PITTSBURGH, Pa. – There was at time, two years ago to be exact, when Mike Wallace couldn’t wait for the Pittsburgh Steelers bye week.

Four days off is an eternity in the hectic life of an NFL rookie, particularly if your hometown is New Orleans.

“All that pressure man, as a rookie, you can’t wait to bust loose a little bit,” Wallace said.

So Wallace enjoyed himself. A lot.

Don’t get Wallace wrong. He plans to spend the weekend relaxing in the Big Easy, but only after one of the league’s top young receivers gets a little work in first.

“I’ll get my film in,” Wallace said. “You can’t let that drop. Just because you’ve got a week off doesn’t mean you can just forget what you’re working for.”

Besides, as Wallace points out, there’s always time to party in February, particularly if the defending AFC champions can win their seventh Super Bowl title.

The Steelers (7-3) are in their usual spot atop the AFC North as Thanksgiving approaches and in prime position to make the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons under coach Mike Tomlin.

They’ve won five of six despite a rash of injuries at linebacker, where starters James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and James Farrior have all missed significant time.

They’ve won despite a defence that is on a pace to set an NFL record for fewest takeaways in a season.

They’ve won despite an offensive line that spent the first two months of the season in constant flux.

They’ve won ugly — a 23-20 escape against winless Indianapolis — and not-so ugly, handily beating New England three weeks ago in the kind of vintage performance that seemed to quell all the questions raised during a 35-7 beatdown at the hands of rival Baltimore in the opener.

“I think we’re getting by,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “We are doing enough things offensively and defensively to win, but I still don’t thing we’re playing to our full potential.”

Not that Roethlisberger is complaining. There are bigger issues, like healing. He sustained a fractured right thumb sometime during last week’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati and will wear a brace over the busted thumb for the next few weeks.

Roethlisberger dealt with a similar injury in 2005. It didn’t stop him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title. The Steelers aren’t quite ready to stamp themselves contenders just yet, even in the seemingly wide-open AFC. They lost both games against the Ravens and got the Patriots at home.

“All we’ve done is put us in position to make the last six weeks count,” wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said.

The schedule would seem to favour the Steelers. The only true test appears to be a road trip to San Francisco in mid-December. They have the offensively challenged Browns twice, the Bengals and the Rams at home and travel to battered Kansas City on Nov. 27.

Yet the Steelers haven’t been consistent closers under Tomlin, who famously prophesized his team would “unleash hell” in December in 2009 only to watch the Steelers lose to Oakland and Cleveland to drop out of the playoff picture.

Pittsburgh went 5-1 over its last six games in 2008 and 2010 and made it to the Super Bowl each time. The Steelers were 3-3 over their last six in 2007 and 2009, failing to win a playoff game in ’07 and missing the post-season completely in ’09.

The memories of those collapses — not to mention the loss to Green Bay in last year’s Super Bowl — linger.

It’s one of the reasons why Wallace won’t be living it up during the bye. Neither will most of his teammates, who will spend the weekend openly rooting for Cincinnati to knock off Baltimore and enjoying the rare late-November holiday.

“You look at the injuries we have on this team, it’s a perfect time for a bye,” safety Troy Polamalu said. “You get a chance to get focused and recharge. I know we’re playing pretty well, but we need some time.”

The Steelers hope to have Woodley back from a hamstring injury suffered against the Patriots. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders may need another week or two to get back from minor knee surgery.

The defence — loaded with seven starters at least 30 years old — has put up solid numbers even if the edge that has defined the unit for years is missing at times. The Steelers are 10th in the league in sacks and last in takeaways, though they came up with two big ones in the fourth quarter against the Bengals to snuff out a pair of late drives.

“We’ve said we’ve been due for them and you know, I hope that’s the start of something,” cornerback William Gay said. So do his teammates, who understand they haven’t exactly been dominant this season. The franchise lives by the motto “the standard is the standard.” The Steelers know the standard is winning. There’s nothing in there about style points.

