teams.

Fun Fact
After twelve games the Steelers have played seven games against six teams who have a losing record at this point in the season. Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver, Miami, New York Jets, and San Francisco have combined for a 20-52 record (with Baltimore playing New England Monday night), for a .277 winning percentage. Conversely, the Steelers' next two opponents have a combined record of 19-4 (with New England playing Baltimore on Monday evening) for a .826 winning percentage.

Cincinnati v. Steelers: The Matchups

Over the course of the last three games Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked 16 times and Willie Parker has averaged 3.4 yards per carry (238 yards on 70 carries).

Wonder if offensive line coach Larry Zierlein is feeling any pressure?

Here's a look at the team matchups for the upcoming game Sunday evening:

Bengals Offense v. Steelers Defense
Avg. total yards per game: Bengals Offense, 5th (361.2) v. Steelers Defense, 1st (229.18)

Avg. net rushing yards per game: Bengals Offense, 24th (90.6) v. Steelers Defense, 3rd (77.1)

Avg. net passing yards per game: Bengals Offense, 3rd (270.5) v. Steelers Defense, 1st (154.1)

Third down conversions: Bengals Offense, 6th (47.6%) v. Steelers Defense, 12th (38.0%)

Avg. points per game: Bengals Offense, 6th (25.55) v. Steelers Defense, 1st (13.18)

Steelers Offense v. Bengals Defense
Avg. total yards per game: Steelers Offense, 10th (336.27) v. Bengals Defense, 28th (363.7)

Avg. net rushing yds per game: Steelers Offense, 2nd (141.73) v. Bengals Defense, 25th (120.5)

Avg. net passing yds per game: Steelers Offense, 18th (194.55) v. Bengals Defense, 26th (243.2)

Third down conversions: Steelers Offense, 2nd (48.4%) v. Bengals Defense, 17th (40.9%)

Avg. points per game: Steelers Offense, 7th (24.73) v. Bengals Defense, 29th (26.55)

Special Teams
Avg. yards per punt return: Cincinnati 31st (6.1); Steelers 29th (6.3)

Avg. yards allowed per punt return: Cincinnati 21st (10.2); Steelers 26th (11.4)

Avg. yards per kick return: Cincinnati 11th (24.2); Steelers 16th (23.4)

Avg. yards allowed per kick return: Cincinnati 19th (23.5); Steelers 20th (23.6)

Net yardage punting average: Cincinnati 28th (34.5); Steelers 10th (38.0)

Opponent net yardage punting average: Cincinnati 6th (36.3); Steelers 31st (40.3)


Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: Cincinnati 15th (+1); Steelers tied for 6th (+6)

Time of Possession: Cincinnati 16th (30:10); Steelers 1st (34:47)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency: Cincinnati 17th (50%); Steelers 6th (57.9%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): Cincinnati 6th (45%); Steelers 17th (52.4%)
Note: It isn't clear how important this statistic is -- New England is last in the percentage of touchdowns allowed relative to their opponents' red zone possessions at 70.8%.

Steelers @ Cincinnati: The Team Matchups

Way back in July, August and early September all indications were that both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals were legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and that this New Year's Eve game would be a battle for the AFC North championship. Instead the Steelers are out of the playoffs and the Cincinnati is hanging on by the narrowest of threads.

While trying to figure out just which team is more of a disappointment here's a look at how they match up:

Bengals Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: Bengals "O", 8th (344.5) v. Steelers "D", 10th (300.7)

Average net rushing yards per game: Bengals "O", 22nd (105.7) v. Steelers "D", 4th (91.2)

Average net passing yards per game: Bengals "O", 5th (238.8), v. Steelers "D", 18th (209.5)

Third down conversions: Bengals "O", 25th (35.6%) v. Steelers "D", 19th (39.3%)

Average points per game: Bengals "O", 7th (23.73) v. Steelers "D", 14th (19.87)

Steelers Offense v. Bengals Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers "O", 7th (349.5) v. Bengals "D", 28th (346.6)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers "O", 14th (119.0) v. Bengals "D", 12th (110.4)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers "O", 9th (230.5) v. Bengals "D", 31st (236.2)

Third down conversions: Steelers "O", 8th (42.2%) v. Bengals "D", 21st (41.0%)

Average points per game: Steelers "O", 11th (22.o) v. Bengals "D", 16th (20.53)

Special Teams
Average yardage per punt return: Bengals 29th (7.1), Steelers 31st (8.5)
Average yardage allowed per punt return: Bengals 1st (5.6), Steelers 19th (6.1)

Average yardage per kick return: Bengals 30th (20.4), Steelers 11th (22.5)
Average yardage allowed per kick return: Bengals 8th (21.3), Steelers 23rd (22.5)

Net yardage punting average: Bengals 5th (38.5), Steelers 15th (36.9)
Opponent net yardage punting average: Bengals 23rd (37.5), Steelers 31st (37.9)

Miscellaneous
Turnovers: Bengals 9th (+5), Steelers 25th (-6)

Time of possession: Bengals 24th (29:07), Steelers 11th (30:48)

Red Zone Touchdown Efficiency: Bengals 6th (58.0%), Steelers 18th (50.0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns Defense: Bengals 25th (56.3%), Steelers 7th (46.5%)

Another Bengals Player Arrested

This item from the Associated Press, though brief, speaks volumes:

"AMELIA, Ohio (AP) -- Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Deltha O'Neal was charged with driving while intoxicated early Saturday after being stopped at a traffic checkpoint.

The two-time Pro Bowl player had a blood-alcohol level of 0.10, above Ohio's legal limit of 0.08, the State Highway Patrol said. O'Neal was alone in his car and arrested at the scene, Sergeant Kevin Long said. O'Neal took a breath test and was released,

He is to appear in Clermont County Municipal Court on Dec. 12. The seven-year veteran is the eighth Bengals player arrested this year. Rookie receiver Reggie McNeal was charged with resisting arrest this week outside a Houston nightclub.

Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said Saturday he was unaware of this latest arrest. The team withholds comment on unresolved charges against players, he said.

The Bengals host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday."