By: Patrick McGuire
Some may call the Steelers and Bengals game each a year a “rivalry” game. Let me re-phrase, the Bengals fans consider this game each year a rivalry with no reason. The Steelers in history have owned the Bengals with a regular season record of 52-27 all time. They have played each season since the division began in 1970 with the exception of 1982 when the players were on strike. However, an interesting statistic that people may not know is that the Bengals have the largest win. By this it means that they whopped on the Steelers in 1987 with a 41-7 victory. History gives great insight for those who choose to place a monetary bet on the game, however it does not predict the future.
The Bengals as we all know should really be 2-0 in the new season, with the only loss coming on the fluke play that occurred against the Broncos. A good performance was shown last week in Green Bay as they were able to secure the win. The Steelers should also be 2-0 but a rare occurrence of missed field goals by Jeff Reed has left them at 1-1. The Steelers are not taking this game lightly and now have a chip on their shoulder after the loss. Not a good thing for the Bengals. The Steelers athleticism and the ever lasting “knowing how to win” a game strongly outweighs the Bengals. The Bengals however still seem to be healthy led by a much improved and finally healthy Carson Palmer and Cedric Benson, who is having a great start to the season. Of course, Chad Ochocinco will be someone to keep a close eye on in the secondary, maybe not for his play but for his showmanship. The Steelers are still without all-pro safety Troy Polamalu as he is still resting his MCL tear. He is expected to be back in the near future. Tyrone Clark is doing a good job filling his shoes, however, Polamalu cannot be replaced. The Steelers may have some difficulty against the Bengals IF they cannot get their running game moving. This would be the perfect week to start figuring out the wrinkles that may be prohibiting the running game. Opposing teams are going to start figuring out how to defend the slip screen to Mendenhall real soon. Which is the only positive thing that is happening from our backs.
The Bengals may be out for some revenge against Hines Ward this week, as one year ago he laid the brutal hit against Keith Rivers, which broke his jaw. However when questioned this week Hines Ward was quoted saying: “I’ll still hit him, I’ll just get fined. There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s either that or try to hurt somebody. So are you going to fine me, or do you want me to end someone’s career? I’d rather take a fine than try to end somebody’s career, so I’m not going to change.” That attitude is what Hines Ward is all about and I love it!
Current public betting information shows that 68% of bets for this game have been placed on the Steelers -4. For all interested, game commences at 4:15 E.T. on CBS. To my friend Mike, an avid Steelers fan and GCS reader, have fun at the game and wear that jersey with pride.
Prediction: Steelers 28 – 17
