Burfict, whose fiery, volatile persona fuels a stingy Bengals defense, then hurried out of the locker room without uttering another word.
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The players also insist they are not thinking about the postseason losing streak or how they have a hard time beating the Steelers at home.
The Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) won the AFC North but the biggest problem that they will have is the status of Andy Dalton.
Williams, meanwhile, was carted off the field with an ankle injury during Pittsburgh’s 28-12 win over Cleveland in week 17 and is eying a divisional round return if the Steelers were to make it that far.
FILE – In this Monday, Nov. 16, 2015 file photo, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis in the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Cincinnati. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin saw the 25-year-old running back basking in the TV lights and jokingly wondered aloud why a player who spent most of the year on the practice squad was getting so much attention.
He has thrown 6 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions in the three games he has started, all this season. As has been the case his entire career, the quarterback isn’t afraid to take chances in the air with throwing the ball downfield, which leads to some interceptions. He was tied for the most receptions in the NFL with Julio Jones, but did lead the league in receiving yards.
CHALLENGING MARTAVIS: Roethlisberger called out talented but inconsistent second-year wide receiver Martavis Bryant during the week, saying on his radio show that Bryant needed to “toughen up” after he managed just two receptions for 6 yards over the final two games. The team is reportedly preparing running back Jordan Todman and rusher Fitzgerald Toussaint to take over the offensive department. A veteran presence is better than no presence at all. Turn it over to the Steelers defensive front seven to blitz the hell out of him and hope it doesn’t have to come down to the Steelers secondary to stop him.
Keep in mind: The Bengals have two good backs in Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill, but the running game wasn’t that great this season. The Steelers defense isn’t the same feared defense as it once was. “We know he is going to be ready to play not because he hates Pittsburgh but because this is the playoffs and he’s trying to get to the next round like we are”. Defensively, the Pittsburgh Steelers yield 271.9 yards in passing and 91.2 yards in rushing. The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to try to stop him with a defense that might be best described as, well, weird. The Steelers made the most of that situation 10 years ago by winning the Super Bowl, and it’s a path they’d like to travel again when they visit Paul Brown Stadium on Saturday. Pittsburgh has played 56 postseason games, trailing Dallas (60) for most all time.
Cincinnati and Pittsburgh finished the regular season each picking up a victory on the road against the other.
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One guy to look out for: Wheaton. He won two national championships at Alabama and thinks his experience in big games should help on Saturday.
