Week 14... Bengals

[MISKO]

Im very apprehensive about this game with the injuries that we had and just the way that the season has gone for us ..I can see guy's getting hurt in this one namely Ben and i dont want that .... I also think we can pull a win out here too

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I think it's a case of the Steelers having more motivation...pride of not wanting to get swept by a DIV foe, must win to play in JAN. CIN is battling for a bye week, but this game is not dire.

On the injury front...CIN is probably in worse shape on the back end than people realize...they might have 3 healthy corners total. I have to think Haley will go to the air early and often again...if so, AVill and Gilbert need to play man up on the edge to free up help for Wallace with Atkins....@ CIN is not going to bother Ben, if they block that front 4 well I think PIT will even up the season series.

Steeler DEF...this is where I have the most concern...the Bengals have firepower too, Butler has to get Dalton moving, but can't leave AJ uncovered deep, so I would expect more LB blitzes this week...Vegas is probably going to get a lot of Steeler money this week.

I like the Steelers 26 - 20.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Best game of the week, and nothing else comes close!

Make no mistake Gents... This one's going to get nasty

Both teams are going to be out for blood. Steelers players are still upset over Burfict (celebrating after Bell's injury), and the Bungals are still upset over Mitchell ("targeting", taunting, etc). Don't be surprised to see a lot of scuffles between plays. Lots of playoff implications on the line, so expect fireworks.

Injuries... Gay is still in concussion protocol, which is worrisome. He must have failed his IMPACT test. Might be without him this week which really puts a bind on the secondary depth. Miller still has yet to practice. He's a likely inactive candidate again. Spence has been practicing on a limited basis.

O... Repeat last week, and they'll be fine lol. As ATL noted, Wallace will need help on the inside so AVill & Gilbert will need to handle their own on most downs. They are up to the task. I'd like to see them establish the ground game better, but its probably not going to happen. All season long Tomlin has been playing aggressive, so I'd expect more of the same. Leon Hall & Pacman Jones have not practiced this week, so they will probably have Kirkpatrick (limited) & Dennard on the outside. Ben's gotta be licking his chops!

D... Can't let Dalton get in rhythm or this one is going to be a barn burner. Eifert has been limited all week, but expect him to be out there. Need to create turnover somehow, because this game is going to be won or lost through the air. Hopefully everyones been studying the tape real well. Can't afford any miscommunication or missed assignments this week.

Backs against the wall, and needing to make a statement this week... PIT 32 - Cincy 27

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Guess I should have waited an hour or 2 before the newer injury report got released...

Injury Report Update:
Gay cleared protocol and practiced in full today. Miller & Spaeth were limited. Spence was a full participant.

Good news!

 

[Psych-Ward]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Best game of the week, and nothing else comes close!

Make no mistake Gents... This one's going to get nasty

Both teams are going to be out for blood. Steelers players are still upset over Burfict (celebrating after Bell's injury), and the Bungals are still upset over Mitchell ("targeting", taunting, etc). Don't be surprised to see a lot of scuffles between plays. Lots of playoff implications on the line, so expect fireworks.

Injuries... Gay is still in concussion protocol, which is worrisome. He must have failed his IMPACT test. Might be without him this week which really puts a bind on the secondary depth. Miller still has yet to practice. He's a likely inactive candidate again. Spence has been practicing on a limited basis.

O... Repeat last week, and they'll be fine lol. As ATL noted, Wallace will need help on the inside so AVill & Gilbert will need to handle their own on most downs. They are up to the task. I'd like to see them establish the ground game better, but its probably not going to happen. All season long Tomlin has been playing aggressive, so I'd expect more of the same. Leon Hall & Pacman Jones have not practiced this week, so they will probably have Kirkpatrick (limited) & Dennard on the outside. Ben's gotta be licking his chops!

D... Can't let Dalton get in rhythm or this one is going to be a barn burner. Eifert has been limited all week, but expect him to be out there. Need to create turnover somehow, because this game is going to be won or lost through the air. Hopefully everyones been studying the tape real well. Can't afford any miscommunication or missed assignments this week.

