Cincinnati 28, Pittsburgh 20
Before, during, and after last Monday night's 9-0 loss to the Jaguars, commentators couldn't say enough about the similarities between the Jags and the Steelers. Both play tough defense, both love to run the ball, both play the role of bully on the field.
Well, add one more similarity to the list: today, both failed in late attempts to tie the game against a major divisional rival. The Jags lost 21-14 to the Colts, at the same time that the Steelers were gagging one up to the Bengals at home. The Jags dominated in the first half, racking up a time-of-possession advantage of roughly 20 minutes. They were, however, able only to manage a 7-7 tie. The Steelers blunted the sharp edge of the Bengals' offense early and pounded the ball down the defense's throat to take an early lead.
Everything changed for the Steelers when Big Ben threw the first of his three interceptions, the first of two that occurred in the end zone. (The other end zone interception, as you probably know if you are reading this, sealed the Steelers' fate in the fourth quarter.) You don't need to be Ron Jawarski to do the analysis on this game: you won't win games when you turn the ball over five times. Despite Ben's sub-par day (18-39, 208 yds), two fumbles killed Pittsburgh: one on a punt return by Rico Colclough and one, less than a minute later, by Verron Haynes. The Bengals turned those two plays immediately into 14 points. I think I may be done defending Rico Colclough.
We can draw comparisons between the Steelers and other teams, as well:
They share a score with the Buffalo Bills, who lost 28-20 to the NY Jets. The Bills, like the Steelers, are 1-2. Their one win? Against the Dolphins. The Dolphins, after beating the Titans today in a 13-10 yawner, are also 1-2. (The lowly Jets, by the way, are 2-1.) Carolina, another team often compared in attitude and style to the Steelers, joined the 1-2 club today by beating Tampa. Two other teams in the 1-2 club feature former Steelers WRs: the NY Giants and the Redskin Potatoes. Maybe it's viral.
What have we learned today? That Ben is not himself. That the Bengals are susceptible to the run (and that Willie P. is the man for the job). And that a win against Cincinnati in Cincinnati is absolutely essential.
Well, add one more similarity to the list: today, both failed in late attempts to tie the game against a major divisional rival. The Jags lost 21-14 to the Colts, at the same time that the Steelers were gagging one up to the Bengals at home. The Jags dominated in the first half, racking up a time-of-possession advantage of roughly 20 minutes. They were, however, able only to manage a 7-7 tie. The Steelers blunted the sharp edge of the Bengals' offense early and pounded the ball down the defense's throat to take an early lead.
Everything changed for the Steelers when Big Ben threw the first of his three interceptions, the first of two that occurred in the end zone. (The other end zone interception, as you probably know if you are reading this, sealed the Steelers' fate in the fourth quarter.) You don't need to be Ron Jawarski to do the analysis on this game: you won't win games when you turn the ball over five times. Despite Ben's sub-par day (18-39, 208 yds), two fumbles killed Pittsburgh: one on a punt return by Rico Colclough and one, less than a minute later, by Verron Haynes. The Bengals turned those two plays immediately into 14 points. I think I may be done defending Rico Colclough.
We can draw comparisons between the Steelers and other teams, as well:
They share a score with the Buffalo Bills, who lost 28-20 to the NY Jets. The Bills, like the Steelers, are 1-2. Their one win? Against the Dolphins. The Dolphins, after beating the Titans today in a 13-10 yawner, are also 1-2. (The lowly Jets, by the way, are 2-1.) Carolina, another team often compared in attitude and style to the Steelers, joined the 1-2 club today by beating Tampa. Two other teams in the 1-2 club feature former Steelers WRs: the NY Giants and the Redskin Potatoes. Maybe it's viral.
What have we learned today? That Ben is not himself. That the Bengals are susceptible to the run (and that Willie P. is the man for the job). And that a win against Cincinnati in Cincinnati is absolutely essential.
posted by Shane at 2:01 PM
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