The Bengals are without starting quarterback Andy Dalton, whose right thumb was broken December 13 against the Steelers when he tried to tackle Stephon Tuitt after the defensive end intercepted his pass.
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Because of this, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Steelers are preparing for Saturday’s game versus Cincinnati as if backup running back Fitzgerald Toussaint will start.
But the Cincinnati Bengals head coach went out of his way on Tuesday to drop the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver’s name into the league MVP conversation.
While the Cincinnati Bengals are hopeful they’ll have Andy Dalton back for the playoffs, they are preparing for the worst during practice this week.
The AFC North champions are getting AJ McCarron ready to play against their division rival. Russell Wilson took his performance to a new level, becoming the first player in National Football League history to finish a season with at least 4,000 yards passing, 30 touchdown passes and 500 yards rushing.
The Bengals will start the week thinking McCarron will have to lead the franchise to its first playoff victory since the 1990 season. “I’ll see when that time comes”, he said.
McCarron has acquitted himself well in his three starts in Dalton’s stead.
He explained that he wasn’t there to build or feed into a rivalry and he understands both teams are built with professional men who should not need to be reminded what is at stake this weekend.
But the Bengals are stand as one of three home underdogs against a Steelers squad that’s held the label of “the team no one wants to face” after dealing with major and costly injuries to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Le’Veon Bell.
McCarron has thrown for 832 yards and six touchdowns to two interceptions in four games while filling in for Dalton.
“I don’t take for granted that I’ll win my job next year”, the 11th-year veteran said. “I think we’re going to ride this wave”. Whenever a stat like that presents itself, there’s a pretty good chance the run game was successful. “We believe in AJ McCarron”. In the two games, he was 58 of 97 for 566 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, a solid showing for someone learning the offense on the fly.
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Before agonizing over middle linebacker Rey Maualuga’s lateral off an interception that sealed Sunday’s win over the Ravens with 24 seconds left, Lewis paid homage to offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and his staff. The Franklin Lakes native was signed to the Falcons’ practice squad in September after being waived by Buffalo. Pittsburgh will keep Blake in the rotation of the cornerback position so that the rest of their corners do not get too exhausted as the game goes on, however the hope is that in that plan, they make every effort to have Blake lined up on other smaller receiving options or bringing heat on a delayed blitz. He was waived in September but picked up by Cleveland, who waived him Thursday. “After the (GMAC) game, I went under the stadium to the locker room, met his mom, his dad, his sister and him”, McCarron said. I just remember, like, he gave me a wristband and all this other stuff and how cool it was.