Backs against the wall, and needing to make a statement this week... PIT 32 - Cincy 27

We can expect the Steelers D to be especially motivated facing a good OFC for the 1st time since SEA...they kinda controlled the LOS in the 1st game vs CIN...Hill/Benard were largely held in check...that might be more difficult to repeat on the road with the quicker field turf, but the CIN OL vs PIT DL match up is starting to favor PIT a little imo.

I expect Butler to be aggressive up front, but keep Mitchell deep over top AJ Green...the match up that scares me is Eifert vs Timmons down the seam or deep crossing pattern with AJ clearing Mitchell out of there.

It probably will be a chippy game...the guys need to watch the 15 yarders, but I expect at least one.

 

[Ojb81]

I am pumped that we have Tuitt back for this one, good chance his presence bears some big time results in the way of timely sacks/pressures. And hopefully we continue to see more of Boykin mixed in at appropriate times, he's an asset that needs to be used.

Steelers always seem comfortable when playing in Cincy, I'm thinking we can knock the stripes off those suckas and if so, finish out the season balls to the wall

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Big win today gents...

Coaching... Congrats to Coach T for setting some good career benchmarks today (see media thread post). As expected, the aggressive play calling started out strong. Then once Dalton went down they dialed back. But this was an emotional game on every level, and Tomlin kept his group disciplined. That is huge. Wasn't the most spectacular day for playcalling, but the refs were continuously blowing calls against the Steelers. Cut a few drives short. Oh well! Credit to Butler for a huge day on the defensive side. He didn't shy away from his blitz packages. Dalton & McCarron were under duress the entire game. B+

O... Solid day from the O-line. Scary when AVill got taken out, but gladly he wasn't out very long. Not sure if many of you saw it, but on a play later on in the game Burfict went for Nix's knee and DeCastro punished him for it lol. I got a great laugh out of it. Offense struggled to finish drives today, but they at least came away with points on most possessions. Run game was meager but effective. Credit to Bengals D, they played well today. 3rd down efficiency was barely north of 50%, but RZ efficiency was 2/3 which is solid. B-

D... Hats off to this group. I think Burfict's shit talking awoke a sleeping giant today. I haven't seen this group play with such passion in a while. Cheers to that punk Burfict!

Yes I know that's Moats & not Timmons, but I found the pic online and thought it was a perfect way to explain how Burfict ignited our defense. You messed with the wrong LB corps Burfict lol. Glad nobody threw punches & got tossed for any of that BS that Burfict was tryin to pull. Glad they stayed "disciplined". The front 7 was abusive all day long. How about seein Big Dan McCullers notch a sack assist? Shazier may not have had a great stats day, but the dude was everywhere wreaking havoc. Harrison & Tuitt were constantly in the backfield. INT's by Tuitt, Gay & Golden were icing on the cake. DBs showed up to play today. That was a great thing to see. Can't fault Blake on Green's TD because he was outmatched prior to the snap. That's just bad personnel coaching. Blake has no business lining up over Green unless there's a safety over the top. Butler & Lake should be faulted for that. Not sure if its worthy of noting, but Blake missed several tackles today. Also liked seeing Golden in there. B+

ST... The Boz was a perfect 4/4 today. Berry had 2 punts averaging 49yds which is good. Coverage team still stinks. B+

Overall... Well I called it goin in that this was going to be a bloody game. Burfict was the root of almost ALL of it. A lot of people had problem with Gay's dancing antics, but to me that was a statement. Bengals deserved it with all the taunting & shit talking that was going on. Gay's dancing took them down a peg or two, and set the tone for the entire 2nd half. This was quite the rivalry game though. Steelers were able to come away with the win, and made a huge statement today. B+

Outlook... Dalton's injury presents a very interesting finish to the season. Certainly keeps the Steelers in the AFCN division discussion. Bengals would have to freefall and lose 3 out of their last 4 while PIT wins out for the Steelers to take the division. Still on the outside looking in, unfortunately. Both the Chefs & Jets were able to win today. OAK's win brings them back into the discussion. Broncos are coming into Heinz next week in another big AFC showdown. Luckily for PIT, the Broncs are coming off a demoralizing loss to the Raiders and the Steelers are riding all sorts of momentum. The Steelers are peaking at the right time, so hopefully they can continue this high level of play. vDEN, @BAL, @CLE. Favorable schedule to end the season, but now's not the time to sleep on any of the remaining teams.