“As long as we’re winning games, that’s all that matters,” Roethlisberger said. “Hopefully when we do hit it full stride and we’re actually playing really well — who knows where we’ll go.”

There was at time, two years ago to be exact, when Mike Wallace couldn’t wait for the Pittsburgh Steelers bye week.

Four days off is an eternity in the hectic life of an NFL rookie, particularly if your hometown is New Orleans.

“All that pressure man, as a rookie, you can’t wait to bust loose a little bit,” Wallace said.

So Wallace enjoyed himself. A lot.

Don’t get Wallace wrong. He plans to spend the weekend relaxing in the Big Easy, but only after one of the league’s top young receivers gets a little work in first.

“I’ll get my film in,” Wallace said. “You can’t let that drop. Just because you’ve got a week off doesn’t mean you can just forget what you’re working for.”

Besides, as Wallace points out, there’s always time to party in February, particularly if the defending AFC champions can win their seventh Super Bowl title.

The Steelers (7-3) are in their usual spot atop the AFC North as Thanksgiving approaches and in prime position to make the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons under coach Mike Tomlin.

They’ve won five of six despite a rash of injuries at linebacker, where starters James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and James Farrior have all missed significant time.

They’ve won despite a defense that is on a pace to set an NFL record for fewest takeaways in a season.

They’ve won despite an offensive line that spent the first two months of the season in constant flux.

They’ve won ugly — a 23-20 escape against winless Indianapolis — and not-so ugly, handily beating New England three weeks ago in the kind of vintage performance that seemed to quell all the questions raised during a 35-7 beatdown at the hands of rival Baltimore in the opener.

“I think we’re getting by,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “We are doing enough things offensively and defensively to win, but I still don’t thing we’re playing to our full potential.”

Not that Roethlisberger is complaining. There are bigger issues, like healing. He sustained a fractured right thumb sometime during last week’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati and will wear a brace over the busted thumb for the next few weeks.

Roethlisberger dealt with a similar injury in 2005. It didn’t stop him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title. The Steelers aren’t quite ready to stamp themselves contenders just yet, even in the seemingly wide-open AFC. They lost both games against the Ravens and got the Patriots at home.

“All we’ve done is put us in position to make the last six weeks count,” wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said.

The schedule would seem to favor the Steelers. The only true test appears to be a road trip to San Francisco in mid-December. They have the offensively challenged Browns twice, the Bengals and the Rams at home and travel to battered Kansas City on Nov. 27.

Yet the Steelers haven’t been consistent closers under Tomlin, who famously prophesized his team would “unleash hell” in December in 2009 only to watch the Steelers lose to Oakland and Cleveland to drop out of the playoff picture.

Pittsburgh went 5-1 over its last six games in 2008 and 2010 and made it to the Super Bowl each time. The Steelers were 3-3 over their last six in 2007 and 2009, failing to win a playoff game in ’07 and missing the postseason completely in ’09.

The memories of those collapses — not to mention the loss to Green Bay in last year’s Super Bowl — linger.

It’s one of the reasons why Wallace won’t be living it up during the bye. Neither will most of his teammates, who will spend the weekend openly rooting for Cincinnati to knock off Baltimore and enjoying the rare late-November holiday.

“You look at the injuries we have on this team, it’s a perfect time for a bye,” safety Troy Polamalu said. “You get a chance to get focused and recharge. I know we’re playing pretty well, but we need some time.”

The Steelers hope to have Woodley back from a hamstring injury suffered against the Patriots. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders may need another week or two to get back from minor knee surgery.

The defense — loaded with seven starters at least 30 years old — has put up solid numbers even if the edge that has defined the unit for years is missing at times. The Steelers are 10th in the league in sacks and last in takeaways, though they came up with two big ones in the fourth quarter against the Bengals to snuff out a pair of late drives.

“We’ve said we’ve been due for them and you know, I hope that’s the start of something,” cornerback William Gay said. So do his teammates, who understand they haven’t exactly been dominant this season. The franchise lives by the motto “the standard is the standard.” The Steelers know the standard is winning. There’s nothing in there about style points.

