Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis called Andy Dalton “week-to-week”, when it was determined Monday his quarterback doesn’t need surgery for his fractured throwing thumb in what Lewis called “a best-case scenario”.
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The truth is, the Steelers wouldn’t mind facing the Bengals in the playoffs even if Dalton is healthy enough to play. The Enquirer could not confirm the exact type of fracture the 28-year-old quarterback suffered, but he was placed in a hard cast immediately on Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium.
REALISTIC REACTION: They’re all 6-7. “I think we’d feel good”. “We lost a football game at home”. It’s a home game for a lot of guys.
And while it’s true the Steelers needed no other incentive to beat the Bengals than preserving their own playoff lives, the Bengals provided more motivation.
Seattle running back Thomas Rawls had been terrific in filling in for injured Marshawn Lynch. “As we move forward we’ll see how he is each and every week and it’ll be up to Andy and the doctors”.
-SPECIAL TEAMS: B. This unit didn’t factor much in this game, although the Bengals still miss Adam Jones’ presence on punt returns.
Though Ben Roethlisberger did throw an interception to Bengals safety Reggie Nelson on Sunday, it didn’t matter.
Where does Heath Miller rank among the best TEs ever? Miller finished the season series against the Bengals with 20 catches.
The first round of the playoffs will be held January 9-10. Before this season they never had more than three consecutive 30-point games in a row in one season.
Unbeaten Carolina’s Jonathan Stewart (left foot) and Greg Olsen (left knee) had scares in the rout of Atlanta, but AP Charlotte sports writer Steve Reed reported that coach Ron Rivera said both could’ve returned to the game.
REALISTIC REACTION: They shouldn’t have been 1-5 in the first place.
McCarron steps into the starting role in San Francisco with the Bengals fighting for a chance to clinch a playoff berth and possibly a division championship. Pittsburgh has given up the second most yards in the air in the NFL. Gay’s interception went for a touchdown. Gio Bernard had 40 yards for Cincinnati, which managed just 64 yards against a staunch Steelers defense. Mike Nugent went 3-for-4 on field goals, falling short on a 54-yard attempt. First-year punter Jordan Berry also had a strong game. Defensively, the Bengals yield 240.3 yards in passing and 97.2 yards in rushing.
NEW LEVEL OF NASTINESS: There was trash talk after the Bengals’ 16-10 win in Pittsburgh on November 1 that intensified in the week leading up to this game and carried over to the field.
The Pittsburgh Steelers would like to give right tackle Marcus Gilbert his Christmas wish. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler deserves credit, too.
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The Steelers also continue to thrive at the end of the second and fourth quarters.