As always, Go Steelers!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Im very apprehensive about this game with the injuries that we had and just the way that the season has gone for us ..I can see guy's getting hurt in this one namely Ben and i dont want that .... I also think we can pull a win out here too

No injuries today... AVill got taken out for concussion protocol but was allowed to play again.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Big win today gents...

Coaching... Congrats to Coach T for setting some good career benchmarks today (see media thread post). As expected, the aggressive play calling started out strong. Then once Dalton went down they dialed back. But this was an emotional game on every level, and Tomlin kept his group disciplined. That is huge. Wasn't the most spectacular day for playcalling, but the refs were continuously blowing calls against the Steelers. Cut a few drives short. Oh well! Credit to Butler for a huge day on the defensive side. He didn't shy away from his blitz packages. Dalton & McCarron were under duress the entire game. B+

O... Solid day from the O-line. Scary when AVill got taken out, but gladly he wasn't out very long. Not sure if many of you saw it, but on a play later on in the game Burfict went for Nix's knee and DeCastro punished him for it lol. I got a great laugh out of it. Offense struggled to finish drives today, but they at least came away with points on most possessions. Run game was meager but effective. Credit to Bengals D, they played well today. 3rd down efficiency was barely north of 50%, but RZ efficiency was 2/3 which is solid. B-

D... Hats off to this group. I think Burfict's shit talking awoke a sleeping giant today. I haven't seen this group play with such passion in a while. Cheers to that punk Burfict!
View attachment 64440
Yes I know that's Moats & not Timmons, but I found the pic online and thought it was a perfect way to explain how Burfict ignited our defense. You messed with the wrong LB corps Burfict lol. Glad nobody threw punches & got tossed for any of that BS that Burfict was tryin to pull. Glad they stayed "disciplined". The front 7 was abusive all day long. How about seein Big Dan McCullers notch a sack assist? Shazier may not have had a great stats day, but the dude was everywhere wreaking havoc. Harrison & Tuitt were constantly in the backfield. INT's by Tuitt, Gay & Golden were icing on the cake. DBs showed up to play today. That was a great thing to see. Can't fault Blake on Green's TD because he was outmatched prior to the snap. That's just bad personnel coaching. Blake has no business lining up over Green unless there's a safety over the top. Butler & Lake should be faulted for that. Not sure if its worthy of noting, but Blake missed several tackles today. Also liked seeing Golden in there. B+

ST... The Boz was a perfect 4/4 today. Berry had 2 punts averaging 49yds which is good. Coverage team still stinks. B+

Overall... Well I called it goin in that this was going to be a bloody game. Burfict was the root of almost ALL of it. A lot of people had problem with Gay's dancing antics, but to me that was a statement. Bengals deserved it with all the taunting & shit talking that was going on. Gay's dancing took them down a peg or two, and set the tone for the entire 2nd half. This was quite the rivalry game though. Steelers were able to come away with the win, and made a huge statement today. B+

Outlook... Dalton's injury presents a very interesting finish to the season. Certainly keeps the Steelers in the AFCN division discussion. Bengals would have to freefall and lose 3 out of their last 4 while PIT wins out for the Steelers to take the division. Still on the outside looking in, unfortunately. Both the Chefs & Jets were able to win today. OAK's win brings them back into the discussion. Broncos are coming into Heinz next week in another big AFC showdown. Luckily for PIT, the Broncs are coming off a demoralizing loss to the Raiders and the Steelers are riding all sorts of momentum. The Steelers are peaking at the right time, so hopefully they can continue this high level of play. vDEN, @BAL, @CLE. Favorable schedule to end the season, but now's not the time to sleep on any of the remaining teams.

As always, Go Steelers!
View attachment 64441

It was always going to be a chippy game like you said and Burfict was trying to fan the flames early...lol.

On the game...tough to see Dalton go down for the season, but that's the NFL...maybe he gets back for the playoffs. The Steelers are a tough OFC to stop and I liked the balance better...not a 100 yd day, but 20+ carries was good.