“As long as we’re winning games, that’s all that matters,” Roethlisberger said. “Hopefully when we do hit it full stride and we’re actually playing really well — who knows where we’ll go.”

Roethlisberger nursing fractured right thumb

By WILL GRAVES

AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback work a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

“I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

“That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. “You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defense that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his playcalling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s 9-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

“That was kind of the mentality – `Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,’” Roethlisberger said. “We take pride as an offense in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offenses in the league.

“We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. “We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

Updated November 15, 2011

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback wore a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

“I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

“That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. “You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defense that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his playcalling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s 9-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

“That was kind of the mentality — ‘Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,’ ” Roethlisberger said. “We take pride as an offense in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offenses in the league.

“We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. “We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand some time during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback work a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

“I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

“That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. “You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defence that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 per cent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his play-calling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s nine-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

“That was kind of the mentality — ‘Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,’” Roethlisberger said. “We take pride as an offence in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offences in the league.

“We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. “We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

 

PITTSBURGH (AP)

Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

”It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

”It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. ”Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

”I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. ”So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback work a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

”I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

”That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. ”You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defense that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his playcalling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s 9-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

”That was kind of the mentality — ‘Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,”’ Roethlisberger said. ”We take pride as an offense in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offenses in the league.

”We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. ”We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

CINCINNATI — A packed stadium. First place on the line in mid-November. The Bengals are used to this. No, not the Bengals franchise. Pivotal games so late in the season are a rarity in Cincinnati. For this year’s Bengals, though, it’s not all that different. A year ago, many of them were playing big games in packed stadiums on college campuses. The young Bengals (6-2) seem undaunted by the turn their schedule takes starting Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3), a team that annually turns Paul Brown Stadium into a place where Terrible Towels are as populous as tiger stripes. Pittsburgh has won eight of its last nine games in Cincinnati, a foreboding statistic. They’re too young to think anything of it. “That’s what I think is the biggest thing this year: The self-doubt’s not there,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We’re not worried about what we played like in 2006, we’re not worried about what we played like in 2001, we’re not worried what they played like in 1982. We’re worried about how we play. “We have a young team that’s starting their own legacy, their own beginning. That’s what we’re trying to do.” A team led by rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has gotten a good start at it. The Bengals are tied with Baltimore atop the AFC North. They’ve won five in a row, something they hadn’t done since 1988 — the last time they reached the Super Bowl. A win over the Steelers would tie the second-longest winning streak in franchise history. Pretty heady stuff for the newcomers, right? “I’ve been on some pretty good teams,” said Dalton, a second-round pick from TCU. “We definitely had some rivalries. Anytime we played a team that was from Texas, it was a big game. I definitely had some fun games in college against some of our conference opponents. Utah, BYU. It’s a little different now.”

The Steelers will show them what an NFL rivalry is all about. Pittsburgh is used to coming to town and shoving the Bengals around. Thousands of their fans make the five-hour drive and fill Paul Brown Stadium, which has been one-third empty this season. The game Sunday is Cincinnati’s first home sellout in year. That last sellout? When the Steelers were in town last November and got a 27-21 win. “We love going on the road and seeing the black and gold,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We love going on the road and seeing Terrible Towels in the stands. It gives you a feeling of familiarity and it gives you a feeling of comfort. That’s what you need when you’re facing a tough division opponent.” For a change, the Steelers need the game more than the home team. Pittsburgh’s defense gave up a touchdown in the closing seconds of a 23-20 loss to Baltimore on Sunday that dropped the Steelers to 0-2 against the Ravens. Another loss on Sunday would leave them in trouble in one of the important tiebreakers. “We’re 0-2 in the division, so we’re behind the 8-ball already,” Clark said. “We’re not looking at it as a loss puts us behind the 8-ball; we’re looking at it as we’re behind the 8-ball as we speak because we need two (division) wins to break even at this point.” It’ll likely come down to whether the Steelers’ injury-depleted defense can get Dalton rattled for the first time this season. Dalton threw a career-high three touchdown passes in a 24-17 win over Tennessee last Sunday, leading a second-half comeback from a 10-point deficit. He’s led late, go-ahead drives three times during the winning streak. Running a West Coast offense that allows him to move around and make quick throws, Dalton has 12 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He’s been sacked 12 times. “I think he’s done a couple of things particularly well that aren’t characteristic of a young guy,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “I think he’s doing an awesome job of taking care of the football, and I also think he’s doing an awesome job of making quick decisions.” Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will try to change that by showing Dalton some things he’s never seen. “With coach LeBeau and the Steelers, you never know what you’re going to get,” Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said. The game starts a decisive stretch for the surprising Bengals — against Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, home against Cleveland, at Pittsburgh. On Sunday, they’ll have a chance to move a game and a half ahead of the Steelers, who have been to the Super Bowl three times in the last five years. “We know what this game means, what this week means,” Bengals defensive lineman Domata Peko said. And if they win? “The sky’s the limit,” he said.

