Sports analysts said it is good news for the team as they head into the Saturday’s game. If the Bengals win, he will be the first National Football League quarterback since 1979 to win a playoff game after having three or fewer previous starts. To start, there needs to be more playing time for Brandon Boykin and much less playing time for Antwon Blake.
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Since Lewis took over, the Bengals have enjoyed plenty of success. He had a season-high 12 tackles and a game-turning interception during a 24-16 win over the Ravens last Sunday. The Steelers will travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals on Saturday, as the game is slated to begin at 8:15 p.m. (EST) and will be aired on CBS.
Today is the 10-year anniversary of the first and only other playoff meeting between the Bengals and Steelers, the one defined by Pittsburgh defensive end Kim von Oelhoffen’s low hit that left Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer with a torn ACL on his snap of the game. “It’s hard to get to the playoffs, period, in this league”. There’s not a reason to live in the past.
With quarterback Andy Dalton all-but ruled out of the contest as he recovers from an injured right thumb, McCarron will be given the ball as the Bengals look to win their first playoff game for 25 years.
The two teams split their season series, with the Bengals winning, 16-10, in Pittsburgh and the Steelers returning the favor in a rematch in a feisty game. Pittsburgh has won 22 of its last 26 visits to Cincinnati. McCarron has been the Bengals quarterback since December 13, when Dalton broke his thumb against the Steelers.
“I don’t think we change anything we do”, Lewis said. You literally have to be at your best and have your best game every week. Fellow reserve running back Jordan Todman is also preparing to play.
Or does he want to rise up, step up, say I’ll take that challenge and does he want to be the best in the world?
ABOUT THE STEELERS (10-6): While Pittsburgh’s vaunted aerial attack is raring to go, its rushing game could be a sore spot as veteran DeAngelo Williams’ ankle injury may play a major role on Saturday. They were furious that Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict celebrated the tackle while Bell was motionless on the ground. It went from a simple shoving match, to a brouhaha with players from both teams fighting at midfield. The division rivals hate each other, so players from both teams are going to be emotional heading into the game. The Steelers may have to rely on the pass a lot more than the run, but they are not stranger to that, as Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for more than 35 passes eight times this season.
The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paul Dehner Jr. came up with a scary stat for the Bengals and their fans this week: Cincinnati has been outscored 57-6 in the second halves of its last four playoff losses.
One streak is going to end by Saturday evening.
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With a glaring difference between the outcome and pace of the two games, how this game unfolds in comparison will be an important development for the Bengals. We’ll see which key injury has the biggest effect on the best playoff matchup of wild-card weekend.