Steelers still have to take care of business, but I think the Bengals could come back to the pack and make it interesting. ...2 road games...SF and DEN before closing at home with BAL...I don't trust McCarron to win either of the road games...I don't see them losing all 3...11-5 is still where I would project them to end the season.

Jet's beating TN was not a surprise, hammering them was a bit of a surprise...@ DAL...NE, @ BUF...no cake walk...10-6 would be good imo. an AFC loss is a plus.

KC...the looked ugly at home vs a hapless Charger team, but it was DIV foe...it happens sometimes. I still question if they have enough OFC, but @BAL, CLE, OAK makes me think they are a strong bet to do no worse than 10-6, but they are trending towards 11-5.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

It was always going to be a chippy game like you said and Burfict was trying to fan the flames early...lol.

On the game...tough to see Dalton go down for the season, but that's the NFL...maybe he gets back for the playoffs. The Steelers are a tough OFC to stop and I liked the balance better...not a 100 yd day, but 20+ carries was good.

Steelers still have to take care of business, but I think the Bengals could come back to the pack and make it interesting. ...2 road games...SF and DEN before closing at home with BAL...I don't trust McCarron to win either of the road games...I don't see them losing all 3...11-5 is still where I would project them to end the season.

Jet's beating TN was not a surprise, hammering them was a bit of a surprise...@ DAL...NE, @ BUF...no cake walk...10-6 would be good imo. an AFC loss is a plus.

KC...the looked ugly at home vs a hapless Charger team, but it was DIV foe...it happens sometimes. I still question if they have enough OFC, but @BAL, CLE, OAK makes me think they are a strong bet to do no worse than 10-6, but they are trending towards 11-5.

Agreed... Hate to see that happen to Dalton, especially how innocent the tackle looked. Tough break.

Still can't believe the Chargers flopped that hard. I thought they were going to win that game. Damn was I wrong.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Agreed... Hate to see that happen to Dalton, especially how innocent the tackle looked. Tough break.

Still can't believe the Chargers flopped that hard. I thought they were going to win that game. Damn was I wrong.

SD was on the KC 1 with 5 sec left I think...that close to tying, but not sure what happened, never saw the last play.

If Eifert doesn't clear concussion protocol...I'm not sure if CIN gets out of SF with a win...if they do lose in DEN you know that Harbaugh would love to send them to a 10-6 record.

 

[NorthCoastSteelersFan]

It was always going to be a chippy game like you said and Burfict was trying to fan the flames early...lol.

On the game...tough to see Dalton go down for the season, but that's the NFL...maybe he gets back for the playoffs. The Steelers are a tough OFC to stop and I liked the balance better...not a 100 yd day, but 20+ carries was good.

Steelers still have to take care of business, but I think the Bengals could come back to the pack and make it interesting. ...2 road games...SF and DEN before closing at home with BAL...I don't trust McCarron to win either of the road games...I don't see them losing all 3...11-5 is still where I would project them to end the season.

Jet's beating TN was not a surprise, hammering them was a bit of a surprise...@ DAL...NE, @ BUF...no cake walk...10-6 would be good imo. an AFC loss is a plus.

KC...the looked ugly at home vs a hapless Charger team, but it was DIV foe...it happens sometimes. I still question if they have enough OFC, but @BAL, CLE, OAK makes me think they are a strong bet to do no worse than 10-6, but they are trending towards 11-5.

Good analysis, as always.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I now see a glimmer of hope that our boys can take the AFC North.

Banged up as they are, Cinci could lose 2 of their remaining games.

And if our boys play Denver as well in our house as they did against Cinci in theirs, I could see them running the table and finishing 11-5. And should they finish with the same record, our guys win the tie-breaker, having beaten Cinci by 13 points yesterday, when their earlier victory was by just six.

We'll keep a good thought.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

SD was on the KC 1 with 5 sec left I think...that close to tying, but not sure what happened, never saw the last play.

If Eifert doesn't clear concussion protocol...I'm not sure if CIN gets out of SF with a win...if they do lose in DEN you know that Harbaugh would love to send them to a 10-6 record.