Read More: James Harrison (LB – PIT), Troy Polamalu (SS – PIT), Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Vince Young (QB – PHI), Cedric Benson (RB – CIN), LaMarr Woodley (LB – PIT), Andre Caldwell (WR – CIN), Jerome Simpson (WR – CIN), Rashard Mendenhall (RB – PIT), Mike Wallace (WR – PIT), Antonio Brown (WR – PIT), Andy Dalton (QB – CIN), A.J. Green (WR – CIN), Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers

Sunday afternoon couldn’t come sooner for Steeler Nation. After a heartbreaking 23-30 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football in Week 9, fans are hoping the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) can get back in the win column on the road against the surging Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) prior to their bye week.  The winner on Sunday will, at worst, have sole possession of second place in the AFC North. Were Baltimore to lose at Seattle, the winner would vault into first place in the division, and in the case of the Bengals first place in the entire AFC. 

Here’s a few facts, figures and trends for the two teams heading into Week 10:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

 

• With win, Mike Tomlin can join HOFer Chuck Noll (193), Bill Cowher (149) & Raymond ‘Buddy’ Parker (51) as 4th head coach in club history to reach 50 regular-season wins.
• Steelers have won 8 of past 9 at Cin.
• QB Ben Roethlisberger is 6-1 at Cin. & has 10 TDs vs. 5 INTs & 98.7 passer rating. Aims for 4th straight game with 300+ passing yards (361, 365, 330).
• RB Rashard Mendenhall had 99 rush yards with 1 TD in last game at Cin. Mendenhall (24) needs 1 rush TD to become 8th player in Steelers history with at least 25 rush TDs.
• WR Mike Wallace aims for 3rd consecutive game with 100+ rec. yards (102, 110) at Cin. 
• WR Antonio Brown had career-best 109 rec. yards last week & has reached 100+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3.
• LB LaMarr Woodley  (48) needs 2 sacks to become 6th player in franchise history with 50 career sacks. Unfortunately, it appears as if Woodley will have to wait until after the bye week to accomplish that feat, as he’s been ruled out for Sunday with a lingering hamstring injury.
• LB James Harrison has 5 sacks in 5 games in ’11. Harrison has 3 sacks in past 4 vs. Bengals.
• S Troy Polamalu tied career-best with 2 INTs in last meeting vs. Cin., incl. 45-yard INT-return TD 

BENGALS:

• With win, Cincinnati can tie for 2nd-longest single-season win streak in franchise history (6 in ’73, ’75, ’88).
• Rookie QB Andy Dalton (2nd round, No. 35) had career-best 3 TD passes last week. Dalton has 12 TD passes, most by rookie in team’s 1st 8 games of season since merger (’70). Dalton aims to become 1st rookie QB w/ 6 straight wins since Vince Young (6) in ’06. Dalton (1,696) needs 159 passing yards to surpass Greg Cook (1,854 in ’69) for most passing yards by rookie in club history.
• RB Cedric Benson is averaging 81 rush yards per game in past 3 in Nov. (243 total).
• Rookie WR A.J. Green (1st round, No. 4) leads NFL rookies in rec. (40), rec. yards (599) & TD catches (5).
• WR Andre Caldwell recorded 2nd TD catch of season last week. 
• WR Jerome Simpson aims for 3rd consecutive game with TD rec…Bengals allow 85.4 rush yards per game in ’11, 2nd-best in NFL (49ers, 70.8)…Defense has recorded 9 FRs this season, 2nd-most in NFL (Bal., 10).

