If there is one game for the Steelers that can be marked in the win column each year, it is the AFC North game with the team from the Queen City – the Cincinnati Bengals. Again on Sunday in front of a lot of waiving Terrible Towels in a visitor stadium, the Steelers whipped their AFC North rivals, moving to 5-1 after pounding the Bengals 38-10.
The win in Cincy is nothing new for the Steelers, who have not lost there since Kordell Stewart was the teams starter back in 2001. While it wasn’t maybe as easy as the score indicated, the team put up three fourth quarter touchdowns to make what was a competitive 17-10 lead into a 38-10 blowout. The Bengals, playing again without Carson Palmer, fall to 0-7 on the season.
Ben Roethlisberger was able to escape the day without absorbing a sack, and in the process went 17-for-28 for 216 yards and two TD’s with a QB rating of 108.6. He threw a first quarter score to Mewelde Moore that made it 7-0 in the first quarter, then put a nail in the Bengals coffin with a 50-yard score to Nate Washington with 8:17 left that made it 24-10.
Moore did another fantastic job for the injured Willie Parker, going for 120 yards on 20 carries and catching five passes for 14 yards and the score. He added to the fourth quarter lead with a 2-yard run with 5:17 to go to make it 31-10. Byron Leftwich, coming in late with the game in hand for Roethlisberger, threw a TD to Hines Ward from 16 yards out that put the finishing touches in the 28-point win.
While the Bengals made it tight for awhile, the Steelers D did have plenty of chances to tee off on Bengals QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, getting to him for a season high seven sacks. The Harvard QB went 21-for-35 for 164 yards with a TD, and took 47 yards in losses in the seven takedowns. Overall the Steelers outgained Cincy 375 to 212, and they held Cincy to 4-for-16 on third downs.
Overall it was yet another total domination for the Steelers over a team that they simply own on the road. With a 5-1 mark on the season, they head home for the premier game of week eight, as they take on the champion New York Giants, who are also 5-1.
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mark
October 19, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Very good win! These are the games the Steelers have to have knowing what teams are coming up on the schedule. It was a little tighter then the score indicates, at least until late in the 3rd quarter. I thought Ben played well,Moore played great and the O-line was solid. Like I said 3 weeks ago,the line has been playing very well ever since Stapleton took over for Simmons. Any one else agree? It looks like the interior of the line is holding blocks longer and not being overpowered. They will get a BIG test this weekend, thats for sure! On the other side of the ball, the defense is playing at a very high level, thats no secret or surprise. Woodley, Harrison,Timmons and a healthy Polamalu are just beasts out there and they are causing so much disruption! Now, I know some of the teams that the Steelers have on the schedule are having troubles that were not expected BUT, its still 1 game at a time. 5-1 is great and they can really build on this.
Jay Sabo
October 20, 2008 at 8:04 am
Can somebody tell me the status of McFadden and Troy!?!
Federico Miranda
October 20, 2008 at 12:22 pm
What a game, I enjoy that 1Q block by Ward, its a shame that the LB got his chin broken, but Hines is demostrating a point there. That fines don’t intimidate this team. I thing the D relax in the 2Q. this one could easly be a shutout. but it was fun see the way the Steelers are playing.
Question. Do you think the Steelers are the best team in the AFC? what do they have to improve?
Andrew Mechem
October 20, 2008 at 3:44 pm
B-Mac showed up Monday with his arm in a sling and what “Looked like a soft cast”
Hopefully just an elbow sprain and he can get back in. Worst case, something is broken. DB’s CAN play a little with a broken arm/hand after a couple weeks, but dont expect as much jamming or interceptions.
Troy had a pretty hard concussion.
And this team really could be the best. Its hard to judge when you play Cincy, but the bottom line is, if they can keep the O-Line together, they can go all the way. I think Max Starks IS worth his money and if he plays, we can do whatever we want to anybody.
This team can stop anybody, nobody else convinces me that they have everything. I feel Tennessee is our biggest threat. They have a defense. And that is what wins games.
13-3 is a realistic goal, and if we get it start getting the right thumb sized baby.
Tim
October 20, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I think with the way this team is starting, to play the sky is the limit. When the schedule came out I was VERY concerned with games against the Giants, Cowboys, Redskins. Now, all those games look very winable.
The way the league is shaping up this year,to say this team could end up 13-3 or 14-2 is not a stretch. Hell, if everything goes well 15-1 is a real possibility – but I don’t want to get TOO carried away.
It looks like this Steeler team could well be playing DEEP into January! (Don’t wanna start the ring design just yet!)