The Bengals looked like they’d nab a first-round bye in the playoffs, until Andy Dalton broke his thumb. His scant inclusion in practice this week has McCarron in line for a fourth straight start since replacing Dalton early in a 33-20 home loss to Pittsburgh on December 13, but Dalton is confident there’ll be another week of practice.
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“He’s going to stay in my ear and do the things he’s been doing all year”, Toussaint said. “AJ’s going to do a good job when things happen”. Bengals haven’t won playoff game since 1990 season, sixth-longest streak of postseason futility in National Football League history. On Jan. 9, 1989, Cincinnati beat Buffalo 21-10 to win the AFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl XXIII.
So what harm could a change under center cause? Thompson appeared in nine games this season, but didn’t start in any, while Williams signed with the Bengals as a free agent in May.
There is no love lost between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. He is tied for the league-lead in rushing touchdowns with 11.
The Steelers nabbed the last AFC berth at 10-6 SU and 8-5-3 ATS. “They know what to do and we expect them to step up and be up to speed”.
“I don’t think there’s a guy in this locker room concerned with the last four years or how it went the last time we played these guys”, he added. In five total games this season, McCarron has completed 79 of 119 passes for 854 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
Down the stretch there were few teams better than the Pittsburgh Steelers as they made their march towards a playoff spot.
“Just the poise”, offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said. Our guys have worked hard, we have to come out and play great football. “I did 4 years in Kansas City and every year we played this division”.
His counterpart has had his struggles lately, but like the Steelers’ defensive gambles, Ben Roethlisberger’s mistakes might have something to do with the explosiveness of the offense he’s leading and the chances it takes. Toussaint’s appeared in two playoff games, both previous year with Baltimore, but in his short career he’s yet to reach the end zone. Now that we’re in our second season, there’s a finality to this. The key will be the Steelers passing attack against the Bengals secondary.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals will renew their AFC North rivalry on Saturday night against one another in the wild card round. Without him on the field, the backfield load will be carried by Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman, who have combined for only 22 carries this season.
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Experience could be a factor that gives Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reason enough to split the workload between Toussaint and Todman in the hopes of freeing up Roethlisberger to find star receiver Antonio Brown. Still, the one player on their offense who can perform no matter who throws the ball is A.J. “A three- or four-yarder can turn into a 70-, 80-yarder quick because he is that talented”. Brown finished second in receiving yards this season, but he had 12 more catches and 215 more yards than anyone else on third down. Their defense also ranked second in scoring (17.4).