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley will miss his second straight game because of a hamstring injury, and linebacker James Farrior likely will be back for Sunday’s AFC North showdown in Cincinnati.

Woodley was ruled out Friday after not practicing all week.

Farrior was designated as probable after practicing for the third consecutive day. Farrior missed Pittsburgh’s previous two games with a calf injury. Backup Larry Foote indicated he expected to come off the bench again.

Also probable for Pittsburgh (6-3) against the Bengals (6-2) are two of the past three AP Defensive Players of the Year, safety Troy Polamalu (rib) and linebacker James Harrison (toe). Polamalu returned to practice Friday, and Harrison was a full participant after being limited Thursday.

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley will miss his second straight game because of a hamstring injury, and linebacker James Farrior likely will be back for Sunday’s AFC North showdown in Cincinnati.

Woodley was ruled out Friday after not practicing all week.

Farrior was designated as probable after practicing for the third consecutive day. Farrior missed Pittsburgh’s previous two games with a calf injury. Backup Larry Foote indicated he expected to come off the bench again.

Also probable for Pittsburgh (6-3) against the Bengals (6-2) are two of the past three AP Defensive Players of the Year, safety Troy Polamalu (rib) and linebacker James Harrison (toe). Polamalu returned to practice Friday, and Harrison was a full participant after being limited Thursday.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:

Rough on rookies: The Pittsburgh Steelers look to continue their domination of rookie quarterbacks when they face the Bengals’ Andy Dalton. Since Dick LeBeau returned as defense coordinator in 2004, rookie quarterbacks are 1-11 against the Steelers, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The only rookie who has beaten Pittsburgh was Baltimore’s Troy Smith in the 2007 regular-season finale, when the Steelers rested many of their starters. Pittsburgh has held rookies to a 62.8 passer rating with seven touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. The Ravens’ Joe Flacco has lost three times to the Steelers in his 2008 rookie season, and the Browns’ Colt McCoy lost twice to Pittsburgh last year in his first NFL season.

Looking to avoid another trap: In John Harbaugh’s first three seasons, the Ravens lost only once to a team with a losing record at the time. They’ve done it twice this season. After a season-opening rout of Pittsburgh, the Ravens fell flat in a loss at Tennessee. After a convincing Week 5 win over AFC South-leading Houston, Baltimore didn’t show up in an upset loss at Jacksonville. Now, after another win over Pittsburgh, the Ravens insist they’re not overlooking the 2-6 Seattle Seahawks. Harbaugh has referred to this disturbing trend as the Ravens’ “Achilles’ heel so far this season.”

Getting run down: Over the past two weeks, running backs have gained 421 yards against the Browns, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. In comparison, Cleveland’s entire offense has produced just 41 more yards during that time. Three running backs have reached 115 yards against the Browns in the past two losses, which is a concern in facing 1-7 St. Louis. Rams running back Steven Jackson is going for his third straight 100-yard game, which would tie the second-longest streak of his career (according to ESPN Stats & Information). Jackson, 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, is “bigger and stronger” than anyone the Browns have faced this season, Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron said.

Soaring from the start: Baltimore, which ranks second in scoring defense, is the only NFL team that has shut out every opponent this year on the opening drive. Baltimore has allowed only 13 points in the first quarter, which also leads the NFL. It would be a surprise to see the Ravens’ shutout streak end in Seattle. The Seahawks have yet to score in the first quarter against three AFC North teams this season. The division has held Seattle to five points per game (one touchdown, three field goals).