Dalton was cleared of any surgeries. Sounds like he's week-to-week. All comes down to his grip function & pain tolerance. My guess is they rest him until the playoffs. If McCarron fails miserably then maybe they'll rush Dalton back. Don't see that happening.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Good analysis, as always.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I now see a glimmer of hope that our boys can take the AFC North.

Banged up as they are, Cinci could lose 2 of their remaining games.

And if our boys play Denver as well in our house as they did against Cinci in theirs, I could see them running the table and finishing 11-5. And should they finish with the same record, our guys win the tie-breaker, having beaten Cinci by 13 points yesterday, when their earlier victory was by just six.

We'll keep a good thought.

Thanks...I do as well.

I've chatted with a few CIN fans...a decent group on this board overall...some feel like 2-1 is feasible...almost expected maybe. SF...this is the key obviously to a 2-1 finish. 9ers looked bad in CLE on OFC, but that's not that unusual for a guy that hasn't had many snaps...CIN is still better than SF w/o Dalton, but on the road, 1st start that I'm aware of will be a tough game...secondly I expect Gabbert to play better @ home...I can see that being a low scoring type game if McCarron is not getting turned over...I wouldn't pick SF, but I'm not that confident the Bengals win that one.

DEN...I expect that DEF to feast on McCarron.

All that...and of course PIT has to win out themselves so it's still a long way from happening, but there is hope.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Dalton was cleared of any surgeries. Sounds like he's week-to-week. All comes down to his grip function & pain tolerance. My guess is they rest him until the playoffs. If McCarron fails miserably then maybe they'll rush Dalton back. Don't see that happening.

Essentially a broken/fractured bone in his throwing hand as I understand it...apparently it's a minor fracture if they didn't think surgery was necessary. I wonder what the decision would be if this were week 2? As you mentioned...pain can be minimized to a degree, it depends a lot on his hand strength...If he tries to play this year...I'm thinking week 17 would be the earliest they would even consider...out this week, I wouldn't want that DEN pass rush targeting him next week...if they lose both and he doesn't have any limitations in practice...I think he would play the BAL game...they haven't clinched anything yet, so dropping to 10-6 might allow the Jets to overtake them...2-1 probably locks up a spot so if McCarron wins in SF this week, we probably won't see Dalton until the playoffs.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Essentially a broken/fractured bone in his throwing hand as I understand it...apparently it's a minor fracture if they didn't think surgery was necessary. I wonder what the decision would be if this were week 2? As you mentioned...pain can be minimized to a degree, it depends a lot on his hand strength...If he tries to play this year...I'm thinking week 17 would be the earliest they would even consider...out this week, I wouldn't want that DEN pass rush targeting him next week...if they lose both and he doesn't have any limitations in practice...I think he would play the BAL game...they haven't clinched anything yet, so dropping to 10-6 might allow the Jets to overtake them...2-1 probably locks up a spot so if McCarron wins in SF this week, we probably won't see Dalton until the playoffs.

Agreed. Speaking of the Jets... How bout that team? Pretty crazy how good they have been playing. Fitzpatrick is playing like a perennial pro bowler. Haven't even heard the name Geno Smith in what feels like ages, for good reason. Marshall & Decker are definitely one of the top 5 WR duos in the league. Stats don't lie! Add in a bruising Chris Ivory, and a top 10 defense... Nasty. I see them giving NE a better run for their money next week.

 

[MISKO]

Agreed. Speaking of the Jets... How bout that team? Pretty crazy how good they have been playing. Fitzpatrick is playing like a perennial pro bowler. Haven't even heard the name Geno Smith in what feels like ages, for good reason. Marshall & Decker are definitely one of the top 5 WR duos in the league. Stats don't lie! Add in a bruising Chris Ivory, and a top 10 defense... Nasty. I see them giving NE a better run for their money next week.

it would be nice if the patsies win that game .. so I will be rooting for them

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

it would be nice if the patsies win that game .. so I will be rooting for them

Rooting for the Patsies??? DOES...NOT...COMPUTE?

 

[MISKO]

Rooting for the Patsies??? DOES...NOT...COMPUTE?

I thought we needed the jets to lose so our chances at getting a w/c slot is improved .. btw after that game i will feel slimy and probably have to douse myself with a 5 gallon can of diesel fuel just to get the stench off of me