Air attack: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for at least 300 yards in a franchise-record three straight games. He has 1,068 passing yards since Week 7, the most in the NFL during that span (according to ESPN Stats & Information). The Bengals’ pass defense has been stingy, giving up eight touchdowns through the air, which is the third-fewest in the league. The Bengals can take pride in the fact that they’ve allowed only one 300-yard passer this season. But that achievement is tarnished a bit when you learn that the quarterback who threw for 323 yards against Cincinnati was Seattle’s Tarvaris Jackson.

By Jason Garrison

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Nov 11, 2011 – Last week I went two for three on picking upsets. I picked the Bengals to beat the Titans, which they did. I picked the Giants to beat the Patriots, which they did. And I picked the 49ers to lose to the Redskins, which they didn’t.

Here are the three teams I feel should be on upset alert in Week 10 of the 2011 NFL season.

Cincinnati Bengals over Pittsburgh Steelers

Where: Cincinnati, Ohio

Spread: Steelers by three

Why:

This is a huge game for both of these teams. The Steelers’ backs are up against the wall after being swept by the Ravens and the Bengals are looking to stay in the No. 1 spot in the AFC. History would say that this game belongs to the Steelers but this isn’t the same Bengals team that is in all the history books. Their defense is for real and Andy Dalton and A.J. Green look like the real deal.

This will be a brawl of a game and the winner will be the team that makes the least amount of mistakes. That team could be the Bengals.

Buffalo Bills over Dallas Cowboys

Where: Dallas, Texas

Spread: Cowboys by 5.5

Why:

After losing a division game to the New York Jets, the Bills have fallen back to third place in the AFC East, however, with a 5-3 record, which still ties them with the Patriots and Jets, the Bills are very much in the hunt for a division championship and a playoff berth. The Bills have a high-powered offense and the Cowboys are so unpredictable that you never really know when they’re going to play good or not.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has a nasty little habit of turning the ball over when the game is on the line and Ryan Fitzpatrick and company can take advantage in Dallas.

Seattle Seahawks over Baltimore Ravens

Where: Seattle, Washington

Spread: Ravens by seven

Why:

Sounds crazy, right? Well, not that crazy. We’ve seen teams come off close, emotional games that they’ve won just to turn around and lose to a far inferior team the very next week. After the Chiefs beat the Chargers on Monday night, they turned around and let the Dolphins beat them in front of their home crowd. Granted, the Ravens aren’t the Chiefs but the Seahawks aren’t the Dolphins either.

Seattle is an incredibly tough place to play and the Ravens have a really long way to travel. This is the kind of games that teams lose every season and I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised to see it happen to the Ravens in Week 10.

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Read More: 2011 nfl picks against the spread, 2011 nfl week 9 picks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens

The NFL schedule for Week 9 brings us a rematch of one of the best rivalries in professional football. The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Baltimore Ravens and look to avenge their opening game stinker. We will be sharing our expert picks against the spread for the entire Week 9 schedule in the coming days. Today we start with this big game which is surprisingly easy to call.

Before we get into this week’s picks, let’s quickly review last week and where we are for the season with our ATS picks. Looking back, we had a horrible week making some indefensible “gut” picks that failed and still did OK.

We took the Seahawks at home over the Bengals, giving Seattle too much credit for home field and not respecting Cincinnati enough. We also bought into the Tebow hype and more importantly the Lions slide. Both of those picks in retrospect were horrible and yet we still managed to go 6-7 for the week which puts us at 59-51 for the season against the spread. Suck on that, Vegas!

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5): These two teams have a long history of close games but long history isn’t always a good predictor of the future. What matters more is the Ravens recent road loss to Jacksonville and barely escaping with a home win over Arizona. Meanwhile, the Steelers have recovered from a slow start to the season and are rolling as shown by their destruction of the New England Patriots.

These two teams have fantastic defenses as always, but the difference right now is Ben Roethlisberger who is playing at an exceptional level. Joe Flacco might have been able to pick apart the young Cardinals corners but will not have such luck against Pittsburgh. If the defenses cancel each other out, the Big Ben plus home field plus revenge factor make this pick our lock of the week. Pick: Steelers

You can pick against us in our weekly contest which you can join here (ID: 55411, PW: arizona).